Legislation to ban certain rodenticides in California, USA is now heading to the Assembly Appropriations Committee for approval.

If approved, Bill AB 1788 would:

•    Ban second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) for use in California
•    Ban first-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (FGARs) on state-owned property.

According to the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), the Bill doesn’t include an exemption for the use of rodenticides even during a public health emergency.

If passed, California would be the first state in the USA to impose an all-out ban of these products.

The proposed rodenticide ban has long been in the works and follows California’s precedent of introducing the strictest environmental legislation of any state.

Following the announcement, the NPMA and the Pest Control Operators of California (PCOC) have raised objections, arguing banning SGARs would adversely affect public health.

Jake Plevelich, the NPMA’s director of Public Policy, said:

“The NPMA and PCOC will continue to work together to oppose AB 1788, which would limit the ability of pest management professionals (PMPs) to protect the citizens of California from disease and destruction attributed to rats and mice

“Since the launch of our grassroots campaign opposing AB 1788, over 2,800 messages were sent to California lawmakers, in addition to the numerous phone calls made.”

Dee Ward-Thompson, BPCA Technical Manager, said:

“California may soon join a small but growing list of areas where pest professionals have no access to rodenticides, limiting their ability to protect citizens from rodent risks.

“BPCA believes that through the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Usage (CRRU), the UK has a reasonable chance of keeping professional use rodenticides in professional’s toolkits.

“However, this is a stark reminder that we need to be using products in line with guidelines”.