NPMA, USDA define ‘urban rodent control’

FAIRFAX, VA.—According to an announcement by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), the organization has “reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA’s) Wildlife Services (WS) on the definition of the term ‘urban rodent control,’ which, for the first time, establishes meaningful parameters as to the work WS can and cannot perform.

“A law passed in the late 1980s permits WS to perform wildlife management in non-agricultural settings,” notes the NPMA article. “While the law was passed primarily to allow WS to manage birds at airports and engage in rabies vaccination activities, the language is very broad and authorizes almost any type of vertebrate work imaginable, except ‘urban rodent control.’ The term is not defined, however, so the exception is largely meaningless. NPMA has long sought to have an official, enforceable definition of the term.”

The NPMA reports that it will continue to work with members of Congress and with WS “to codify and implement the definition.”