Marco Island Votes to End Rodenticide on City Properties

Marco Island Votes To End Rodenticide on City Properties

On January 5, 2026, the Marco Island City Council voted to eliminate the use of rodenticides at city-owned properties and transition to a poison-free rodent management program.

Seal Em Out LLC has been selected to provide the replacement services for the City. The new program includes non-toxic monitoring, mechanical trapping when required, structural exclusion to prevent rodent access, and fertility control using GoodBites, a natural contraceptive bait. The program begins in February and will cover six city facilities.

This initiative grew out of a pilot project launched by Brittany Piersma, a field biologist with Audubon Western Everglades, who introduced GoodBites fertility control to Marco Island and advocated for poison-free alternatives. Her work helped lay the foundation for the City’s decision to move forward with a comprehensive program.

This vote follows earlier public discussion at advisory meetings, where Seal Em Out LLC presented on exclusion-first, the exclusion at Mackle Park, poison-free rodent management strategies and the limitations of rodenticides. Those conversations helped frame the feasibility of moving away from poisons and toward long-term prevention.

More about that presentation here: https://www.sealemout.com/post/exclusion-first-on-marco-island

The vote reflects growing concern about the unintended consequences of conventional rodent control. Anticoagulant rodenticides do not stay contained to bait stations. When poisoned rodents are consumed by predators, secondary poisoning occurs and has been linked to deaths in owls, hawks, bobcats, raccoons, and other wildlife across Southwest Florida, with documented exposure and risk extending even to apex predators such as the Florida panther. Pets face similar risks through direct exposure or by consuming poisoned rodents.

By eliminating rodenticides, Marco Island is taking a proactive approach that protects wildlife, safeguards pets, and reduces environmental contamination while still addressing rodent activity responsibly.

The new program focuses on long-term prevention rather than short-term suppression. Structural exclusion removes entry points and eliminates the artificial shelter and hiding spaces that buildings create, allowing natural predation and environmental pressures to function. Monitoring provides accountability and transparency. Fertility control and targeted trapping help reduce population pressure over time without introducing toxins into the environment.

Marco Island’s decision sets an example for other municipalities evaluating alternatives to conventional pest control. Poison-free rodent management is not only possible. It is a practical, proven approach that protects public health, pets, and wildlife while delivering lasting results.

Marco Island City Council following the January 5, 2026 vote to eliminate rodenticides at city-owned properties.

Marco Island City Council members following the January 5, 2026 vote to eliminate rodenticides at city-owned properties and transition to a poison-free rodent management program.

Seal Em Out LLC is honored to support the City of Marco Island in this transition and looks forward to demonstrating how effective rodent management can be achieved without poisons.