If you have any questions or need help, call our SenesTech Team at 866-886-RATS or contact a consultant.
Technical Bulletins
Foraging
By targeting overhead areas where black rats frequent, ContraPest can be an effective tool for controlling black rat populations.
ContraPest®
ContraPest is the first EPA-registered contraceptive bait. It’s designed to lower birth rates of Norway rats Rattus norvegicus and roof rats R. rattus.
Bioaccumulation & Biomagnification
As consumers become more environmentally conscious and motivated to make sustainable choices, it’s important to understand issues surrounding bioaccumulation and biomagnification.
Veterinarian Guide
The intended purpose of this brochure is to be an aid to veterinarians tasked with treating animals that have inadvertently ingested ContraPest either directly or indirectly through a target species.
Case Studies
Poultry white paper
DC case study
Research studies
ContraPest
Lethal rodenticides and other lethal tools of managing commensal rodent populations long-term are not sustainable due to population rebounds and increasing resistance to rodenticides. The use of integrated pest management (IPM) programs are more prevalent due to consumer desire to decrease rodenticide use and utilize environmentally friendly, humane methods. IPM plans often require multiple tools to control an infestation, such as physical, biological and chemical measures. Here, we propose that rodent population management would benefit from a new tool aimed at targeting the biological source of overabundance: reproduction. SenesTech, Inc. (Flagstaff, AZ USA) has developed ContraPest, a liquid bait that limits the reproductive capacity of both male and female wild Norway and Roof rats.
BioOne®
Compromised fertility in free feeding of wild-caught Norway rats Rattus Novergicus with a liquid bait containing 4-Vinylcyclohexene Diepoxide and Triptolide. Thank You for Your Interest!
Heliyon
The opportunity for sexual selection and the evolution of non-responsiveness to pesticides, sterility inducers, and contraceptives. Thank You for Your Interest! Fill out the following form to access the selected document.
ContraPest
Worldwide, Norway rats cause significant infrastructure damage, agricultural losses, and carry zoonotic diseases. Due to rat fecundity, killing them by mechanical and/or poison does not lead to sustainable management of their populations. Our biotechnology company, SenesTech, Inc, has developed an environmentally safe oral bait taken by rats, causing them to produce fewer rat pups and take longer to deliver, without any observable adverse effects.
ContraPest
Rodenticides used since World War II did not lead to sustained reduction of rodent populations, and so fertility control is becoming attractive because rats reproduce with great efficiency. Chemical acceleration of ovarian failure via oral dosing also would improve management of rat pest populations. The chemical 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) is orally efficacious, causing depletion of non-regenerating primordial ovarian follicles of Sprague-Dawley rats.
ContraPest
4-Vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) destroys preantral ovarian follicles in rats. Female 28-day Fisher 344 (F344) rats were dosed (30 days) with VCD (80 mg/kg per day, i.p.) or vehicle, and animals were evaluated for reproductive function at subsequent time points for up to 360 days.
ContraPest
We propose that rodent population management would benefit from a new tool aimed at targeting the biological source of overabundance: reproduction. SenesTech, Inc. (Flagstaff, AZ USA) has developed ContraPest, a liquid bait that limits the reproductive capacity of both male and female wild Norway and Roof rats.
The Elevate Bait System with ContraPest
We tested alternative baiting devices at a large poultry farm to develop a station that was easily utilized in aerial locations and well accepted by roof rats. We deployed ContraPest®, a contraceptive liquid bait, in the devices and tracked consumption monthly.
Fertility Control
Rodent population control is a global problem, complicated by evolved non-responsiveness to rodenticide treatment. Contraceptives could help mitigate this challenge, but questions remain about their efficacy, especially for rodenticide-resistant populations.
ContraPest
A non-toxic liquid fertility control bait for rats has recently become commercially available (ContraPest® from SenesTech, Inc.). This product contains two chemicals, both of which impair spermatogenesis in male rats and reduce ovulations in female rats. We tested the efficacy of this bait in wild-caught adult black rats from the island of Hawaii in a short-term laboratory trial.
ContraPest
Fertility control is emerging as a safe, humane, and effective method of long-term population management. We prepared liquid bait containing no active ingredients (control) or containing VCD (0.098%) and triptolide (0.0012%, treatment) and offered ad libitum for 56 days to male and female Norway rats placed in open, indoor arenas and allowed to breed for 4 rounds (a total of 138 days).
ContraPest
Two chemicals known to target ovarian function in female rats are 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) and triptolide. Additionally, triptolide impairs spermatogenesis in males. A liquid bait containing no active ingredients (control), or containing triptolide (0.001%) and VCD (0.109%; active) was prepared to investigate the potential use of these agents for wild rat pest population control.
Videos
Always follow all label instructions when using ContraPest.
The ContraPest® Solution
Deploying ContraPest is easy!
ContraPest Replacement
ContraPest® Is the Answer
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Below are some of our most frequently asked questions about ContraPest from our customers. If your question isn’t here, please don’t hesitate to contact our team. We’re happy to answer any questions you have!
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What are the active ingredients in ContraPest?
The active ingredients in ContraPest are:
• 4-Vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (0.09604%)
• Triptolide (0.00118%)
How quickly does ContraPest work and for how long?
ContraPest provides a cumulative effect, thus the more a rat consumes, the greater the result. However, it may take several months before a significant decrease in population size is noticeable. ContraPest is a contraceptive, not a sterilant, so a continuous supply maintains reduced populations.
Where can ContraPest be used?
ContraPest can be used in a variety of settings. Please read and follow label instructions for deployment.
ContraPest is registered for indoor, non-food use and within 1 foot around external perimeters of man-made structures.
Do not place bait stations where they are likely to become submerged or inundated with water or on an uneven surface. To avoid damage to the bait station, do not use bait stations in areas open to hoofed livestock or potentially destructive wildlife.
When should I change the bait and how often does the bait station need to be serviced?
Please read and follow label instructions for ContraPest. ContraPest must be replaced every 30 days. If tanks are empty, replace tanks prior to 30 days.
For optimal convenience, subscribe to ContraPest for a monthly delivery of product straight to your door.
What is the shelf life of ContraPest?
In the initial submission for EPA registration, the shelf life component was waived/deferred with the understanding that this information would be provided at a later date. However, we are currently working on providing the EPA with data and documentation to calculate shelf life as part of our continuous label improvement efforts.
Is ContraPest a restricted use product?
ContraPest® is registered with the US EPA as a General Use Product when used as directed. However, ContraPest continues to be a Restricted Use Product (RUP) in Connecticut. ContraPest is General Use in California but continues to follow and observe the Healthy Schools Act and restrict the use of our product around school sites as identified in this regulation. Please always read and follow all label instructions for target species of Norway and roof rats.
Contrapest® in the news
SenesTech is not responsible for any claims made by media outlets.