Restrictions on Rodenticide Products
Rodenticide Products for "Consumer" Use
The rodenticide products currently available on the consumer market are ready-to-use bait stations that contain and/or are packaged with a rodenticide bait that is in block or paste form. Pelleted baits no longer are permitted to be used in rodenticide products targeted for consumer markets.
The bait components of the ready-to-use bait station products currently registered for the consumer market to control mice and/or rats contain one of the following rodenticides:
- Bromethalin.
- Chlorophacinone.
- Diphacinone.
If bait stations are of a refillable design, up to one pound of bait to be used to fill or refill the bait station may be included with the bait station in the retail package. Ready-to-use bait stations that are not refillable must be properly disposed after the bait in them has been consumed or contaminated.
Ready-to-use bait station products are labeled for use:
- indoors; or
- indoors and outdoors within 50 feet of buildings.
Where a specific product is authorized for use depends upon whether the bait station component of the product has been shown to be resistant to tampering by young children and by dogs as well as whether the unit has been found to be weather-resistant. Read the labels of these products before purchasing any of them to make sure that the product obtained is labeled for use in the place(s) that you intend to apply it.
Rodenticide Products for Structural Professional and Agricultural Use Products
These products include rodenticide baits registered for use by professional applicators to control rats and/or mice in or near (within 100 feet of) buildings and other structures or for use in and near agricultural buildings and man-made agricultural structures. They may contain any one of the active ingredients mentioned under Types of Rodenticides.
- Products geared to these categories of users are not to be sold in “consumer” stores, including drug stores, grocery stores, hardware stores, club stores, and similar retail outlets.
- Products containing second-generation anticoagulants must be sold in containers holding at least 16 pounds of bait if they are labeled for use by professional applicators and at least eight pounds of bait if labeled for use in or near agricultural structures.
- Professional- and agricultural-use products containing first-generation anticoagulants, bromethalin, cholecalciferol, or zinc phosphide must be sold in containers that hold at least four pounds of bait.
The bait products marketed to these categories of users may be in block, paste or pelleted form. These products are not packaged in or with bait stations. However, the labels for these products require use of tamper-resistant bait stations:
- If bait is to be placed in any indoor or outdoor location to which children under six years-of-age, pets or nontarget wildlife have access.
- For all applications made outdoors and above ground.
Bait stations suitable for using these bait products in such areas are commercially available. Baiting of burrows outdoors is permitted only for pelleted baits that are placed at least six inches down active rat burrows.