One near me is having an issue with rats. I think really they just need better trash pickup mainly, and better shelters in general, but they've specifically asked for help getting rat poison. Would bait boxes with poison even make a dent in an outdoor environment like that? I can't singlehandedly improve the cleanliness of the camp or get everyone rat-proof shelter obviously, but I feel like just going straight for the poison could have adverse consequences and not be effective, potentially.
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
Even with regular hot meals, food box deliveries for our clients, and a stocked pantry, my shelter started locking the fridges because food theft was rampant. Food insecurity is hard to unlearn.
Poison is going to be a part of any solution