How to Read the Batch Code on Advion and Alpine Gel — and Spot a Date That Doesn't Add Up
Turn an Advion tube over and look for an expiry date. You won't find one. That surprises people, and some sellers use the confusion to sell old stock — or to print a "manufacturing date" that has nothing to do with the tube inside.
The production date is there, though. It is built into the batch code. Once you know how to read it, you can tell how old a tube is in a few seconds and spot packaging that contradicts itself. You can also skip the reading and type the code into our free batch code checker.
Where the batch code is — and what it is not
An Advion tube label carries several codes, and only one of them is the batch:
| Code on the tube | Example | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Batch code | ABW5K19190 | Where and when this tube was made |
| EPA Reg. No. | 100-1484 | The product's US registration — the same on every tube of that product |
| EPA Est. | 54450-IL-002 | The registered production site |
| Label code | SCP 1484A-L2C 0620 | The label version and when it was last revised — not the production date |
How to read an Advion batch code
Take ABW5K19190, a code from a tube in our own stock:
- ABW — the production plant. Syngenta's own label explains that these three letters identify the site; ABW is the Illinois plant registered as EPA Est. 54450-IL.
- 5 — the last digit of the production year: 2025.
- K — the month, counted alphabetically from A = January: K is the 11th letter, so November.
- 19190 — a serial for that production run.
So this tube was made in November 2025.
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
The year is a single digit, so a "5" could in theory mean 2015. In practice the label tells you which: a tube whose label was revised in 2020 cannot have been filled in 2015.
How to read an Alpine batch code
BASF uses a 14-digit number, usually printed in three groups — for example 204888112 16 076:
- 204888112 — BASF's article number for the product.
- 16 — the year: 2016.
- 076 — the day of the year: day 76 of 2016 is 16 March.
How long is it good for?
Syngenta says Advion cockroach gel can last up to five years when stored indoors with stable temperature and humidity. Distributors quote a similar five years for unopened Alpine tubes. Two cautions for the UAE:
- Five years is the ceiling under good storage, not a promise. A tube that spent a summer in a hot storeroom or delivery van can be ruined in months. More on that in the storage mistakes that ruin gel bait.
- Once a tube is opened, use it within the season rather than keeping it for years.
Five contradictions that should make you stop
Reading the code is most useful when it disagrees with something else on the pack.
- A printed date that doesn't match the code. We recently saw tubes with the batch code ABW4H… — produced August 2024 — and, printed beneath it, "MANUF 26/05/26". A manufacturer does not stamp two different production dates on one tube. Either someone in the supply chain added a date, or the tube is not what it claims to be.
- The wrong EPA number for the product. Advion Cockroach and Advion Evolution carry EPA Reg. No. 100-1484, Advion Ant Gel carries 100-1498, and Alpine Cockroach Gel carries 499-507. A different number means a different product.
- A code that follows no format. An Advion code that doesn't start with three letters, a digit and a month letter, or an Alpine number that isn't 14 digits, deserves a closer look.
- The same code on everything. If every tube a seller ships carries the identical code over many months, it was probably copied rather than printed at the factory.
- A code on a sticker. The batch code is printed on the manufacturer's label. A separate sticker covering it is a warning sign.
What a clean code does not prove
A code that reads correctly tells you the tube's age and that the packaging is consistent. It does not prove the gel inside is genuine — a counterfeiter can copy a real code from a real tube. Manufacturers do not publish a public batch database, so the code is one check among several, alongside the seller, the UAE registration and the price: see 7 signs of genuine Advion.
Check your tube in ten seconds
Type the code into our batch code checker. It shows the product, manufacturer, active ingredient, the EPA number that should be on your tube, the production plant and date, the tube's age and a five-year "good until" date — and if you enter a printed date, it tells you whether the two agree. It works on any tube, wherever you bought it.
Quick answers
Why doesn't Advion have an expiry date?
US pesticide labelling rules, which Advion's label follows, don't require one. The production month is encoded in the batch code instead.
Is the code starting "SCP" the batch number?
No. It identifies the label version. The batch code is the separate line, usually starting with three letters.
Can I use the checker for a tube I bought somewhere else?
Yes. It reads any Advion or Alpine code, wherever the tube was bought.
👉 Open the batch code checker · Order original Advion
Code formats are as published by authorised US distributors of Syngenta and BASF products; product facts are from the EPA-registered labels. Always read and follow the product label. Advion® is a trademark of Syngenta and Alpine® a trademark of BASF — Aoufpest is an independent distributor and is not affiliated with either manufacturer.