Soft bait is generally recognised as being more palatable than block because they don’t use wax to make them hard and they contain high amounts of fat which rodents find more attractive. The wrinkle with soft bait is they don’t tend to hold up so well in extreme climates because (example) in hot weather the fat leaches out of the bait and in to the paper packet or surrounds. Bell Labs have been working on this issue and whilst they are a USA company they heavily researched this soft bait so it would perform from Florida to Alaska the 2 ends of the extreme hot and cold climates. With that in mind it performs very nicely in Australian climates also.
In the past we have used soft baits with our customers and always had good results but are frustrated by their ability to hold in hot weather, so we moved away from them in our service work, however we were excited to see the development of these soft baits and now include both soft and hard baits in our services as required.
You should expect a better hit rate on these soft baits than comparable hard blocks. If you don’t get hits it suggests you don’t have them near enough to rodent activity OR there just aren’t any rodents there right now. :-) We do suggest when deploying baits you wear gloves or cover your hands somehow (bag?) not because this stuff is nasty to touch but because you can leave your scent on the blocks and that can cause bait shyness, particularly with rats. Of course do wish hands when you are finished handling any bait.
Please consider using any rodent bait in hard stations (see the other items on our site) as it prevents non-target pets and wildlife from eating the bait. I would be more vigilant with soft baits around dogs as the higher fat content may possibly make the bait more appealing than similar hard blocks. It goes without saying though that any rodent bait products should always be used where they cannot be accessed by other animals or children.
Here’s the blurb from the manufacturer.
CONTRAC Soft Bait
The Industry’s Most-Trusted Rodenticide now in Soft Bait
Contrac® Soft Bait, a single-feed formulation, contains the second generation anticoagulant, bromadiolone. It is our most extensively researched and tested rodenticide which has undergone comprehensive field testing to ensure its performance in urban, rural, commercial and residential settings.
Contrac® Soft Bait was specially formulated with an optimal blend of saturated and unsaturated fats. This unique, oil-based formulation coupled with a manufacturing process which ensures maximum contact of the sachet to the soft bait, results in increased bait acceptance.
- Outstanding preservative package ensures bait won’t freeze, mold or melt
- Bell’s most extensively researched and tested rodenticide ever
- 10g soft bait sachets
If you were unsure if you should buy the Contrac Block vs the Contrac Soft I recommend you use the soft. It should be more palatable than a block because it uses more oil to make it soft and rodents love fats and oils. If the baits look oily after you’ve had them out for a while this will not be a problem.
