Contrac Blox Rodenticide - Questions & Answers

Will horses eat Contrac Blox and will it hurt them?
I put some in a ceiling of a horse barn where the rats are nesting and I am finding some in the stalls. The rats are carrying them out of the ceiling and dropping them in the stalls. I was wondering what would happen if a horse ate one and if he would?

Horses and rats are both mammals and the bait will have the same effect on both of them. Of course a horse weighs a lot more so it would need to consume more of the bait to receive a lethal dose. We are not sure if horses would be attracted to the bait because it has not been tested for horses. Bait should never be tossed into spaces because of a rats tendency to move it around. In the future you should use piano wire to string the bait onto and then nail the wire down so the rats can not take off with the bait (for spaces that inaccessible to non-target animals and children only). For places that are accessible to children and non-target animals the bait should be placed in tamper resistant bait stations which will also prevent the rat from removing the bait.

Is it safe to place this product inside floor vents? (I saw a mouse go through my floor vent)
I killed a mouse and two weeks later I saw another one. The area where I stay was once a wooded area and they built townhouse. Please help because I hear noises in the floor vents!!!!

You cannot place the Contrac inside the vents. You can place the Contrac inside tamper resistant bait stations near the vents and in places where you have noticed activity. The mice and or rats must come out of the vents to get food so they will eventually find the bait. The alternative would be to use snap traps or glue boards in areas where you have noticed activity. By using snap traps and or glue boards you will know exactly where the rodent has died and make removal easy.

Should I be concerned about secondary poisoning when using Contrac Blox?
I am worried the neighbors cat may eat a poisoned rodent. I will be using Protecta Bait Stations.

secondary poisoning concern with wildlife & contrac blox.Also, how effective in killing voles?
I garden near wildlife habitat & considering using contrac blox for dusky footed wood rats & for a vole population explosion-which can be very destructive to all sorts of plantings.What about birds of prey,snakes,foxes,etc.-if they eat a recently poisoned rodent?How effective is it for voles?

Contrac Blox is not labeled for voles or for dusky footed wood rats. Contract Blox is only labeled for Norway Rats, Roof Rats and House Mice. Also due to the new EPA regulations, when used outdoors rodenticides can only be used immediately adjacent to or within 20 ft of a structure and the bait must be contained in tamper resistant bait stations. There is a chance of secondary poisoning if an animal eats a rodent that has been killed by rodenticide. Terad3 rodenticide is usually used in areas where secondary poisoning is a concern because it has a reduced risk of secondary poisoning. No matter what bait you choose you will still need to remove and dispose of any carcass you find to help eliminate the risk of secondary poisonings. You should know that most products that were labeled for voles have now been removed from the market by the EPA. In most cases it is recommended that you use old fashioned wooden snap traps placed directly in the voles travel paths to help reduce vole numbers.

I suspect that my bait station with Contrac is attracting racoons; will the Contrac kill a racoon?
Bait stations are placed in the yard to deal with rats. Bait stations will be found 3 to 4 feet from where they were placed and bait is gone. I do not want to attract racoons or other critters. Should a different bait be considered or should I not bait the traps for some period of time?

The Contrac can kill a raccoon if it ate enough, but it would have to eat a large amount.  It doesn't sound like your stations are secure at all to the ground or to some other structure.  You can use liquid nails and affix the station on a 1 x 1 foot paver you can buy from home depot.  This well prevent them from being moved.  Also, if you make sure the bait is secured on the rods, and the station is secure, it should prevent the raccoons from being able to work the bait free from the rods.

How long does it take a rodent to die after consuming Contrac Blox?
I live in a row how with a 1st floor extension (slab on grade), and I thought I had a rat problem, Used Contrac in the Basement, and I baited the ceiling by wire stringing 3 blocks and letting a length of wire hang from the ceiling. Every day, I would check to see if the wire moved. Recently, I noticed that the wire moved about 8 inches into the ceiling and then I heard subsequent scratching later in the day. Now, I keep baiting the ceiling and I keep seeing the wire moving! (It's been about 3 days). I hope it's only one rodent as I heard scratching only in one specific place. Questions. 1. Do rats stop and gnaw or do they drag the food back? I had 3 blocks wired in series and now I can't even see them in the ceiling in the hole that was made. 2. How long does it take for rodent to die? I know that it depends on ingestion, but, if a rodent takes a bite of the bait, will it die eventually? It's been driving me crazy! I will have to eventually crack the ceiling open and look for points of entry, as it is a point of curiosity. It has just turned really cold as well. Any suggestions?

After eating a lethal dose of Contrac Blox it can take 3-7 days for a rodent to die. Rodents will sit and gnaw the bait if it is held in place so that they cannot simply carry it away. If the bait is not secured there is a good chance the rodents will carry it back to their nesting area. We recommend you read our articles How to get rid of Roof Rats and also How to rodent proof your home. Because you live in a row house we also recommend speaking to your neighbors and sharing this information. Without their cooperation you may not be able to control the rodent population around your home.

How long will it take to Kill a Rat with Contrac?
Road repair on a major street let some rats into my basement, I sealed up all the holes I think and I placed Contrac Bait in bait stations resulting in a kill of at least one rat. It seemed to me that one rat got stuck in the basement ceiling as well after I sealed it back up. I placed Contrac bait in the basement ceiling and I noticed that the 3 blocs moved. I then noticed 2 little fresh droppings around the area of the blocks, presumably eaten. Based on this, do you think the rat ate enough to die? There is no other food sources in the basement ceiling. How can I be sure that I've eradicated all rats in the basement?

After a rodent consumes a lethal dose of the Contrac Blox it can take about a week for the rodent to die. You should keep replacing the bait until you do not have any more activity at the bait station because you could have more rodents than you realize, as is often the case.

If I put baits for mice to eat outside the house does that mean that they won't come inside the house and die?
Or is there any other way to avoid them dying in the house?

Unfortunately there is no way to stop the mice from going inside the house to die after they eat a mouse bait product. If having the mice enter your home after consuming the bait is an issue for you, consider using mouse glue traps placed in a Multi-catch Tin Cat mouse trap  or Mini T Rex Snap traps concealed in a Protecta Mouse Bait Station. This way you will know for sure where the mouse died and you can dispose of the carcass.

How do I get rid of slugs that are entering my rodent bait stations and eating the bait?
I have six bait stations with Contrac and notice slugs have really taken to eating the bait. Will it control the slugs too, or am I just losing my bait to them? What should I do to keep slugs out if they are not killed by this?

Contrac bait will not have any effect on insects. We recommend that you sprinkle a slug bait around the exterior of the bait stations to control the slugs before they enter the stations. We have several slug baits available including Hi Yield Snail and Slug Bait, Sluggo Plus Snail & Slug Killer and MotherEarth Granular Scatter Bait.

Is secondary poisoning an issue for cats when using Contrac Blox rodenticide?
We have mice in unfinished areas of our home (garage, basement, and attic) and we have placed bait boxes with Bell’s Contrac in these areas. We are not concerned about primary poisoning with our cats since they not allowed in these areas (and the poison is in boxes that the cats could not even fit into). However, my concern is about secondary poisoning. If a mouse somehow made it to a part of the house where the cats are and one of the cats ate the mouse, could it get secondary poisoning from Contrac? I would really appreciate some feedback as I have received mix answers from asking around, including our vet who was not really sure and suggested we contact you all. Thank you!

The risk of secondary poisoning with Contrac Blox is very minimal. A mouse only consumes a very small amount of bait at a time and passes it very quickly only keeping a smaller amount in their liver until they succumb to the effects of the bait. A cat would have to actually eat 20-30 mice that have consumed the bait for it to have an effect. In most cases well fed domesticated animals will not actually eat a mouse or a rat that they come across. Instead they will play with it, chew it and then leave it behind.

The manufacturers have released newly labeled product as of June 4, 2011.  However, we still have the old labeled product until we sell out.

The federal government has decided that certain types of rodenticides should not be sold in the same manner they have been after June 4, 2011.  These regulations were passed to try to prevent over the counter sales of rodenticides to homeowners and minimize secondary poisoning and misuse of rodenticides.  Unfortunately too many people have placed rodenticides in locations they should not be, such as easy to access places that children and pets can easily get to.  Basically all of the smaller quantities of rodent bait that you have been able to purchase over the counter will no longer be available.  You will only be able to purchase bait already inside a rodent station that is a one time use product.  It will come pre-baited in a sealed rodent station.  This will be the general rule for big box stores like Wal-Mart and Home Depot.  For a specialty store like ourselves, Do My Own Pest Control, we will no longer be able to sell certain rodent place packs, liquid rodenticides, or bait blox in smaller quantities than 16 pounds.  This was passed to discourage homeowners from purchasing rodenticides since they have to now purchase them in large quantities.  Most homeowners do not need 16 lbs worth of place packs.  We will be able to continue to sell the current stock that we have of currently labeled product while supplies last.  However, after June 4th, once we sell out of our current stock and start receiving newly manufactured bait, we will no longer be able to sell it in less than 16lb increments.  There will be some baits that we can continue to sell in smaller quantities but they will be very few and only the ones that have a minimal secondary poisoning risk.

We recommend that you call your veterinarian immediately. We have linked the Contrac Blox product label and the Contrac Blox MSDS for you in our answer so that you may print them out and provide them to your vet.

Unfortunately, because Contrac Blox are not labeled for gophers we cannot recommend that you use this product for this pest. The only baits that we have for gophers of any kind are ZP Rodent Bait and Hi Yield Mole and Gopher bait. They are actually lableled only for 'pocket gohpers'.

Is there a rodent bait that is recommended for pack rats in Arizona?
I found an active pack rat infestation next to our property in Arizona. What is your suggestion with regard to the most efficient method to get rid of them? I already have the Protecta Baiting station that I use with a T Rex Trapper. I would rather not kill them individually with a trap. Is there a poison that would do the trick?

You can use any of our rodenticides such as Contrac Blox to eliminate pack rats. You should place the Contrac Blox inside of tamper resistant stations to secure the blox so that the rats can not carry them away to unsecured locations. Be sure to place plenty of stations out as this type of rat can be territorial and will stop other rats from visiting certain stations.

Contrac Blox contains food ingredients that attract rodents. The rodents then consume the bait. When they receive a lethal amount of bait, they will then expire. Rodent baits should be used in tamper resistant bait stations to avoid accidental contact with children and non-target animals.

How long the Contrac Blox will last outdoors will depend on a couple of different factors. If the bait is placed in a tamper resistant bait station , it will be kept out of direct sunlight and out of the rain which means it will last longer than if it is just thrown down a burrow or out onto the ground. Lots of rain or extreme heat will cause the bait to deteriorate faster than cool dry weather. Basically, bait that is placed into a station should be inspected every week or every other week It should be replaced if it is moldy, melted, sour or infested with insects.

Yes. There is not a rodenticide on the market that stops a decomposing rodent from smelling after they die. There are a lot of "old wives tales" that suggest that there are rodenticides that will make a rodent exit the building after they eat the bait, leave in search of water or dry up immediately after death and leave no stench behind. Unfortunately, none of this is true. If a rodent dies, it will smell as it decomposes and the rodent will die wherever it succumbs to the poison which is likely to be is an inaccessible area where the rodent has been nesting. We recommend using glue boards, snap traps or multi-catch mouse traps indoors, so you will know exactly where the mouse has died and can remove it with ease.

How do I know when the mice are gone?
I have Contrac Blox throughout our house due to mice moving in with the cold weather. The first night a number of them disappeared - even from places I didn't think there were mice. Also, some were nibbled on and we trapped one mouse. How do I know if the bait worked or if they're no longer there? I don't know where the mice took the bait and there is no evidence of mice in the area except for the missing blox? Do I keep replacing the bait bloxs until they stop disappearing? Thanks

You should keep replacing the bait until the mice stop taking it. You need to place enough bait out each night so that there is left over bait in the morning. This will ensure that each mouse is able to receive a lethal dose. We also highly recommend securing the blox in a tamper resistant bait station so that the rodents cannot carry the bait throughout the house and deposit the blox in undesirable areas.

Why aren't the rats eating the Contrac Blox?
I ordered a bucket of Contrac blox along with three tamper proof bait stations. I placed 12 blocks in each station, and I threw some extra blocks down the holes they were burrowing in. I put peanut butter in one of the bait stations on the blocks. I opened up all three boxes a week later, and none of the bloxs were touched. Yet, they tried to get into the bucket of left overs I had. They are going into the bait stations, but they are not eating, why is that?

Do you know if they ate the Contrac blox that you put down the burrows?  Did the rodents die from those blocks and never went in the stations? Typically, if none of the blocks are eaten then there is a food competition issue.  If there is other food accessible that is more attractive to the rodents then they will eat the other food first.  This could be pet food, bird seed, food in a garden, etc...  Do any of these situations exist?  Also, placement of the bait stations are critical.  Were the station placed along the foundation or along edges with holes against the wall?