Zinc phosphide is used as Rodenticide throughout the agricultural world to control a range of animals, including mice, rats, voles, ground squirrels, prairie dogs, nutria, muskrats, rabbits and gophers.  The material act as stomach poison, and on coming in contact with the gastric juices in the stomach, produces phosphine gas which kills the animal.

Zinc phosphide is insoluble in water and is a relatively stable molecule.