FAIRFAX, VA.—On Jan. 30, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced its intent to cancel the registration of certain do-it-yourself rodent control products. The affected products are sold to consumers as loose baits and don’t have protective bait stations that prevent access by children and pets.
In the works for more than a decade, the cancellation has been under extensive study and review to ensure a final action in the best interest of American public health. In short, the mandate will remove products from the market that pose unacceptable risks to children, pets and wildlife — an effort supported by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), an organization committed to the protection of public health, food, and property.
“Rodents pose a significant public health risk. They carry more than 200 human pathogens and rodent droppings are proven asthma triggers in children and adults. Further, rodents are estimated to bite 50,000 people each year,” says Bob Rosenberg, executive vice president of NPMA. “The EPA restrictions will prohibit the use of potentially dangerous loose baits and products that pose risks to wildlife when misused by people who are untrained and unlicensed to ensure their safe application, but will reserve the rights for use by professionals when needed. This important decision underscores the need for professionalism in treatment and allows the pest management industry to retain the means for providing effective, affordable services that protect consumers from rodent-borne dangers.”
Since 1998, NPMA has worked with the EPA as rodenticide products have undergone considerable reevaluation to ensure that all registered products meet today’s health and safety standards.
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