Pellets of rat poison lie scattered among mulch and fallen leaves inside Maria Hernandez Park, just feet away from where children play daily. The poison, identified as BlueMax Meal Bait, was discovered by a park visitor whose dog sniffed the substance while walking along the fence and retaining wall on the Knickerbocker Avenue side of the park, directly adjacent to the children’s playground.
“Furious and disappointed” was how the Maria Hernandez Dog Run Pack described their reaction in a viral social media post documenting the unsecured rodenticide. The dog required a precautionary veterinary visit but ultimately recovered without incident.
The presence of loose, exposed poison pellets contradicts multiple city safety regulations designed to protect park visitors, pets, and wildlife. According to city documents, rodenticide in parks must be placed either in tamper-resistant bait stations or deep inside rat burrows to prevent accidental contact.
Bushwick Daily confirmed the location of the images posted by @mhdogrunpack this morning and did not see any of the poison, however a large rat nest identified through visible tunnels made it clear why the poison was spread in this location.
Photos shared by the dog run account show no evidence of bait stations, proper burrow placements, or the bilingual warning signs mandated by the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) for all rodenticide applications in public spaces.
The dog run account administrator noted that while the poison was discovered inside the park, it was not found within the dog run area itself. “I believe it was near the fence/retaining wall by the playground toward the Knickerbocker side,” they wrote in correspondence with Bushwick Daily. “Their dog had come into contact with it while sniffing around the fence, and they went to the vet out of caution—the dog is thankfully ok.”
BlueMax Meal Bait contains difethialone, which while not banned for NYC rodent control, carries significant health warnings. According to safety documentation, the substance “may cause damage to blood and reduce the clotting ability of blood if swallowed, inhaled or absorbed through skin.”
Veterinary treatment is straightforward if exposure is caught early. The standard antidote is Vitamin K1, administered either orally or intramuscularly. While rarely fatal in small amounts, a lethal dose for dogs would be approximately half a cup, exposure can cause discomfort and potential organ damage if left untreated.
The Maria Hernandez Dog Run Pack volunteer noted that Parks officials had subsequently confirmed the substance was indeed BlueMax Meal Bait after consulting with the contractor assigned to the job.
According to city documents, NYC Parks does not directly place poison, that responsibility falls to either DOHMH staff or licensed pest-management contractors working under strict Integrated Pest Management (IPM) protocols.
These protocols require technicians to secure all bait in tamper-resistant stations that must be locked, anchored to immovable surfaces, and labeled with the pest management professional’s contact information. When loose bait is used, it must be placed “deep into rat burrows” using long-nosed funnels, making it inaccessible to children, pets, and wildlife.
The city’s own guidelines explicitly state that rodenticides must be placed “in locations where it will not harm the health of the general public, pets, birds, or squirrels.” Additionally, bilingual warning signs listing the bait type and application date must be posted at least 24 hours before application.
The city also suspends rodenticide use during raptor nesting season (April 30–September 30) in areas where hawks or owls hunt, switching to mechanical traps during these periods to prevent secondary poisoning of predatory birds.
A check of the DOHMH reporting portal confirmed that while BlueMax is not on the list of prohibited substances for rodent control in New York City, it does not appear in the most recent (2023) report on rodenticides used by city agencies.
Bushwick Daily contacted NYC Parks with four specific questions: whether the agency or a vendor placed the bait, what safety protocols should have been followed, what notifications should have been provided, and whether the placement complied with departmental policy. As of publication, city officials have not responded to inquiries about the apparent protocol violations at Maria Hernandez Park.
For now, steer clear of the Knickerbocker Avenue fence line and to keep a close watch on both children and pets while in the area.
Cover Image for Bushwick Daily by Paul Del Gesso
For more news, sign up for Bushwick Daily’s newsletter.
Join the fight to save local journalism by becoming a paid subscriber
