Retailers Planning For California Rat Poison Ban Taking Effect July 1

SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — Retailers are preparing for a big change before new California rules banning certain types of rat poison takes effect next month.

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation is telling retailers to stop selling poison in open trays, as the poison kills more than just the pests.

Once the rats and mice eat from the open trays, they're later eaten by predators such as barn owls, bobcats, and even family pets.

Brian Cook of Cook Ace Hardware in Del Paso Heights is telling his customers that the state is giving retailers until July 1 to clean their shelves of the open-tray poison.

Retailers can still sell what's called a station. That's where rodents go into a device to eat the poison, but can't escape.

Cook believes getting rid of the open-tray concept is not only good for California wildlife, but families too.

"Your kids really don't know what that is," he said. "They think it might be food and they grab it and they eat it."

While the July 1 ban only applies to California, federal regulators say similar rules could be in effect by next spring.