Safety 
Use and Storage When rodenticides are used according to label directions, rodenticides present little hazard to non-target animals. Still, it is important to keep in mind that rodenticides have the potential to seriously harm people, dogs, cats, birds, livestock, and various wildlife. Every effort should be made to analyze situations where children, pets, or wildlife may be at risk and take extra precautions to ensure against accidental poisonings. The following list provides some safety recommendations regarding the storage and use of rodenticides: ◊ Use a bait station ◊ Store baits in a locked cabinet ◊ Collect, remove, and properly dispose of all unconsumed bait ◊ Baits should not be tossed into inaccessible areas within structures and abandoned ◊ Minimize bait translocation by using blocks secured on rods ◊ Always keep baits out of the reach of people, livestock, pets, and wildlife ◊ Keep animals that have access to the affected area confined during baiting periods ◊ Handle rodent carcasses with rubber gloves and bury or incinerate all dead rodents ◊ Label all outdoor bait containers clearly with appropriate warnings and keep unused baits in their original containers ◊ Place packs should never be tossed unprotected into rooms with pets.
Secondary Poisoning Secondary poisoning refers to a non-target animal being poisoned after consuming a rodent which has digested the poison. Digested anticoagulants persist in the liver of poisoned rodents after death. The following recommendations are provided to minimize the chances of accident rodenticide poisonings to non-target animals: ◊ Prevent direct poisonings from occurring by not allowing rodenticide bait to be accessible via poor placements.
◊ If baits must be used in areas with pets, use secured blocks and tamper-resistant bait stations to locate in areas that are  inaccessible. ◊ Minimize the risk of secondary bait ingestion by ensuring poisoned rodents are picked up and removed daily. ◊ Protect non-target animals by confining or moving them during the peak time when poisoned rodents are succumbing to the effects of the baits (three to 18 days). ◊ Have rodenticide labels readily available for a physician or veterinarian and the phone numbers of any local pesticide poisoning hotlines. |
