askchapo

I’m not in pest control but going straight for the poison route makes me think it is just as likely to make someone there sick by accidental exposure.

Spot on. I think putting out bait boxes with blocks in them could work as part of a strategy focused on prevention first, if cleaning up and such doesn't work on its own, but apparently in the couple hours since making the ask for help, they've already just started putting out plates of pellet poison mixed with food, which makes me want to run away screaming. I've broached in the nicest possible terms the fact that they're just going to poison the local cats and other wildlife doing that shit and offered to help do it safer, we'll see where that gets me. If they insist on continuing to just put out loose poison I won't be a part of it, frankly.

I don't know what country you're in but pretty sure you can get some pretty strong non-coagulant poisons in the US without a loicense. Not to say its a good idea, you're right about the risk of human exposure, but I don't think that not having a license will be an issue.

they have trash but I don't know the details on how often it gets picked up, it always seems near full when I go there, but afaik it is getting picked up.

Food is going to be a problem. It was more organized in the past, with a central kitchen tent with storage at least off the ground, and some progress made on containers, but now things are way less organized, if any food is kept on hand it seems to pretty much live in people's tents, cause I don't see it when I go.

Thanks!

I want to help, but I know bait boxes aren't gonna be a solution on their own. To make matters worse it sounds like they already put out poison just like, on plates mixed with a little bit of food. The whole situation is starting to upset me, but I'm just staying calm and trying to offer support however I can. Its tough because like, without someone living there to coordinate, things fall apart so fast. If you can like, keep a stocked pantry, you can eventually build up enough trust to mostly convince people to not to hoard food in their tents, but its so easy for someone off the street to walk in and take all the food and walk off and then the trust is broken again, and everyone's back to survival mode. Sometimes you get a strong presence who helps keep people in line and rally them to keep things running smoothly but it never lasts forever

Unfortunately cats aren’t very good at dealing with rats. Mice they’re great for, but adult male rats are shockingly big, cats typically leave them alone

Rats will gnaw through plastic like nothing. Sometimes they eat plastic just for fun. If there is already an infestation some buckets aren't going to do a thing other than turn into trash.