The label is the law. Read your product's label before you mix or apply; the rates here come from the labels listed under Sources.
- Active ingredient
- Zinc phosphide
- Chemical class
- Inorganic phosphide; the label's note to physicians calls it a phosphine-producing active ingredient.[1]
- Mode of action
- Phosphine-producing rodenticide bait; insecticide resistance groups are not used for rodenticides[1]
- Signal word
- Zinc Phosphide Rodent Pellets (sold as Prozap Mole & Gopher Pelleted Bait): Caution[1]
Where it can't be used
It is limited to manual baiting below ground at the label's sites. Don't use it in gardens where food or feed could be contaminated, in sod production, or with an artificial burrow builder.[1]
Mole uses aren't approved in California, Hawaii, Indiana or New Hampshire. North Carolina allows only eastern and hairy-tailed moles, not star-nosed moles or pocket gophers.[1]
Protecting fall-planted bulbs
The label also allows bulb protection. Pack about a quarter inch of soil against each bulb, set several pellets around its sides, then cover it with soil.[1]
Where it is used
Treat only active mole tunnels. Press down or open a short section, mark it, and check back in 24 hours; a raised or repaired roof means the tunnel is in use.[1]
For gophers, find the plugged lateral tunnel on the flat side of each fan-shaped mound. Remove the plug, spoon the bait deep inside, and reclose the hole.[1]
Wear barrier laminate gloves to pick up dead animals and leftover bait. Wash the baiting spoon with detergent and hot water, and never use it for food again.[1]
If moles are still active after two treatments of conical mounds, the label says to stop using the product and try another method.[1]
Products and registrations
| Product | Registrant | EPA Reg. No. | Active % | Formulation | Signal word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc Phosphide Rodent Pellets (sold as Prozap Mole & Gopher Pelleted Bait)[1] | HACCO, Inc. | 61282-50 | 2.0% | pelleted bait | Caution |
Label rates
| Product | Use | Pests | Rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zinc Phosphide Rodent Pellets (sold as Prozap Mole & Gopher Pelleted Bait) | Mole and pocket gopher burrow systems under lawns | Moles and pocket gophers | 1 tsp product per burrow opening[1] One teaspoon per hole in an active surface tunnel, per opened conical mound, or as far down each gopher lateral tunnel as you can reach. Close the hole without letting loose soil cover the bait. |
How to apply it, step by step
1. Protective gear
- Wear pants, shoes, socks and barrier laminate gloves; the bait is harmful if swallowed, absorbed through the skin or inhaled, so avoid breathing the dust.[1]
- Anyone who picks up dead animals or leftover bait must wear barrier laminate gloves. Wash your hands before eating, drinking or using the toilet.[1]
2. Before you spray
- It is only for moles and pocket gophers, placed by hand below ground in their tunnels; it isn't approved for moles in California, Hawaii, Indiana or New Hampshire, and North Carolina limits which species it may be used on.[1]
- It is extremely toxic to birds, fish and wildlife, and pets or wild animals that eat a poisoned animal can be poisoned too. Don't use it in gardens where food or feed could be contaminated, or for sod production.[1]
- Treat only active tunnels: flatten a short section of a mole ridge (or open a 1-inch hole in its roof), mark it and recheck in 24 hours; it's active if the ridge is raised again or the roof repaired.[1]
3. Mixing
- No mixing: the pellets go into the tunnel by the teaspoon. Use a spoon you'll never use for food again, and wash it in hot water and detergent afterward.[1]
4. Applying
- Mole ridges: punch a hole in the top of each active tunnel, drop in a teaspoon of pellets and close the hole with sod or a stone, without collapsing the runway or letting loose soil cover the bait.[1]
- Mole mounds: remove the center plug of each conical mound, drop a teaspoon into the tunnel and close it with a rock or sod.[1]
- Gophers: remove the soil plug on the flat side of each fan-shaped mound and push a teaspoon as far down the side tunnel as you can, then reclose it without burying the bait.[1]
- For fall-planted bulbs, pack about ¼ inch of soil against each bulb, set several pellets around it, and cover with soil.[1]
5. After you spray
- Check the tunnels again after a few days and re-treat if they're still active; if moles are still active after two treatments, stop and use another method.[1]
- Wearing barrier laminate gloves, collect and dispose of dead animals and leftover bait; repeat the treatment if they come back.[1]
First aid
- Anyone who develops nausea, stomach pain, chest tightness or weakness while using it needs to see a doctor right away. If swallowed, call poison control or a doctor at once or go to the nearest hospital; give nothing by mouth, not even liquid, and don't induce vomiting unless told to.[1]
- On skin, take off contaminated clothing and rinse for 15 to 20 minutes; in the eyes, rinse gently for 15 to 20 minutes; if inhaled, move the person to fresh air. If a pet eats the bait, call a veterinarian at once. The label's 24-hour line is 1-800-498-5743.[1]
Storage, spills and disposal
- Store it in its original container, closed, in a cool, dry place children and pets can't reach, away from other chemicals.[1]
- Put an empty container in the trash or recycling; for leftover bait, call your local solid waste agency, and never put it down a drain.[1]
From the safety data sheet
- The bait is grey-black mottled pellets with 2 percent zinc phosphide; the sheet carries the signal word Caution and warns that the pellets may be fatal if swallowed and that you shouldn't breathe their dust or fumes.[2]
- Zinc phosphide can react with water or acids to release phosphine, a toxic gas that can ignite on its own, so keep the pellets dry and away from acids.[2]
- If someone swallows bait, call a physician or poison control center right away or go to the nearest hospital; don't give water or anything else by mouth, and don't make them vomit unless a physician says to.[2]
- Anyone who handles the bait and then feels nausea, stomach pain, chest tightness or weakness should be seen by a physician at once; for the eyes, rinse slowly with water for 15 to 20 minutes, and wash skin with soap and water.[2]
- Sweep up spilled pellets into clean, dry, labeled containers while keeping water and ignition sources away, keep the bait out of ponds, streams and sewers, and store it in a cool, dry, secure place away from children, pets and food.[2]
Safety and environmental hazards
People
Signal word CAUTION: harmful if swallowed, absorbed through skin, or inhaled. Wear pants, shoes, socks and barrier laminate gloves. Anyone who later has nausea, belly pain, chest tightness or weakness should see a doctor right away.[1]
Pets
If a pet eats the bait, call a veterinarian at once. The label warns that dogs and cats can be poisoned by eating animals that ate the bait.[1]
Bees and pollinators
The label lists no bee hazard. The pellets go below ground, and its warnings center on birds, fish and mammals.[1]
Fish and water
The label calls it extremely toxic to birds, fish and other wildlife, and says wildlife feeding on the bait may be killed. Don't apply it directly to water.[1]
Common questions
- How much zinc phosphide goes in each mole hole?
- About one teaspoon per opening, placed so loose soil doesn't bury the bait.[1]
- What should I do if my dog eats gopher pellets?
- Call a veterinarian at once. The label's note to vets says the bait releases phosphine and gives emergency treatment steps.[1]
- Is there a size limit on packages?
- Yes. The label says not to sell it in individual containers holding more than 1 pound.[1]
Sources
- U.S. EPA Pesticide Product Label System, “Zinc Phosphide Rodent Pellets label, EPA Reg. No. 61282-50 (EPA-stamped, Apr. 29, 2024).” www3.epa.gov/pesticides/chem_search/ppls/061282-00050-20240429.pdf (accessed 2026-10-06)
- HACCO, Inc., “Prozap Mole and Gopher (2% zinc phosphide pellets) Material Safety Data Sheet (HACCO, Inc., first issued June 2004, revised February 14, 2012; Registration Number 61282-50, the label on this page; copy hosted by Greenbook).” assets.greenbook.net/M98832.pdf (accessed 2026-10-19)