The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) performed a scientific review of several different active ingredients found in rodenticides.  The review was an attempt to determine if the risk of children being exposed to rodenticides and the risk of primary and secondary poisoning of non-target wildlife can be mitigated.  As a result, EPA's rodenticide risk mitigation plan came out on May 28, 2008.

As part of the risk mitigation plan manufacturers will not be allowed to ship noncompliant products as of June 4, 2011, although distributors will be allowed to sell all inventory of rodenticides obtained prior to the risk mitigation requirement deadline; and Pest Management Professionals (PMPs) can use their inventory of rodenticides obtained prior to the risk mitigation requirements, after June 4, 2011, without restrictions.

Other parts of the EPA's rodenticide risk remediation plan have to do with product label updates and restrictions on package sizes to be sold to PMPs, agricultural applicators, and retail customers based on active ingredients that are first-generation anticoagulants and non-anticoagulants or second-generation anticoagulants.

• First-generation rodenticidal anticoagulants require higher concentrations and consecutive intake over days in order to accumulate the lethal dose and are less toxic than second-generation agents.

• Second-generation agents are far more toxic than first-generation. They require lower concentrations in baits, are lethal after a single ingestion of bait and are also effective against strains of rodents that become resistant to first-generation anticoagulants.

Pest Management Professionals (PMPs)

Package size: 

• Second-generation anticoagulants must be sold in 16-pound or greater case sizes, with a minimum container size of 4 pounds. For example, a case of 4 x 4 pound buckets or 2 x 8 pound buckets.

• First-generation anticoagulants and non-anticoagulants must be sold in 4-pound sizes or greater, with a minimum container size of 4 pounds.

Label updates include but are not limited to:

• All outdoor, above ground applications will require the use of bait stations; and if exposed to children or non-target animal, these stations must be tamper resistant

• Outdoor placements must be within 100 feet of a building.
• Various precautionary, storage and disposal updates.

There are no restrictions on bait form for PMP's (liquid, pellets, blocks, etc.) nor is there a change to the quantity or amount of placements.

Agricultural Applicators

Package size:

• Second-generation anticoagulants must be sold in 8-pound or larger case sizes with an agricultural specific label and a minimum container size of 4 pounds, for example, a case of 2 x 4 pound buckets.

• First-generation anticoagulants and non-anticoagulants must be sold in 4-pound sizes or greater, with a minimum container size of 4 pounds.

Label updates include but are not limited to:

• All outdoor, above ground applications will require the use of bait stations; and if exposed to children or non-target animals, these stations must be tamper resistant.

• Outdoor placements must be within 100 feet of a building.

• Various precautionary, storage and disposal updates.

• Second-generation use is restricted to in and around agricultural buildings only.

• No structural applications beyond agricultural uses.

There are no restrictions on bait form for agricultural applicators (liquid, pellets, blocks, etc.) nor is there a change to the quantity or amount of placements.

Retail Customers

Package size:

• Second-generation anticoagulants will not be sold to retail consumers.

• First-generation anticoagulants and non-anticoagulants will be sold in packages restricted to 1 pound of bait or less and must be sold in or with a bait station.

Pellet bait form is not allowed to be sold to the general public; bait must be sold in block or solid form.

EPA Rodenticide Information