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Pest Fox · Adelaide pest & termite control

APVMA Rodenticide Suspension 2026: What It Means in SA

By Pest Fox · Published 5 May 2026 (updated 8 October 2026)

Detailed close-up of a small commensal mouse on a textured concrete surface in an urban context

On 10 March 2026, the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) announced that the registration of all products containing second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) would be suspended for one year from 24 March 2026. At the same time, it certified that it’s in the public interest for SGAR products to be declared restricted chemical products (RCPs), so their purchase and use can be limited to people who meet specific training and licensing requirements. The active ingredients affected are brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone and flocoumafen — the chemistry behind many familiar rat and mouse baits.

This article covers what changed, why, what it means for your options, and what to ask a pest controller.

What changed

According to the APVMA, the decision has two parts:

  1. A one-year suspension of the registration of all products containing SGARs, from 24 March 2026. During the suspension, SGAR products may only be supplied or used in accordance with the instructions published in APVMA Gazette No 5 (Tuesday 10 March 2026), or as specified in the notice issued to each product holder. The APVMA says these instructions are enforceable under state and territory legislation and apply nationally.
  2. Certification that SGARs should be restricted chemical products. If the certification is accepted by the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the APVMA and the state and territory control-of-use authorities will consider how training and licensing requirements could be implemented.

Separately, the APVMA has been reconsidering all anticoagulant rodenticides, including first-generation products. Its proposed decisions include a range of restrictions on how and where anticoagulant rodenticides may be used, and proposed cancellation of specific products — so further changes are possible. Check the APVMA website for the latest.

Why the change happened

The APVMA determined that the current use of SGAR products presents unacceptable risks to non-target animals, including native wildlife (such as birds and marsupials), pets and livestock. The main concern is secondary poisoning: anticoagulants act slowly, so a poisoned rodent can be eaten by an owl, bird of prey, cat or dog before it dies, passing the poison on.

What it means for homeowners

The practical effect is that the baits on the supermarket and hardware-store shelf have changed, and some products you may have used before are no longer available in the same way. Read the label of anything you buy and follow it exactly. Options generally include:

  • Products with other active ingredients — check the label for the active, the directions and the safety instructions, and keep all baits away from children, pets and wildlife.
  • Mechanical control — snap traps, electronic traps and live-catch cages. No chemicals and no secondary-poisoning risk.
  • Exclusion — sealing entry points with steel wool, sealant and metal flashing. This fixes the cause rather than the symptom.
  • A licensed pest controller — for an established infestation, recurring activity, or commercial premises.

If you have old rodent bait in the shed and aren’t sure what to do with it, contact your council about safe chemical disposal. Don’t pour it out, bury it, or put it in general waste.

If you have rats in the roof void or subfloor

Retail bait has always been a poor fit here. Bait left in roof voids and subfloors is hard to recover, and a poisoned rat dying in a wall cavity can smell for weeks and attract scavengers. A professional program combines bait stations placed where they can be monitored and recovered with exclusion work — sealing entry points, weep holes and pipe penetrations — so the problem doesn’t come straight back.

If you run a commercial kitchen, café or food business

Under the Food Standards Code (Standard 3.2.2), food businesses must take all practicable measures to stop pests entering and to eradicate them. A documented program with bait-station maps and service records is the clearest way to show your council environmental health officer you’re doing that. More on our commercial pest control service page.

How a modern rodent program works

A good rodent control program in Adelaide looks like this:

  1. Inspection — identify entry points, harbourage and active runways, and confirm the species (black rat / roof rat, Norway rat or house mouse).
  2. Exclusion — seal entry points. It’s the highest-value step: no way in means no need for ongoing baiting.
  3. Targeted baiting — APVMA-registered products used according to the label (and, for SGARs, the APVMA’s suspension instructions), in tamper-resistant stations placed where the inspection found activity, with the product chosen with pets and wildlife in mind.
  4. Monitoring — bait take recorded at each station and activity tracked over the following weeks.
  5. Clear-down — the baiting program ends once activity resolves.
  6. Follow-up — recurring inspection where the property’s risk calls for it.

What to ask a pest controller

Five questions worth asking before booking a rodent job:

  1. Can I check your licence? In SA, pest control businesses need a Pest Controller’s licence and technicians need a Pest Management Technician licence, both issued by SA Health. You can check them with SA Health’s online licence look-up.
  2. Are you using tamper-resistant bait stations? They should be standard.
  3. What product are you using and why? The technician should be able to explain the choice, and how it fits the APVMA’s current rules, in plain language.
  4. How will you deal with entry points? Exclusion should be part of the plan.
  5. What’s the clear-down plan? The technician should explain how and when the baiting program ends.

Why the change is good news for the building

  • Exclusion-led control fixes the building, not just the population.
  • Targeted baiting puts bait where rats are, not everywhere.
  • Documented programs support food-premises inspections and give you a record of what was done.
  • Less bait in the environment means less risk to native wildlife — especially relevant for properties near bushland in Belair, Stirling, Aldgate, Mount Barker and the Adelaide Hills.

Where this connects on the Pest Fox site

FAQ

What did the APVMA actually do? On 10 March 2026 it announced a one-year suspension of the registration of all products containing second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs), starting 24 March 2026, and certified that SGARs should be declared restricted chemical products. During the suspension, SGAR products may only be supplied or used in line with the instructions in APVMA Gazette No 5 (10 March 2026) or the notice issued to each product holder.

Which active ingredients are affected? Brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum, difethialone and flocoumafen.

Can I still buy rat bait? Some rodent baits with other active ingredients remain on sale, but what’s available has changed and further restrictions on anticoagulant rodenticides have been proposed. Always check the label, and consider traps and exclusion as well.

Why did the APVMA change the rules? It determined that current use of SGAR products presents unacceptable risks to non-target animals, including native wildlife, pets and livestock — mainly through secondary poisoning.

Can pest controllers still use SGARs? Only in line with the APVMA’s suspension instructions. The APVMA is also working with the states and territories on restricting SGAR access to trained, licensed users. Ask your pest controller to explain which products they use and why.

What if I have leftover rodent bait at home? Contact your local council about safe chemical disposal. Don’t pour it out, bury it, or put it in general waste.

Are first-generation anticoagulants safe for native wildlife? “Lower risk” rather than “safe” — secondary poisoning can still happen, and the APVMA has proposed restrictions on first-generation products too. Traps and exclusion remain the lowest-risk options.

Sources

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