The Human Environment and Transport Inspectorate (ILT) has found that rodenticides were ordered from Belgian webshops from the Netherlands that are not authorized on the Dutch market. These are biocides used to control pests such as rats and mice. These webshops have stopped selling unauthorized biocides to the Netherlands. Buyers receive a warning.
The ILT has established that 695 orders of rodenticides not authorized in the Netherlands were placed by Dutch customers at webshops in Belgium. Cooperation took place with the Belgian authority, the Federal Public Service Health, Food Chain Safety and Environment (FPS Health). One webshop refused to share delivery details of buyers citing privacy. However, since the data is needed for proper supervision, personal data may be shared. Following a request from FPS Health, the data was transferred to the ILT.
Warning
The 695 Dutch buyers of rat and mouse poison (rodenticides) have received a warning. If this violation is repeated, the ILT can impose a Last Under Penalty (LOD) or an administrative fine. An LOD means that for every subsequent detection of a described violation, a fine must be paid. If you have this product at home, you can return it to the webshop or dispose of it as chemical waste.
What you can do yourself
The ILT biocides inspector explains what you can do yourself about pests in your home. ‘Now that it is getting colder outside, pests seek warm places in the house. Be aware that simply applying control products only treats the symptoms. The mice die, but new ones will come. If you have problems with mice or rats, you can do two things. You can control the infestation yourself. To do this effectively, you can visit Milieu Centraal. You can also choose to hire a professional company.’
Only with proof of competence and by certified company
Foreign webshops offer control products that are not authorized in the Netherlands by the Board for the Authorization of Plant Protection Products and Biocides (Ctgb). Their sale, possession, and use are prohibited in the Netherlands.
You may only use certain types of rodenticides if you have proof of competence and work for a certified company. These controllers work according to Integrated Pest Management (IPM), ensuring measures such as sealing gaps and cracks, controlling with traps, and only using rodenticides if absolutely necessary.
Rodenticides
Rodenticides pose a risk to humans, animals, and the environment because these substances are persistent. Rodents can become resistant. It can also lead to poisoning of predators. For these reasons, strict requirements apply to these types of rodenticides, which the ILT monitors. The ILT will continue to focus on online purchases of unauthorized biocides, including from abroad.
