EPA revises its 2008 Rodenticide Risk Mitigation Decision

EPA released a revision to its 2008 Risk Mitigation Decision for Ten Rodenticides, relating to the “50 foot restriction” on professional use products.

The National Pest Management Association (NPMA) and the Association of Structural Pest Control Regulatory Officials (ASPCRO) received notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of notable changes to rodenticide labels, revisions NPMA and ASPCRO worked on with Agency officials in the last several months and that provide additional, much needed flexibility for PMPs to manage rodent infestations. Specifically, the new label language:

• Extends the distance from which rodenticides can be placed from buildings from 50 feet to 100 feet and replace the word "building" with the term "man-made structures"  (The phrase "man-made structures" is broadly defined, however, it expressly excludes "fence and perimeter baiting, beyond 100 from a structure...").

•    Permits the use of first-generation anticoagulant and non-anticoagulant professional products to treat burrows that are further than 100 feet from buildings and man-made structures.

These changes will begin appearing on rodenticide labels in the coming months. As always, PMPs should read all product labels very carefully, especially rodenticide labels, since there will be three very different labels in the marketplace.