What to buy and what to avoid!

We all want to keep our local wildlife and pets safe, but it can be hard to know what products you should buy or avoid when at the store. To help, we’ve created this list (also available as a PDF).

Please note that it is non-exhaustive, and may be updated regularly.

You can learn more about the threat that SGARs pose at our Evidence Page

What to buy!

We’ve gathered some products that are good alternatives to the SGARs listed below.

Traps, lures, and rodent-proofing measures

  • Rodent proofing materials like wire mesh, and keeping your yard free to food waste helps to ensure you don’t need poisons, because you haven’t got issues with pest rats or mice

  • Classic snap-trap mousetraps or other mechanical mouse traps remain one of the best ways to control pest rodents, and are widely available

    • Just remember to use them away from other wildlife (e.g. indoors)

  • Live traps

Rodenticides (rat and mouse poisons)

Poisons should always be a last resort, because rodenticides pose risks to non-target wildlife and pets. Read more here.

Always read the active ingredients of poisons because some brands - like Ratsak - use multiple poisons across their range of products. Read our guide below to learn the active ingredients that are safer to buy, and what ones to avoid.

Always avoid throwaway bait pellets or paste, as these are easily eaten by wildlife. Purchase baits that come in block form, and deliver them via tamper-proof bait stations. Tamper proof bait stations better protect most pet cats and dogs, and some wildlife from poisons. But, many native animals can access bait stations, so always deploy them inside buildings that wildlife cannot access - e.g. not under carports.

As a last resort, consider buying poisons that contain:

Non-Anticoagulant Rodenticides

  • Active Ingredient: Corn Gluten Meal & Sodium Chloride
    e.g. Ratsak Naturals

    • A human and non-rodent pet safe option. Causes rodents to dehydrate, by targeting rodent gut anatomy, specifically.

  • Active Ingredient: Cholecalciferol
    e.g. Selontra

    • Note that while Cholecalciferol poses a lower secondary poisoning risk for animals, there is no antidote if poisoning occurs. It is important to ensure that children, pets, and non-target wildlife cannot access this type of bait.

First-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides
Active Ingredient: Warfarin, Coumatetralyl

  • Bayer Racumin Rat and Mouse Blocks

  • JT Eaton Apple Bait Block Rodenticide

  • Parafarm Ratex Mouse and Rat Bait

  • PCT Holdings Surefire Couma All Weather Blocks Rodenticide

  • Ruth Consolidated Industries (RCI) Ratblitz bait

  • Yates RATSAK Double Strength Bait Station

What to avoid!

All products containing SGARs should be avoided!

Packaging for SGARs can be unclear, but as a safe bet avoid all products with the ingredients: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difethialone, difenacoum or flocoumafen.

Instead, buy something better.

Avoid these Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides:

  • Amgrow Patrol Rodex Rat Blocks

  • Animal Control Technologies Mouseoff Bromadiolone Rodent Bait

  • Bainbridge Bait Blocks Rodenticide

  • BASF Australia Storm Secure Wax Block

  • Bayer Rodilon Pro Rodenticide

  • Bell Laboratories Inc. Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide

  • Bell Laboratories Inc. Contrac Blox

  • Bell Laboratories Inc. Contrac Soft Bait

  • Bell Laboratories Inc. II Tomcat II Blox Rodenticide

  • Bell Laboratories Inc. Tomcat All-Weather Blox

  • De Sangosse Australia Bromakil Grain Bait for Rats and Mice

  • De Sangosse Australia Bromakil Super Rat Drink

  • DITRAC All Weather BLOX Rodenticide

  • Freezone Public Health Ratshot Final Kill Paste Rodenticide

  • Freezone Public Health Ratshot One-Shot Rodenticide Pellets

  • Freezone Public Health Ratshot Rapid Kill Rodenticide Blocks

  • Liphatech Generation Blue Rodenticide Soft Bait

  • PCT Holdings All-Weather PCT First Formula Blocks Rodenticide

  • PCT Holdings Surefire All Weather Blocks Rodenticide

  • PCT Holdings Surefire Broma, Couma or Difenate Blocks Rodenticide

  • Pelgar International (Aus) The Big Cheese Home Choice All- Weather Block Bait

  • Pelgar International (Aus) The Big Cheese Home Choice Rat & Mouse Kill Throw Packs

  • Pelgar International (Aus) The Big Cheese Ultra Power Fast Action Bait Blocks

  • Pelgar International Roban Rodenticide Blocks

  • Reckitt Mortein Kills Rats & Mice and the Fleas They Carry Dual Action Baits

  • Reckitt Mortein Rat Kill Professional Household Protection

  • Triox Pestmaster Rat and Mouse Killer

  • Yates RATSAK Fast Action Bait Station Kills Rats & Mice

  • Yates RATSAK Fast Action Disposable Mouse Bait Station with Wax Block

  • Yates RATSAK Rapid Strike Dual Active Wax Blocks

  • Yates Talon Rat & Mouse Killer All Weather Wax Blocks

  • Yates Talon Rat & Mouse Killer Pellets

  • Yates Talon XT Pro Rodenticide Wax Blocks

  • Zapi S.P.A Muskil Soft Bait with Two Actives for Faster Kill of Rats & Mice

  • Zapi S.P.A Rodenthor Gel Rodenticide

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