You say you’ve seen evidence of mice in your basement and you’ve finally decided you need to do something about it. If you haven’t purchased rodent control products in a few years, you might notice some changes in what you can buy and how you can use the product. About three years ago, the Environmental Protection Agency implemented a number of changes in the way rodenticide products are used in homes primarily to protect children from accidental poisoning. Many of these changes have applied to professional exterminators for years, but consumers had no such oversight.

Rodent Baits for Sale Must Follow These EPA Requirements

1. All mouse control products that contain toxic bait must now be sold in a protective tamper-resistant bait station so that children cannot reach the bait and pets or other animals cannot drag it out.

2. Poison baits must be in the form of a block or a paste. The old familiar mouse pellets are now banned because it is too easy for mice to carry the toxic pellets away and hide them in other places where children or animals could reach them. The colored pellets also look too much like candy. (see Loose Mouse Bait Has Been Banned by EPA).

3. No more than one pound of poison can be sold in consumer use products. Licensed pest control professionals can buy larger amounts.

4. Products sold to consumers can no longer contain any of these more toxic rodent poisons: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, or difethialone. The use of these rodenticides is restricted to professional and commercial use. If you find older products with these poisons, do not purchase them.

You may no longer find the familiar d-CON rat and mouse baits. The Environmental Protection Agency and the manufacturer have agreed to cancel many of these products as a result of the manufacturer’s refusal to make the above safety changes required by EPA.

Contact an Exterminator to Guarantee Your Child’s Safety

Be on the lookout for mouse bait products being sold that do not meet these safety guidelines and do not purchase them if you care about children’s welfare. If you are storing meal or pellet baits for mice, check with your county to see how to properly dispose of these products. The easiest way to make sure you comply with EPA’s regulations is to contact a professional exterminator. We are state-licensed, certified, and routinely inspected to make sure we comply with all federal regulations regarding the safe use of pesticides. And at Colonial Pest, our rodent work is guaranteed.