This product is usually imported illegally from the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and other Latin American countries. The name means "three little steps" in Spanish and implies the product is so poisonous, mice will die very quickly after eating the poison. The active ingredient in Tres Pasitos is aldicarb. The EPA considers aldicarb to be a very toxic chemical that should never be used in your home.

Children and pets are especially vulnerable to poisoning by Tres Pasitos. The product is made of small brown grains that look like food. Tres Pasitos is often sold in sandwich bags with little or no labeling. Touching, breathing, or swallowing even a small amount of Tres Pasitos can cause vomiting, weakness, dizziness, sweating, and shortness of breath.

Additional Resources:

• Report Environmental Violations (report illegal online sales) - U.S. EPA
• Avoid Illegal Household Pesticide Products - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Hazardous Substance Fact Sheet: Aldicarb - New Jersey Department of Health and Senior Services
• Aldicarb Compound Summary - PubChem, National Center for Biotechnology Information
• Technical Factsheet on Aldicarb and Metabolites - Florida Department of Ag and Consumer Services
• Agreement to Terminate All Uses of Aldicarb - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Inchem Fact Sheet: Aldicarb - World Health Organization (WHO), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email us at npic@oregonstate.edu.