As of 1 January 2025 all anti-coagulant rodenticides have been withdrawn for open area use, and from 1 January 2026 all use of professional rodenticides will require a certificate of competence issued within the last five years, or up to date membership of a relevant continual professional development (CPD) scheme. Alongside this comes a newly available active substance, cholecalciferol, which acts in a very different way from anti-coagulants, so the world of rat control for gamekeepers really is very changed.
This newly updated one-day course has been developed in association with the Campaign for Responsible Rodenticide Use, and will allow gamekeepers to go on controlling rats using rodenticides. The course is approved on behalf of the Health and Safety Executive and meets their requirements for best-practice ‘Stewardship’ to reduce the risk of rodenticide residues getting into non-target wildlife.
Price includes VAT and will cover the training itself, course literature, the exam at the end and, if successful, the issue of a certificate for the purchase and use of professional rodenticides.
The online exam, which is a multiple choice/true or false test, has been compiled and will be overseen by BASIS. Some gamekeepers may already have undertaken training for rodenticide use that is compliant with the new rules. Others may prefer to qualify themselves via alternative courses, although Rat Control for Gamekeepers is recommended as the only course specifically developed for the gamekeepers’ needs.