Exclusion First on Marco Island

As many people now know, the City of Marco Island has become a real proving ground for what exclusion can accomplish. Over the past year I’ve worked alongside residents, city staff, and the city's pest control contractor to shift the conversation away from poisons and toward long-term structural fixes.

The slideshow below walks through my Mackle Park case study — where sealing the buildings correctly led to a dramatic reduction in rodent activity without relying on rodenticide. It’s a clear example of what happens when a community chooses to solve the root problem instead of masking it.

Recently, Coastal Breeze News published an article covering Marco Island’s effort to move away from rat poison and explore safer, smarter alternatives. It’s worth reading in full:

“The Effort to Stamp Out Rat Poison” — Coastal Breeze News

The article highlights a key truth: if you don’t stop rats from getting into buildings, no amount of bait is ever going to solve the problem. That’s why exclusion has to be the foundation of any rodent control plan — especially in Southwest Florida where rooflines, soffits, and utility gaps give rodents endless opportunities.

I’ll be adding more case studies and field notes here as I continue working around the region. My hope is that more cities follow Marco Island’s lead and start seeing exclusion as both a wildlife-friendly and cost-effective solution.