Rodenticide Products for Consumers

News

3/18/13: Secure Pesticides and Chemicals during Poison Prevention Week
3/11/13: EPA to Hold Pesticide Cancellation Hearing
1/30/13: EPA Moves to Ban 12 D-Con Mouse and Rat Control Products / Action Will Prevent Thousands of Accidental Exposures Among Children Each Year

Non-chemical Rodent Control

Resources

Rodenticides Reregistration Web page
Questions on pesticides? National Pesticide Information Center
1-800-858-7378
American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC)
1-800-222-1222
AAPCC's data on poisoning/exposure incidents for pesticides

Current as of March 2013

EPA Moves to Ban 12 D-Con Mouse and Rat Control Products

EPA is taking action to cancel and remove from the consumer market 12 D-Con brand mouse and rat poison products. These products fail to comply with safety measures that EPA asked registrants to adopt by June 2011 and that are necessary to protect children, pets and wildlife from accidental exposure to rodent baits used in and around the home.

To protect children, pets and wildlife, mouse and rat bait products for consumer use must be used in, and sold with, protective bait stations that can reasonably be expected not to release the rodenticide bait. Bait forms that cannot be secured in bait stations, such as pellets or powders, are prohibited in these products.
To protect wildlife, consumer-use mouse and rat poison products also must not contain the second generation anticoagulants (brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone) as active ingredients.

For further information:

Rodenticide Products that Reduce Exposure to Children, Pets and Wildlife

The rodenticide products listed in the link below meet EPA’s new, more protective risk reduction standards. When used as directed by the label, these products can help consumers control household rodents while greatly reducing accidental exposure to children, pets, and wildlife. EPA will update this list of products as more rodenticide products meeting current risk mitigation standards are approved.

New, More Protective Rodenticide Bait Station Products

Some D-Con Products Unsafe

Twelve D-Con mouse and rat poison products produced by Reckitt Benckiser, Inc. fail to comply with safety measures that EPA asked rodenticide producers to adopt by June 2011 and that are necessary to protect children, pets and wildlife from accidental exposure. In January 2013, the EPA initiated regulatory action to remove those products from the market. See Cancellation Process for 12 D-Con Mouse and Rat Poison Products.

Changes in Household Rodenticide Products

Since 2011, new, more protective household rodenticides, or mouse and rat poison bait products, have been coming on the market. EPA has been working with the manufacturers to ensure that a variety of rodenticide products meeting the Agency’s current risk reduction standards are available to consumers. The new products offer consumers a range of choices in terms of weather resistance, tamper resistance, and price. These products are effective tools in controlling household rodents. With the new risk mitigation features, they offer the advantage of increased protection for children, pets, and non-target wildlife.

EPA's New Risk Reduction Standards

As a result of EPA’s May 2008 Risk Mitigation Decision for Ten Rodenticides, the agency asked rodenticide producers to adopt new safety measures by June 2011.

Bait stations - All rodenticide bait products marketed to residential consumers must be sold with and used in protective, tamper resistant bait stations. Only bait forms that can be secured in bait stations, like blocks or pastes, may be used in these products.
Bait size limitation - Products marketed to residential consumers may contain no more than 1 pound of rodenticide bait.
Active ingredients used - While several pesticide active ingredients will still be allowed on the homeowner market, products marketed to residential consumers will no longer contain the most toxic and persistent pesticide active ingredients, that is, the second generation anticoagulants brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone. Products containing these active ingredients will only be available for commercial use and for residential use by professional pest control operators.

Choosing a Bait Station for Household Use

A variety of rodenticide products are available that meet EPA’s new risk reduction standards. These new products offer consumers a range of choices in terms of price and resistance to children, dogs, and weather. Four groups or “tiers” of bait stations offer varying degrees of tamper- and weather-resistance. This approach allows consumers to select rodenticide bait stations that best suit their household needs.

Producers of Tier I - III rodenticide bait stations have submitted test results that demonstrate the bait stations’ level of tamper resistance. As a result, bait station products in tiers I – III are expected to prevent children’s access to bait. For more information on bait station testing protocols, please see Attachments A, B and C of the May 2008 Risk Mitigation Decision for Ten Rodenticides.

Four Tiers of Bait Stations
- Tier I - Tamper-Resistant and Weather-Resistant:
  These bait stations are resistant to weather and to tampering by children and dogs. To be used indoors and outdoors (within 50 feet of buildings, defined as structures that possess walls and a roof).
- Tier II - Tamper-Resistant (but not weather resistant):
  These bait stations are resistant to tampering by children and dogs. To be used indoors only.
- Tier III – Tamper-Resistant for Children Only:
  These bait stations are resistant to tampering by children. To be used indoors only.
- Tier IV - Tamper-Resistance Unknown:
  These bait stations must not claim to be tamper resistant. To be used indoors only and only in areas inaccessible to children and pets.

Rodenticide Bait Stations and Levels of Tamper- and Weather-Resistance
	Tier 1	Tier 2	Tier 3	Tier 4
Resistant to Children	yes	yes	yes	no
Resistant to Dogs	yes	yes	no	no
Resistant to Outdoor Weather	yes	no	no	no
Resistant to Indoor Conditions	yes	yes	yes	yes

Which Bait Station is Right for You?

Do you have pre-school aged children?

If yes, use a rodenticide product that includes a Tier I, Tier II, or Tier III bait station.

For a bait station to claim Tier I, Tier II, or Tier III, the applicant must provide EPA the results of tamper-resistance testing that demonstrate the bait station device is secure enough, when used as labeled, to likely prevent a pre-school aged child’s access to the rodenticide bait. The child tamper resistance testing must follow Agency testing guidelines and results are reviewed for acceptability by Agency staff.
Do you have pets?

If yes, use a rodenticide product that includes a Tier I or Tier II bait station.

For a bait station to claim Tier I or Tier II, the manufacturer must provide EPA the results of tamper-resistance testing that demonstrate the bait station device is secure enough, when used as labeled, to likely prevent a dog from accessing the rodenticide bait. While no rodenticide bait is used in the dog testing, the testing must be conducted with dogs that weigh at least 60 pounds. The dog tamper resistance testing must follow Agency testing guidelines. The test results are reviewed for acceptability by Agency staff.
Do you need to use the bait station outside (within 50 feet of a building, defined as a structure that possesses walls and a roof)?

If yes, use a rodenticide product that includes a Tier I bait station.

For a bait station to claim Tier I, the applicant must provide EPA the results of weather-resistance testing that demonstrate weather such as rain will not compromise the integrity of the bait station device and the security of the rodenticide bait, when used as labeled. The weather-resistance testing must follow Agency testing guidelines and the results are reviewed for acceptability by Agency staff.
Do you need to use the bait station in wet conditions (i.e., basements that flood, greenhouse, and other wet settings)?

If yes, use a rodenticide product that includes a Tier I bait station.

For a bait station to claim Tier I, the applicant must provide EPA the results of weather-resistance testing demonstrating that elements such as water will not compromise the integrity of the bait station device and the security of the rodenticide bait, when used as labeled. The weather resistance testing must follow Agency testing guidelines, and the results are reviewed for acceptability by Agency staff.

Other Ways to Control Rodents in and Around the Home

In addition to rodenticide baits, rodent control products that do not contain pesticides, such as spring traps, are also available to consumers to control mice and rats. Integrated pest management (IPM) techniques, including steps to prevent, identify and treat pest infestations, are essential to effective management of rodents in residential areas.

Controlling Rodents – EPA Web page
Rodents – Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)Web page

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