Maine bans retail sale of powerful rat poisons

Maine has banned homeowners from buying a group of powerful rat poisons in a move meant to prevent accidental harm to wildlife, pets and children. The unanimous vote by the [Board of Pesticides Control](https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/index.shtml) on Friday means hardware stores will have to pull the chemicals from their shelves and online retailers will have to stop shipping the chemicals to Maine residential addresses on June 15. The consumer [ban](https://www.maine.gov/dacf/php/pesticides/documents2/bd_mtgs/Jun26/4_Rulemaking_Adoption_Packet_Chapter40_260605.pdf) targets a major source of secondary poisoning in Maine’s food chain. The chemicals don’t kill mice and rats instantly — instead, the weakened animal can leave the bait trap and wander for days before dying from internal bleeding. When a hawk, owl or dog eats that sluggish animal, it ingests a concentrated dose of the toxin that can build up over time, especially if the predator species eats a lot of them. A single great horned owl, for example, can eat up to eight rats a day. Maine veterinarians and wildlife biologists say secondary exposure can cause illness or death. MAINE AUDUBON WANTS EXPANDED BAN Some environmental groups say the board didn’t go far enough and should expand the ban to older versions of the rodenticide. First-generation anticoagulants don’t kill their target after a single feeding, which makes it more likely they will be eaten by an unintended scavenger. Advertisement Maine Audubon policy advocate Anthony Erwin called the vote a long-overdue victory for the state’s native wildlife, but noted the [2025 law](https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/getPDF.asp?paper=SP0142&item=3&snum=132) that triggered the retail ban called for restricting outdoor use of all rodenticides in residential settings, including first-generation anticoagulants. “Maine has long prided itself on protecting its natural heritage,” said Erwin, who characterized the second-generation ban as a good first step. “Restricting rodenticides aligns with that legacy and represents a practical way to reduce unnecessary harm to wildlife, pets, and people.” Although not as toxic as second generation, these first generation anticoagulants can persist in the environment for up to a month, build up in wildlife and are more widely available in retail settings for purchase by a general public that is unaware of their danger, Erwin said. Expanding the ban would better fulfill the law’s intent and protect Maine’s wildlife, Erwin said. Maine joins states such as California, Connecticut and Vermont in limiting these poisons. The Maine ban was triggered by a 2025 law that directed state officials to protect the environment from these potent poisons. As of next Monday, homeowners won’t be able to buy rat poisons containing four chemicals: brodifacoum, bromadiolone, difenacoum and difethialone. Brands affected include d-CON, Havoc, Just One Bite and Final. These products will be restricted to licensed professionals. Advertisement A popular brand, Tomcat, is exempt because it uses bromethalin, which isn’t named in the ban. State inspectors will look for these products during routine inspections of registered pesticide vendors and investigation of potential e-commerce violations, said Courtney Marchelletta, a spokeswoman for the Maine Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. Applicators must show their licensure when purchasing these products from a dealer, she said. General use pesticide dealers should ask their distributors if they will accept a return of unsold stock or hire a hazardous waste disposal company, Marchelletta said. Consumers should follow disposal instructions on the product label. The state holds a pesticide disposal event every fall. RODENTICIDE FOUND IN WILDLIFE, PETS While local wildlife testing has been limited, the results show the poison is making its way up the food chain. Half of the fishers — forest-dwelling member of the weasel family — tested by state wildlife biologists in 2020 carried the toxins. Every black bear state biologists tested in 2024 had them. The risk extends beyond the woods. Advertisement The EPA estimates about 60 pets die from rodenticide exposure each year nationwide. Jim and Lega Medcalf of Bridgton told lawmakers their dog, Starling, suffered severe liver and pancreas damage after a neighbor placed a bait box near the dog’s outdoor run. “Just last year I lost a beloved Labrador retriever to liver failure caused by SGARs,” said Albert Boardman, of Brooksville, in testimony to the pesticide board. “The emergency veterinarian bill was in the thousands.” The lawmaker who introduced the legislation that led to the consumer ban — then Republican Sen. Rick Bennett of Oxford, now an independent candidate for governor — wrote the bill after a constituent lost his dog to secondary poisoning from exposure to the now banned chemicals. Some ban supporters worry children are at risk. Brad Fox of South Portland saw a child touch a rat dying from these chemicals at his public housing complex last September. A state inspector investigating Fox’s complaint told him there was nothing he could do under current Maine law. CRITICS SAY BAN PUTS PEST CONTROL OUT OF REACH Opponents worry restricting over-the-counter rat poisons will hurt low-income residents and small businesses and farmers who can’t afford to hire a professional and make it harder to fight the infestations that spread diseases like salmonella and threaten the state’s local food supply. “Rodent control is an important part of all pest control on the farm and indeed all food establishments,” said Eric Seaman, a vegetable farmer from Litchfield, when urging lawmakers not to take rodenticides away from Maine’s already struggling farmers. A consumer ban would increase administrative time and costs for small businesses while also leading to unintended economic and environmental challenges, said Ashley Luszczki of Maine State Chamber of Commerce. Wildlife and pest control experts urge homeowners to prioritize prevention over pesticides. In practice, that means sealing foundation gaps, closing trash bins tightly and using snap traps. The approach can stop an infestation before any poison is needed. With new rules in place, regulators hope an eagle or pet dog’s next meal doesn’t become its last. Copy the Story Link Tagged: [environment](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/environment/), [maine department of environmental protection](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/maine-department-of-environmental-protection/), [pesticides](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/pesticides/), [public health](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/public-health/), [U.S. Environmental Protection Agency](https://www.pressherald.com/tag/u-s-environmental-protection-agency/) [](https://www.pressherald.com/author/penelope-overton) [Penelope OvertonStaff Writer](https://www.pressherald.com/author/penelope-overton) Penny is excited to be the Portland Press Herald’s first climate reporter. Since joining the paper in 2016, she has written about Maine’s lobster and cannabis industries, covered state politics and. 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