Rodenticides are registered with CIB&RC under the Insecticides Act, 1968. Beyond chemistry and toxicology, a rodenticide file must establish bait acceptance and efficacy against the target rodent species, justify the concentration in the ready-to-use bait, address non-target and secondary poisoning risk, and carry the prescribed antidote and warning statements on the label.
Why rodenticide files attract close scrutiny
Rodenticides are the one pesticide category deliberately formulated to be eaten. That single fact drives everything the Registration Committee looks at: how attractive the bait is to the target species, how unattractive and how safe it is around children, livestock, pets and non-target wildlife, whether secondary poisoning of predators and scavengers is credible, and whether the antidote and first-aid information on the label is accurate and usable by a rural primary health centre.
Files that treat a rodenticide like any other formulation — strong on chemistry, thin on bait acceptance and safety — consistently attract queries.
Rodenticides we handle
Second-generation anticoagulants such as bromadiolone in concentrate, cake, pellet and wax block forms; first-generation anticoagulants including coumatetralyl; acute rodenticides such as zinc phosphide; and phosphine-generating fumigant formulations including aluminium phosphide tablets and granules, where storage, transport and application restrictions form a large part of the file. We also work on ready-to-use bait formulations for agricultural, warehouse, food-processing and public health settings.
What the dossier must cover
- Chemistry. Active content in the technical and in the finished bait, five-batch analysis, homogeneity of the active in the bait matrix, and stability of the active in the presence of the food base.
- Bait acceptance and efficacy. Laboratory and field trials against the rodent species named in the claim, measuring acceptance against alternative food and mortality over the relevant period.
- Toxicology. Acute oral, dermal and inhalation toxicity, irritation, sensitisation, and sub-acute data as required for the section applied under.
- Non-target and secondary poisoning. Risk to birds, domestic animals and predators, with mitigation reflected in the use directions.
- Packaging and safety. Tamper-evident and child-deterrent packaging, bittering agent and dye where applicable, and clear instructions on placement, retrieval of dead rodents and disposal of unused bait.
- Label content. Antidote statement — vitamin K1 for anticoagulants — symptoms of poisoning, first-aid measures, and the prescribed toxicity triangle and cautionary text.
Fumigant rodenticides are a different animal
Aluminium phosphide and similar phosphine-generating products are governed by restrictions that go well beyond registration: who may apply them, in what pack sizes, under whose supervision, and with what notification to authorities. We advise on the registration itself and on the operational compliance framework around it, including pack size restrictions and the documentation expected of applicators and warehouse operators.