IMPORTANT:

It is against the law to kill wild animals without a license. These licenses usually require that where wild animals are killed it must be done in a humane way.  None of the Burrow Blasters (WARRENATER, BurrowBlaster or Rodenator) are licensed to kill animals at this time.

DEFRA have however advised us that the Burrow Blasters can be used in certain circumstances. These circumstances are described in Extract 1 and 2 below. 

Extract 1.

The use of any explosive other than ammunition for the purpose of killing or taking any wild animal is prohibited under section 11 (1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Section 16 of this Act makes provision for the licensing of otherwise prohibited methods, such as the above, for certain purposes. 

Extract 2.

With the exception mentioned below, we are not aware of any wildlife legislation that prohibits methods of collapsing the burrows of rats, rabbits or other protected mammals, providing it is not used for the purpose of taking or killing wild animals. Thus Rodenator could be used legally for this purpose.

We would strongly suggest that all reasonable means are taken to ensure no animals are inadvertently killed whilst using the device to collapse burrows. The operator will need to make their own assessment of what this entails for any given situation and only proceed with collapsing burrows when he/she is satisfied that this has been done to a satisfactory standard.

The exception would be if the action proposed would affect the habitat or resting place of any specially protected animals or other protected habitats or sites which are protected from damage or disturbance.

Licensing

In order to use the device without removing the animals from the burrows requires a Home Office License. You can refer to the Home Office requirements at the following location:

http://scienceandresearch.homeoffice.gov.uk/animal-research/publications-and-reference/publications/code-of-practice/code-of-practice-housing-care/humane_killing.pdf?view=Binary

It is important to note that Natural England and DEFRA require that these devices be used for the collapasing of burrows only, not for the killing of animals.

This means that you must make best efforts to clear the tunnels before using the device.

Our advice to Operators of the device:

1. Use approved pest control methods to clear the tunnel systems. One of the most effective products is Phostoxin. For more information on Phostoxin, refer to the very detailed leaflet produced by Rentokil - Click here

2 Having made sure that the burrows/tunnels have been cleared, proceed to collapse the tunnels systems with your Warrenater

In all events, you should ensure that the residents of the tunnels have either been killed by approved pest control means prior to the collapsing of the tunnels or you must be sure that they have been moved out of the tunnels before proceeding. Remember, the onus is upon the Operator to ensure that the correct procedures are followed.

It is good practice to collapse all burrows that are uninhabited as burrows left intact will soon become a home for displaced pests from surrounding treated areas or pests simply moving into your property from adjacent land.

Update: 25/02/08

Health and Safety

IMPORTANT, HSE in the U.K. have advised that the Operators must wear Hard Hats, Ear Defenders and Eye Protection. They have also advised that bystanders must be well away from the blast area and they should also wear protective head, ear and eye wear.

Update: 07/03/08

Natural England

Natural England calls on Rodenator users to heed the Law.

Return to this page regularly as we will keep you informed of the law relating to the use of these devices.