ContraPest


ContraPest is a contraceptive pest control product designed to reduce fertility in brown and black rats, developed by the U.S. biotechnology company SenesTech. It is a flavored liquid, designed to be attractive to, and to be consumed by, the target animals in order to reduce the population over time. ContraPest is a contraceptive, not a sterilant, so a continuous supply maintains reduced populations. ContraPest was initially tested in Indonesian rice fields, South Carolina pig farms, the suburbs of Boston and the New York City subway, and caused a reduction in rat populations of roughly 40% over a period of 12 weeks. The product was approved for commercial use by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in August 2016.

History

The formula was originally used by Dr. Loretta Mayer and Dr. Cheryl Dyer as part of a research program to study heart disease in post-menopausal women through menopausal mice. The active ingredient of ContraPest is the chemical 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide, which is a known killer of oocytes in immature ovarian follicles.
ContraPest also contains triptolide, which the company reports has adverse reproductive effects on both males and females.

Deployment

Currently the city of Washington D.C. is utilizing a 5,000 unit, four-year supply of ContraPest for all eight wards of the city in an attempt to combat the rat population.