O.C. Pest Firm Could Be Fined

An Anaheim pest control firm violated the law when it distributed poison bait to kill squirrels along a stretch of the Santa Ana River Trail in Huntington Beach, the Orange County Agricultural Commission said Friday.

Workers for Pest Options did not follow the label directions for the poison, diphacinone, which called for using special boxes or other alternatives to ensure that dogs and cats can’t eat the deadly bait, said county Agricultural Commissioner Rick LeFeuvre.

No boxes were used, LeFeuvre said.

The company, which was notified of the violation Wednesday, may face a civil fine of up to $1,000.

Bryan Thompson, a spokesman for Pest Options, said the company placed the rodenticide near squirrel burrows and has filed a notice with the commission challenging its findings.

The county had hired Pest Options to control the squirrel population because the rodents can dig tunnels that weaken river embankments.

Some residents who use the river trail near LeBard Park in Huntington Beach complained to the commissioner’s office last week after they said they saw a Pest Options worker put poison pellets in squirrel holes, near shrubbery and on the trail.

“The fact that they have domestic dogs being walked in the area means it’s obviously a pet area,” LeFeuvre said, adding that it was “a mistake” to use the rodenticide without taking precautions.