Certificate of competence required for the use of mouse and rat poison

From January 1, 2026, the purchase and use of mouse and rat poison as anticoagulant rodenticides will only be possible with a corresponding certificate of competence. 

In cooperation with LK Austria, LFI Austria offers an online course for obtaining this certificate of competence. 

The regulation on training courses for anticoagulant rodenticides (Rodenticide Expertise Regulation), Federal Law Gazette II No. 246/2024, it has been newly regulated that, as of January 1, 2026, both the seller and the professional user will need to complete a training course in order to purchase and apply these special highly toxic anticoagulant mouse and rat poisons. However, the new regulation does not apply to products that are approved as plant protection products and are used as such.

Rodenticides are biocidal products and are mainly used to control rats and mice. They mainly contain anticoagulant (blood-thinning) active substances. Even in low concentrations, these active substances are considered to be toxic to reproduction and specific target organs, as well as being PBT substances (persistent, bioaccumulative, toxic), and are only still approved in the absence of alternatives. Due to the properties mentioned above, their use must be viewed critically in terms of human health and the environment. It is therefore important to define appropriate risk management measures when approving these biocidal products and to train users accordingly.

Due to the specific biology of the target organisms and the different type of application (not for pest rodent monitoring, application only in and around buildings, not in open fields), it is not possible to recognize the certificate of competence in plant protection for this biocide application.

You can find more information and the online course on the website of the Landwirtschaftskammer Oberösterreich!