Rodenticides use in agriculture

Pesticides are involved in more animal exposures and health than any other category of toxins. It is a poison for rodents that acts swiftly and causes death shortly after ingestion.

The term pesticide includes rodenticides, insecticides, herbicides fungicides, avicides and other miscellaneous compounds. There are multiple types of rodenticides available on the market and the color of the bait is not coded to a specific type of rodenticides.

Common rodenticides toxicoses involve anticoagulant rodenticides, bromethalin, cholecalciferol, strychnine and zinc phosphide.

Warfarin, was the first compound marketed as an anticoagulant. The first generation anticoagulants were created during the 1940s and 1950s. They required continuous exposure to achieve rodent control. 

Calciferol has a use as rodenticides either in its own or in combination with second generation anticoagulant compounds. The rodenticides produce delayed toxicosis – they are deigned to cause death in rodents 1-3 days after a single ingestion.

Bromethalin has been used in rodenticides since the mid 1980s. Bromethalin is rapidly absorbed from the gastrointestinal tract. It is a neurotoxic rodenticides.

Peak bromethalin plasma concentrations occur within several hours after ingestion. Cerebral edema and elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure develop in lethally poisoned animals.

Zinc phosphide is an inorganic compound with the appearance of gray crystalline and a decaying fish or garlic odor.

Zinc phosphide is used worldwide for the control of a range of animals, including mice, rats, voles, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, moles, muskrats, rabbits and gophers.
Rodenticides use in agriculture