Wildlife and Pesticides: Welfare Impacts on Non-Target Species

Pesticide use in agriculture and horticulture causes significant welfare harms to wild animals through acute poisoning, chronic sublethal effects, and food chain depletion affecting dependent species.

Key Facts

Neonicotinoid pesticides have caused widespread decline in insect populations with cascading effects on birds and mammals
Rat poison (rodenticides) bioaccumulate through the food chain, poisoning owls, kestrels, and red kites
Molluscicides used to control slugs cause painful deaths in hedgehogs and ground-feeding birds that eat poisoned molluscs
Herbicide use reduces plant diversity reducing food and habitat for insects, small mammals, and birds
Integrated pest management approaches can reduce pesticide use by 50-80% while maintaining crop yield

Welfare Considerations

Pesticide impacts on wildlife welfare are widespread, poorly monitored, and largely invisible to the public. Acute poisoning causes painful deaths in non-target species including predatory birds and mammals exposed through consuming poisoned prey. Sublethal effects including impaired navigation, reproduction, and immune function in insects and birds cause chronic welfare impacts that are difficult to quantify. Reducing pesticide use through integrated pest management and organic approaches provides the most direct welfare benefit.

What You Can Do

Avoid all pesticide use in your garden - explore organic alternatives for pest management
Use wildlife-friendly slug control (copper barriers, physical removal) rather than metaldehyde or methiocarb
Report dead wildlife near agricultural land to the Wildlife Incident Investigation Scheme (WIIS)
Support organic farming through purchasing choices to reduce pesticide use across the food system
Advocate for stricter pesticide regulation and mandatory monitoring of effects on non-target wildlife