The Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide is an anti-coagulant, which means that once the rat has eaten this product, they begin to bleed to death from the inside. The rat first becomes sick, and then grows tired and weak and passes in its sleep. It can take anywhere from a few hours to a few days depending on how much the rat has eaten.
Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide is not labeled for opossums. In fact, there are no baits on the market that are made for opossums. In most cases, you will have to trap the opossum using a cage trap. Local ordinances in your community will dictate how to dispose of the trapped animal. You can learn more about opossum control by reading our article Opossum Control. By law, all rodenticide baits including Contrac must be applied in tamper-resistant bait stations.
Final Blox and Contrac Blox are pretty comparable, though Final Blox may actually kill the rat a bit faster. First Strike is a unique rodenticide bait that has shown high acceptance by rodents, even when competing food sources are available. The unique bait packaging around each bait allows the aroma to escape, increasing the attractiveness of the product, First Strike may be the better choice if you’re dealing with high activity and competing food sources.
The Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide label states the following: This product must be used in and within 100 feet of man-made structures constructed in a manner so as to be vulnerable to commensal rodent invasions and/or to harboring or attracting rodent infestations
Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide can be used indoors but only if they are secured in tamper-resistant bait stations. Using tamper-resistant bait stations keep kids and pets from accessing the bait but also, secures the bait blox to help with monitoring activity. If the bait blox are not secured, the rodents will take the blox to the nest, therefore, making it difficult to see if they are consuming the bait. I have included the instructions per the Contrac Blox product label regarding the number of blox that should be used over certain linear footage.
RATS: Place 3 to 16 bait blocks (at intervals of 15 to 30 feet) per placement in infested areas. Maintain an uninterrupted supply of fresh bait for at least 10 days or until signs of rat activity cease.
MICE AND MEADOW VOLES*: Place 1 block per placement. Space placements at 8- to 12-foot intervals in infested areas. Two blocks may be needed at points of very high activity. Maintain
an uninterrupted supply of fresh bait for at least 15 days or until signs of
mouse or meadow vole* activity cease.
Since squirrels are in the same family as rats/mice, it is possible the bait matrix in the Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide could be attractive to squirrels also. While rodenticides can be used indoors for rodent control, we typically do not recommend baiting for rodents indoors as the bait can draw insects and can also keep drawing the rodents into the home. We would recommend using the Contrac Blox in the tamper resistant bait stations outside the home around the structure.
If you know where the squirrels are entering you can use an Tomahawk One Way Door Excluder where they are entering the attic. This will allow the squirrells to exit through the hole, but not get back in. Exclusion Methods with Copper Mesh or Xcluder Wire are great ways to seal up holes to keep mice, rats and squirrels out.
Fastrac Blox can ship to California. Please keep in mind there is no antidote available for non-targeted animals like there was with the Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide.
Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide is not labeled for coyotes. We do offer coyote traps.
There are many kinds of rodents, birds, or other small animals that could be eating a fresh crop of fruit. A mesh or fence opening that is 2” x 3” is large enough for mice, rats, voles, chipmunks, and more to come and go as they please. You may consider denser fencing, or using rodenticide in bait stations around the structure or along fencelines (as long as it is within 100 feet of the house) such as those in our Rodent Baiting Kit. If you are able to inspect more for signs like droppings, then you may be able to determine what is there and use appropriate traps for them. Be sure, also, that you are picking fruit as it is ripe and removing fallen fruit from the ground.
You may consider a repellent such as Nature’s Defense Organic Animal Repellent around the edge of the garden, but you may not be able to overcome the habits these animals have already developed.
The risk of secondary poisoning with Contrac Blox is very minimal. A rodent 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. For expample, 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.
Contrac Blox Rodenticide should be applied in tamper-resistant stations to prevent non-target animals and children from accessing the bait inside. Although this product is only labeled for rats and mice, it is possible that a squirrel could be attracted to the bait matrix for consumption since squirrels are in the same family as rats/mice.
Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide would not release any type of fume or gas if it contacts water. Water would just cause the product to be unattractive to rodents as it could mold and sour due to exposure.
You should not put Contrac Blox or any other pesticides inside air vents or other similar systems within your home. Rodenticides must be secured in bait stations or otherwise in areas that are inaccessible to people, pets, and non-target animals. If rodenticide is not secured, then the rodents can hoard the bait and may move it to a location where it becomes accessible to non-target animals. We recommend using traps for rats that may be indoors. We have more tips on how to eliminate rats from your home in this guide.
While there should be no issue using the Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide and First Strike in the same station (meaning they won't interact with each other), it would be better to use one at a time and rotate between them every 4-6 months instead to prevent resistance buildup to either.
Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide is only labeled for Norway Rats, Roof Rats, House Mice, Meadow Voles. It is not labeled for opossums. Please look at our Opossum Control Page for options on trapping.
We cannot ship Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide to California but Ditrac is an alternative that can be used.
Freezing temperatures will not negatively impact Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide when used in stations. When in storage you should keep the pail in a cool dry place away from extreme temperatures.
Yes, the Contrac Blox can be cut shorter to fit station if needed. Be sure you are wearing chemical resistant gloves while handling the rodent bait and tamper resistant bait stations.
Fastrac All-Weather Blox has the faster kill of the two, but Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide has an antidote if needed. Fastrac All-Weather Blox is a neurotoxin and there is no antidote if children or pets consume the bait. If you have children or pets, it is recommended that you use Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide since every doctor and vet has the antidote, which is Vitamin K1.
Contrac All-Weather Blox Rodenticide is sold in 4 x 4 lb pails and 18 lb pail bucket. Each of the 4 lb pails contains approx 64 blox, the 18 pail contains approx 288 blox.
The 4lb is going to be simialr in size to a one gallon paint can.
