The label is the law. Rates and restrictions below are taken from the product labels listed under Sources. Your product's own label governs; read it before you mix or apply. Mixing calculator · Disclaimer
- Active ingredient
- Difethialone
- Chemical class
- Anticoagulant. The label's note to physicians says swallowing it may reduce the blood's ability to clot and cause bleeding.[1]
- Mode of action
- Anticoagulant: interferes with blood clotting, which vitamin K1 reverses; insecticide resistance groups do not apply to rodenticides[1]
- Signal word
- Difethialone Soft Bait (also registered as FirstStrike Soft Bait, Generation Paste Bait Place Packs and FastDraw Soft Bait): Caution[1]
A professional-size product
The label forbids selling this bait in containers holding less than 16 pounds; the stamped version describes a 16-pound pail of about 182 pouches. It also claims control of warfarin-resistant house mice.[1]
After treatment, wear waterproof gloves to collect dead rodents and leftover bait. Replace spoiled bait right away, and set up permanent stations if rodents keep returning.[1]
Where it is used
Outdoors above ground, bait stations are mandatory. Tamper-resistant stations are required anywhere children, pets, non-target mammals or birds could reach the bait.[1]
Pouches can go into a station whole, or the bait can be unwrapped and secured in a feeding device inside a station. Throw empty wrappers in the trash.[1]
Baiting is limited to inside and within 100 feet of buildings. Fence-line baiting farther out, burrow baiting and broadcasting bait are all prohibited.[1]
Pick spots along walls, beside gnawed openings, in corners and other concealed places, and remove as much competing food as you can.[1]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Difethialone Soft Bait (also registered as FirstStrike Soft Bait, Generation Paste Bait Place Packs and FastDraw Soft Bait)[1] | Liphatech, Inc. | 7173-258 | 0.0025% | soft bait pouches | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Difethialone Soft Bait (also registered as FirstStrike Soft Bait, Generation Paste Bait Place Packs and FastDraw Soft Bait) | In and within 100 feet of homes and other buildings | Norway rats and roof rats | 2–11 pouches (1.4 oz each) per placement[1] Space placements about 15 to 30 feet apart and keep fresh bait available for 10 days or until signs of rats stop. |
| Difethialone Soft Bait (also registered as FirstStrike Soft Bait, Generation Paste Bait Place Packs and FastDraw Soft Bait) | In and within 100 feet of homes and other buildings | House mice, deer mice and meadow voles | 1 pouches (1.4 oz each) per placement[1] Space placements about 8 to 12 feet apart and keep fresh bait out for 15 days or until activity ends. Deer mice and meadow voles are not allowed targets in California. |
Safety and environmental hazards
People
Signal word CAUTION: harmful if swallowed or absorbed through the skin, and it causes moderate eye irritation. Handlers wear long pants, shoes, socks and waterproof gloves, and gloves are required to pick up carcasses or leftover bait.[1]
Pets
If a pet eats bait, call a veterinarian at once. The label tells vets to give vitamin K1 and repeat it based on clotting-time tests. Dogs and cats can also be poisoned by eating rodents that took the bait.[1]
Bees and pollinators
The label lists no bee hazard. Its environmental warnings focus on mammals and birds.[1]
Fish and water
Extremely toxic to mammals and birds, the label says, and predatory or scavenging birds and mammals may be poisoned by feeding on poisoned animals. Do not apply it to water or where surface water is present.[1]
Common questions
- How fast does difethialone kill rats?
- Norway rats and house mice may eat a lethal dose in one night. The label says the first dead rodents appear four or five days after feeding begins.[1]
- What is the antidote for difethialone?
- Vitamin K1, by injection or by mouth, repeated as needed based on clotting-time (prothrombin) tests.[1]
- Can I put difethialone pouches in a rat burrow?
- No. This label prohibits burrow baiting and broadcasting the bait.[1]
Sources
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Difethialone Soft Bait (FirstStrike Soft Bait) label, EPA Reg. No. 7173-258 (EPA-stamped, Apr. 15, 2026).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/007173-00258-20260415.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)