EPA's decision reduces rodenticide exposures to children and wildlife, while still allowing residential users, livestock producers, and professional applicators access to a variety of effective and affordable rodent control products.

The RMD varies by user — professional, agricultural, and homeowner.

Professional users (Pest Management Professionals PMP's)continue to have all the same product forms and actives. However,
• Second generation anticoagulants must be sold in 16 lb or larger sizes
• First generation and non-anticoagulants must be sold in 4 lb or larger sizes
• ALL outdoor above ground applications require bait stations, and if exposed to children or non-targets, stations must be tamper-resistant
• Outdoor placements must be within 50’ of structures (This is a biggie - we can no longer treat fence lines or dumpsters which are farther than 50 feet away from the structure)

Agricultural Users (Commercial Farmers)continue to have all the same product forms and actives. However,
• Second generation anticoagulants must be sold in 8 lb or larger sizes
• First generation and non-anticoagulants must be sold in 4 lb or larger sizes
• Second-generation actives limited to “in and around agricultural buildings only”
• ALL outdoor above ground applications require bait stations, and if exposed to children or non-targets, stations must be tamper-resistant
• Outdoor placements must be within 50’ of structures

Retail (Homeowner) Users
• Pelleted baits of any kind no longer available for consumers
• BAIT STATIONS WILL BE MANDATORY – Rodent baits only available for purchase by homeowners if sold in or with a bait station (block bait only allowed bait)
• Only first generation anticoagulants and non-anticoagulants will be allowed
• Maximum package size limited to bait amounts of 1 lb or less

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  • Tier 1 – Tamper-resistant for children and dogs; weather resistant; tested according to EPA protocols; indoor and outdoor use;
  • Tier 2 – Tamper-resistant for children and dogs; tested according to EPA protocols; indoor use only;
  • Tier 3 – Tamper-resistant for children; tested according to EPA protocols; indoor use only; and,
  • Tier 4 – Self-certification; packaging not reasonably anticipated to release other than small quantities of bait; resistant to opening by a child less than six years old; indoor use only; non-refillable (one-time-use only).

Tiered Bait Station Requirements for Consumer-Use Products

Ecological Risk Mitigation - To reduce wildlife exposures and ecological risks, EPA will require sales and distribution and packaging restrictions for products containing four of the ten rodenticides that pose the greatest risk to wildlife (the second-generation anticoagulants – brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone) to prevent purchase on the consumer market.

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  • The terms and conditions of registration for products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone must be amended to specify that the registrants will control distribution of the products so that they shall only be distributed to or sold in agricultural, farm and tractor stores or directly to PCOs and other professional applicators, and that registrants will not sell or distribute products containing brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, and difethialone in channels of trade likely to result in retail sale in hardware and home improvement stores, grocery stores, convenience stores, drug stores, club stores, big box stores, and other general retailers.
  • The Agency is requiring second-generation anticoagulant bait products to be sold in packages that contain ≥ 8 pounds of bait for products that are labeled for use only inside of and around agricultural buildings, and not for use in and around homes. 
  • For second-generation anticoagulant bait products intended for use by professional applicators, the minimum permissible amount of bait per package is 16 pounds.
  • For second-generation anticoagulant bait products in packages with at least 8 but not more than 16 pounds of bait, labels must state that products may only be used in and around agricultural buildings (e.g., barns, hen houses), and bear the statement “Do not use this product in homes or other human residences.”

Sale and Distribution Restrictions

Minimum Package Size Requirements

Use Site Restriction

If you have any additional questions, please go to the EPA's website or you may contact us.