Innovative techniques in rat eradication in Italian islands in the

Life Ponderat

Dario Capizzi

Project Manager Life PonDerat

Latium Region, Rome, Italy

• Resto con Life gave more than 1.000 bait dispensers to Life PonDerat

• Life PonDerat helped in field work in the second phase of rat eradication in Pianosa

Resto con Life & Life PonDerat

A fruitful cooperation

• since 1999, rat eradication achieved on several unhinabited islands

• bait distribution on rough terrains performed with aerial distribution of loose bait (pellets)

• a derogation of EC Biocide Regulation is needed

• aerial distribution of pellets not possible in inhabited islands

So far…

…on Italian islands…

Dealing with inhabited islands

• Presence of schools, farmers, hunters, fishers

• Presence of pets (dogs and cats)

• Presence of wildlife (e.g. seagulls, raptors, ravens)

• Presence of not accessible areas (especially in Palmarola)

Within Life PonDerat, we planned rat eradication in

two inhabited islands: Ventotene and Palmarola

Ventotene

In the Mediterranean, the most inhabited (700 residents) island where an eradication has been attempted

Presence of a village

Presence of a big cat colony (about 200!), cared by cat people

Surrounded by high cliffs

Surface 144,5 ha

Only 1 resident, but presence of several scattered houses In late spring and summer very busy Presence of cats and dogs High cliffs, rough terrain, accessible only 30% of the island

Palmarola

Main island 125 ha, but several unaccesible stacks and islets

• limiting the use of brodifacoum without losing in effectiveness

• avoiding loose bait (pellets) distribution

• selecting a bait dispenser suitable to be thrown by helicopter (only in unaccessible areas)

• resistant, biodegradable

Our goals

Avoiding impacts to pets and non-target species

Bait distribution all over the islands

Solutions found

1 - Differentiated bait distribution

Applied for the first time in an eradication to lower the impact on non-target fauna

First bait administrations with bromadiolone (less toxic), last with brodifacoum (more potent)

The idea is to use brodifacoum when rat population is already depleted

A preliminary monitoring of rodent resistance to anticoagulants was performed

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VENTOTENE

Bromadiolone Brodifacoum

976 bait stations, bait uptake: 394 kg of bromadiolone and only 8 kg of brodifacoum

Biodegradable bait containers built by our own personnel

Used on:

• 75 ha of Palmarola and all islets

• cliffs of Ventotene

Average density: 14 bait containers/ha

3 different aerial distributions on Palmarola, 2 on Ventotene

Solutions found

2 – Aerial bait station distribution

Biodegradable bait containers built by our own personnel

Used on:

• 75 ha of Palmarola and all islets

• cliffs of Ventotene

Average density: 14 bait containers/ha

3 different aerial distributions on Palmarola, 2 on Ventotene

Solutions found

2 – Aerial bait station distribution

Ventotene – Aerial and land-based distribution

Land based Aerial

Bait distribution

Palmarola – Aerial and land-based distribution

Land based Aerial

Bait distribution

About effectiveness…

eradication started at January 2018

a careful monitoring has been carried out in areas treated by land and by helicopter

no rat track has been recorded since June 2018 at Palmarola, September 2018 at Ventotene

Did it work?

Soon to say, but…

About impact on non target species…

No scavenger or predator was found dead

Barn owl of Ventotene has survived

No cat or dog died or disappeared

Cat people confirmed that cat colony in Ventotene is healthy and hunarmed

Did it work?

Soon to say, but…

Life PonDerat, an experience shared with: Paolo Sposimo, Filippo Dell’Agnello, Francesco Lanini, Cristina

Castelli, Fabrizio Petrassi, Cristiano Fattori, Giulia Sozio, Andrea

Monaco, Nicola Baccetti, Camilla Gotti, Elisabetta Raganella

Pelliccioni, Maria Angela Selvatici, Ferdinando Corbi, Fabio Pinos,

Lucia D’ Amato, Antonio Lecce, Marta Mastrantonio, Lucia

Cavagnuolo, Fabio Giannetti, Marco Romano, Gerardo Coppola,

Matteo De Santis, Nicola Marrone, Alessio Zoina, Daniele

Nunziata, Daniele Valfrè, Domenico Serafini, Carmen Biondo,

Roberto Orlandini, Attilio Rossato, Stefano Palombi, Alessia Baldi,

Valentina Pizzamiglio, Giuseppe Puddu, Giampiero Tirone,

Giuseppe De Pisa, Saverio Meneghello, Fabio Scarfò, Massimo

Bellavita, Paolo Perrella, Ernesto Monaco, Sergio Muratore,

Riccardo Piroli, Emanuela Carli, Riccardo Copiz, Raffaella Frondoni,

Gaia De Luca, Giuseppe Mazzella, Sara Riello, Annarita Matrone,

Antonio Romano

… and many others

…thanks for your attention!

www.ponderat.eu