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Rodenticide Use in Massachusetts

S. 487/H. 825: An Act relative to pesticides

MSPCA Position: Support
Sponsors:
Senator Paul Feeney and Representative Jim Hawkins
Status:
Referred to Joint Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.
Hearing: May 10, 2023 at 1pm.

 


This owl’s family unknowingly fed on rodents who had ingested rat bait that contained second generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) and over the course of a week they succumbed to its deadly effects. Photo: New England Wildlife Center

Overview: Second Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) are a type of poison used for rodent control that work by stopping the blood clotting processes, causing lethal hemorrhage. SGARs have been extensively used for rodent control, allowing secondary exposure and poisonings in non-target wildlife species, such as birds of prey that mainly feed on rodents or small birds. SGARs are prohibited for residential consumer purchase in the Commonwealth, but commercial use is allowed for licensed pesticide companies when hired to deal with rodent problems.

What would this legislation do?

The legislation requires the increased use of Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies in Massachusetts. It would require public institutions of higher education to adopt IPM strategies, which use multiple methods to prevent and address rodent problems. For example, sealing building holes and cracks and removing nesting materials from problem areas discourage rodents.

This bill also requires digitization of pesticide use forms for better monitoring. Currently, licensed and certified pesticide applicators are required to submit annual reports detailing the quantities of all pesticides used. Pesticide dealers are also required to submit annual sales reports for restricted use products. However these forms are paper, and not regularly monitored, so they can be filled out with little continuity. Digitizing these forms will allow for better tracking of rodenticide use and easier follow up when these records are requested by the public.

Do you have a rodent problem?


In the news:

Additional Resources:

Bill Co-Sponsors

Updated on 6/1/23

State Senators:

Name District/Address
Paul R. Feeney Bristol and Norfolk
Michael O. Moore Second Worcester
Jacob R. Oliveira Hampden, Hampshire and Worces
James B. Eldridge Middlesex and Worcester
Bruce E. Tarr First Essex and Middlesex
Patrick M. O’Connor First Plymouth and Norfolk
Jason M. Lewis Fifth Middlesex
Cindy F. Friedman Fourth Middlesex
Walter F. Timilty Norfolk, Plymouth and Bristol
Sal N. DiDomenico Middlesex and Suffolk
Michael D. Brady Second Plymouth and Norfolk
John J. Cronin Worcester and Middlesex
Joanne M. Comerford Hampshire, Franklin and Worcester
Paul W. Mark Berkshire, Hampden, Franklin and Hampshire
John C. Velis Hampden and Hampshire
John F. Keenan Norfolk and Plymouth

State Representatives:

Name District/Address
James K. Hawkins 2nd Bristol
Steven Owens 29th Middlesex
Josh S. Cutler 6th Plymouth
Natalie M. Higgins 4th Worcester
Michelle L. Ciccolo 15th Middlesex
Carmine Lawrence Gentile 13th Middlesex
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire
Jack Patrick Lewis 7th Middlesex
Sean Garballey 23rd Middlesex
Samantha Montaño 15th Suffolk
Margaret R. Scarsdale 1st Middlesex
Patrick Joseph Kearney 4th Plymouth
Ruth B. Balser 12th Middlesex
Jessica Ann Giannino 16th Suffolk
David M. Rogers 24th Middlesex
Brian W. Murray 10th Worcester
Steven S. Howitt 4th Bristol
Joseph D. McKenna 18th Worcester
Kate Donaghue 19th Worcester
Vanna Howard 17th Middlesex
Jennifer Balinsky Armini 8th Essex
Andres X. Vargas 3rd Essex
Thomas M. Stanley 9th Middlesex
Steven George Xiarhos 5th Barnstable
James J. O’Day 14th Worcester
Kimberly N. Ferguson 1st Worcester
Brian M. Ashe 2nd Hampden
Michelle M. DuBois 10th Plymouth
Paul McMurtry 11th Norfolk
Kay Khan 11th Middlesex
Tricia Farley-Bouvier 2nd Berkshire
David Allen Robertson 19th Middlesex
James C. Arena-DeRosa 8th Middlesex
Jeffrey Rosario Turco 19th Suffolk
Colleen M. Garry 36th Middlesex
Adrian C. Madaro 1st Suffolk
Edward R. Philips 8th Norfolk
Sally P. Kerans 13th Essex
Adrianne Pusateri Ramos 14th Essex
Kate Lipper-Garabedian 32nd Middlesex
Bradley H. Jones, Jr. 20th Middlesex
Tram T. Nguyen 18th Essex
William C. Galvin 6th Norfolk
Marcus S. Vaughn 9th Norfolk
Hannah Kane 11th Worcester
Richard M. Haggerty 30th Middlesex
Kenneth I. Gordon 21st Middlesex
Angelo J. Puppolo, Jr. 12th Hampden
Simon Cataldo 14th Middlesex
F. Jay Barrows 1st Bristol
Joan Meschino 3rd Plymouth
Daniel R. Carey 2nd Hampshire
Kip A. Diggs 2nd Barnstable
David Paul Linsky 5th Middlesex
David T. Vieira 3rd Barnstable
Patricia A. Duffy 5th Hampden
Natalie M. Blais 1st Franklin
Ann-Margaret Ferrante 5th Essex
James Arciero 2nd Middlesex
David Henry Argosky LeBoeuf 17th Worcester
Erika Uyterhoeven 27th Middlesex
Kevin G. Honan 17th Suffolk
Denise C. Garlick 13th Norfolk
Jay D. Livingstone 8th Suffolk
Tommy Vitolo 15th Norfolk
Aaron L. Saunders 7th Hampden
John Barrett, III 1st Berkshire
Michael P. Kushmerek 3rd Worcester
Kristin E. Kassner 2nd Essex
Manny Cruz 7th Essex
Marjorie C. Decker 25th Middlesex

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