Citizens campaign to ban baits that kill wildlife

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, from 1999 through 2003, 25,549 children under 6 had poisoning symptoms after exposure to nine common rodenticides.

The EPA's attempts to end direct sales to consumers of rodent baits containing SGARs like brodifacoum have been stymied by three manufacturers - Reckitt Benckiser (makers of d-CON), Spectrum and Liphatech - that have refused to discontinue the products.

The EPA is reviewing the report from a scientific advisory panel that met last year, as well as input from other federal agencies before deciding whether to proceed with cancellation of the products' registrations.

After the Board of Supervisors approved a resolution asking merchants to take products not in compliance with the EPA's safety requirements off their shelves, SF Environment sent letters to 130 retailers and launched a "Don't Take the Bait" educational campaign for consumers.

Karen Cobb, a Lowe's public relations manager, noted that the products are still registered with the federal and state governments: "Our product-offering decisions are made to provide our customer base a wide spectrum of solutions, so that they can choose the rodent control method that best fits their lifestyle."

Richmond officials got a letter from Reckitt Benckiser alleging that banning their product would "put economically challenged consumers in Richmond at a significant disadvantage" if forced to hire exterminators.

Some pest control professionals emphasize exclusion - making your home and yard unwelcoming to pests by sealing off access routes, keeping the garbage covered or cleaning up around the bird feeder.

Rode-Trol reportedly kills rats and mice by dehydration, but lab studies by the German Federal Environmental Agency question the effectiveness of similar products.