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Killing rats and mice with rat poison [UPDATED 2022] Buyer’s Guide

What is the best rat poison? We advise you to opt for slow-acting baits. They are safer to humans and pets as they require multiple feedings to kill. Rats will not associate the object with the poison effect and will not shy away from getting close to the trap. We recommend using a slow-acting  JT Eaton 709 .

Upon eating the bait, rodents die within several hours to several weeks. Mice may die within a day, while the population of rats dies more slowly, within a week or two, because they are larger than mice. Remember – poison baits are toxic and can kill any animal including your home pets (cats and dogs).

Best Rat Poisons Comparison |  StoppestInfo.com

Poisons can be fast- or slow-acting in terms of how quickly they kill rodents. If you need fast & powerful poison, choose second-generation rodenticides like Just One Bite II , when a single feeding is enough to kill. But such fast-acting poisons can be used in and around agricultural buildings only.

Rats are picky and finicky. Biologists suggest changing baits every 4-6 weeks or as soon as you notice rats avoiding your poison. Rats can avoid some tastes or smells. For best results, use different baits with a fresh rodenticide and flavors.

1. JT Eaton 709-PN Poison Bait
Slow-acting poison . Multiple feedings are required. Has peanut butter flavour. Place in rodents’ spots of activity indoors and/or outdoors.

JT Eaton 709-PN Poison Bait min: photo
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2. Just One Bite II- Fast-acting
When you need a powerful poison , use fast-acting rodenticides like bromadiolone, but it can be used in and around agricultural buildings only.

Just One Bite II- Fast-acting min: photo
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3. Neogen 116300 Ramik Green: fish flavor
Slow-acting poison with fish flavor. Choose this bait if your previous experience showed that rats didn’t eat the poison with peanut butter flavor.

Neogen 116300 Ramik Green: fish flavor min: photo
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4. Bait Station
To prevent home pets from accidental poison swallowing – use Rat Bait Stations like a triangular-shaped Protecta LP or ‘T’-shaped top-loaded JT Eaton , which you can attach somewhere on a fence or a tree.

Bait Station min: photo
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5. JT Eaton 704-AP: apple flavor
Rats can avoid some tastes or smells. So, you can rotate and mix different slow-acting poison flavors in order to prevent bait shyness, which is typical for rats.

JT Eaton 704-AP: apple flavor min: photo
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6. D-con Rat Poison Bait Station
For small indoor infestation, use an enclosed D-con rat poison bait station with 12 refills. It is considered safer as the least toxic poison: Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3)

D-con Rat Poison Bait Station min: photo
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What you’ll learn from this Guide:

Slow & Fast Acting poisons:

  • First generation – poison kills rodents slowly, there are several days of feeding needed . Warfarin, chlorophacinone, and diphacinone are known as multiple-dose anticoagulants . They have a cumulative effect, so the rodents do not die immediately, rather within a few days. For best results, rats should eat the poisonous bait repeatedly – JT Eaton
  • Second generation – a single feeding is enough (bromadiolone, brodifacoum) – Farnam

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Using poison bait is generally cheaper than trapping because it is less labor-intensive, and they do not need to be checked every day. So it’s more beneficial to use poison bait in big areas and constructions – such as hangers, sheds etc., where other methods are inconvenient to use.

Slow and Fast Rat Poison: What’s the difference?

As you may know, there are three types of rat poison: first-generation anticoagulant, second-generation anticoagulant, and non-anticoagulants. However, they can be further divided into two categories:  fast  and  slow poison. The table below further explains the difference between them, their pros & cons.

SlowFast
JT Eaton Bait min: photo

1st generation anticoagulants:

  • Works by inducing  internal bleeding.
  • Requires  multiple feeding to become lethal. Rats have to gorge on the poison for several days to eventually wander away dying (which can take up to a week).
  • Rats are  unlikely to become trap shy  because multiple exposures to poison prevent them from associating their sickness with it.
  • Because it requires multiple feeding, it is safer  for everyone in the household. Your pets and your children, even if exposed to poison, will be most likely safe, or at least you’ll have plenty of time to save them.
  • Because 1st generation (slow) poison has been around for a long time, rats have developed resistance to warfarin.
  • Antidote:  Vitamin K.
Farnam Just One Bite II Bait Chunks min: photo

2nd generation:

  • Works by inducing  internal bleeding.
  • Requires a  single  feeding to become lethal. However, after exposure rats are dying within 4 days.
  • Rats can develop “ trap shyness ” if they figure out inferior rats are dying because of poison exposure.
  • Rats will most certainly  die.
  • Extremely  dangerous  to humans and pets.
  • Antidote:  Vitamin K.

Non-anticoagulants:

  • Neurotoxin : causes brain swelling and damages to the central nervous system.
  • Kills after a  single  dose. A rat will die within 2 days.
  • Extremely  dangerous  to humans and pets.
  • No antidote.
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Expert Opinion: David Johnson, Professor of Biomedical Sciences, East Tennessee State University

David Johnson

David Johnson , Professor of Biomedical Sciences, East Tennessee State University

David Johnson is a Professor of Biomedical Sciences at East Tennessee State University. His areas of interest include entomology, the structure of proteins, blood proteins, and many more. David Johnson has a number of scientific publications on alpha-1-proteinase inhibitors and the structure and functions of proteins.

“At the University of Wisconsin, the scientists were asked to try to figure out why cows were dying when they were being dehorned. The scientists found out that the cows were eating some spoiled sweet clover that contained this compound called Dicoumarol that is similar in structure to Vitamin K. So knowing that chemistry, they figured out why these cows were dying — because their Vitamin K was not working well . The Wisconsin scientists then developed this compound called Warfarin also known as Coumadin. And Warfarin stands for WARF (Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation). The University of Wisconsin benefited from the patent of Warfarin for a number of years that is used to treat patients and it is an excellent rat poison!The rats tend to eat large amounts of it and they bleed to death or hemorrhage to death.”

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Best Rat and Mouse Poisons

1. JT Eaton 166004 709-PN Bait Block Rodenticide Anticoagulant Bait | Best Slow-Acting

JT Eaton Bait - slow poison: photo

Rats love JT Eaton Bait – this is confirmed by customers. People are quietly leaving their homes, placing rat bait stations with this rat poison bait, and after return they find empty stations. It means that “someone” eats it!

In addition, users use this lure to  get rid of gophers  and squirrels, too – but we recommend placing poison bait with a bait station. This is particularly important because some users complain that after just laying the bait out on the floor, mice ate it and left the harmful (brown) granules of the bait intact, and go away.

Customers also noted that, JT Eaton begins to work very quickly – one girl said that rats in her house started to eat blocks on the first day after placing it at basement, and then they began to disappear gradually. If you want to break JT into pieces, it is easy to make.

By the way, one guy gives a valuable tip to other customers about using JT:  “Remember, the adult rats will feed something new to their young and watch to see how they react to it, before they will eat it themselves. Be patient.” More helpful tips you’ll find here.

The JT Eaton Bait Block rodenticide is a first generation anticoagulant bait.

Active ingredient : Diphacinone – multiple feeding needed.

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2. Farnam Just One Bite II Bait Chunks, 8lbs (64, 2 oz chunks) | Best Fast Acting

Farnam Just One Bite II Bait Chunks - fast poison: photo

In the opinion of customers, rats really love to eat Just One Bite bait. Not only rats – this bar bait will also take care of mice, chipmunks and squirrels, too. Customers noted that this works great: one of them found a dead rat within 12 hours after he placed the bait.

Customers advise to not lose heart if it doesn’t seem to work. You might have to use a larger portion for pesky mice and rats, or use Farnam bait  with a trap for better results – as one of the customers that used it as bait with a couple of old-school snap traps and an electronic mouse trap said it works like a charm for him.

One of the customers said that he purchased this rat poison and left it in the bag in the room. Later he heard a rustling and other strange sounds. It turns out that the rodents found the package with the bait from the smell and badly gnawed the content! “I know you’re supposed to position the poison in the critters pathway but my critter did it for me” , he said.

You’ll probably have to get rid of dead rats from your basement and other places after their lethal feeding. In such a case, we also recommend purchasing one of those long claw grip things people use to pick up trash in order to remove dead rats – such as the Unger 36-Inch Pick-Up Tool .

Active ingredient : Bromadiolone – single feeding needed

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Rat Bait Station | Tomcat & Protecta

To keep your cats or dogs from eating the poison, use bait stations that only rodents can enter. Rat poison baits are used in bait stations, like this.

Tomcat Rat & Mouse Killer Refillable Bait Station: photo

The Tomcat Child & Dog Resistant Station provides a high level of station security and has a see-through window for easy monitoring of bait.

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Protecta LP Rat Bait Stations: photo

Protecta LP is a triangular-shaped “low profile” bait station. It fits in corners and is ideal to use indoors in different tight locations.

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3. MOTOMCO Tomcat Mouse and Rat Liquid Concentrated Bait

In territories where water is in limited supply, a liquid rat poison works great. For example, you can buy Tomcat Liquid Poison Bait .

Tomcat Mouse and Rat Liquid Concentrated Bait: photo

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What to do when rats do not eat poison baits?

Rats are picky and finicky. Thomas Pritchard, associate professor of neural and behavioral sciences at the Penn State College of Medicine, says  that to avoid poisoning a rat “will nibble at the food and walk away”.

It will wait for a day to see if the food makes her sick, and if it does, then the rat will avoid the same flavor, taste, and smell in the future. It means that when rats stop eating your poison baits or don’t touch them altogether, then they are already familiar with either the toxicity of the bait or its unpleasant flavor.

So what should you do? Change the bait as soon as you notice rat avoidance!

You must know that rats and mice are very canny creatures, so if they see that one died from this bait they can reject eating it. So if you see that rats or mice don’t eat it, change the bait.

Mice and rats can learn to identify and avoid toxic baits ; this tendency is known as “bait shyness.” To avoid bait shyness, it may be necessary to prebait (offering rodents similar but non toxic bait prior to applying the toxic bait) an area prior to using toxic baits”, states Utah State University.

Remove all potential sources of food so rats have no choice but to eat the bait. Use only tight-sealed metal containers to store garbage.

What are the right and most effective ways of using rat poison? Where to put it exactly?

Whenever you see rats’ characteristic droppings of feces and urine, these are the exact places you need to put your poison baits.

Train the rats to lean that the baits are safe to eat. Place the baits here and there whenever you see rodent activity but do not insert poison into them. Then after a short while, 2-3 days, place the baits with poison in the evening. Remove the leftovers in the morning. Follow the same routine for the next couple of days (place rodenticide baits in the evening, clean after in the morning). That will ensure most of the rats are poisoned.

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4. Tomcat All Weather Bait Chunx, 4 Lb

Tomcat All Weather Bait Chunx: photo

Tomcat All Weather Bait  is easy to use and works against mice, squirrels, voles, raccoons, chipmunks and other rodents that damage your life.

We found out that this product is just like the rat poison bait that professional exterminators use, but some people think that the 4 lb. is plenty for non-commercial applications. The blocks of bait have holes to insert them onto the steel rods in a bait station, which keeps them away from other animals. You’d better use rat bait stations because we don’t recommend to use Tomcat without one.

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A one-bait bucket lasts most in the summer and fall, and during winter it can last the whole season. Tomcat bait chunks work fast – a lot of people say that they began finding dead rats the next day or within the next week or two, it depends on the stage of rodent infestation in a house or attic. And, it’s enough to deal with rodent problems for a very, very long time:  “Once the immediate problem is resolved, I’ll just leave the bait blocks in place and check them about once a month. If one is eaten, I’ ll replace it at once. No more rats!”

Remember that rats can gather up the blocks and take them back to their nest, where they will die. So you might think that the bait doesn’t work, because you don’t see the rats’ corpses.

Active ingredient : Diphacinone – multiple feeding needed

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5. Neogen Ramik Green Fish Flavored Weather Resistant Rodenticide Nuggets

Neogen Ramik Green Fish Flavored Weather Resistant Rodenticide Nuggets: photo

As a weather resistant rodenticide with fish flavor you can choose slow acting poison Ramik Bars or Neogen Ramik Green Nuggets , made of 1st generation anticoagulant: Diphacinone (.005%)

It is suitable for use in wet and damp areas.

As a part of Neogen’s 4-step rodent control program it is used to control House mouse (Mus musculus), Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus), Roof rat (Rattus rattus), Cotton rats (Sigmodon hispidus)*, Eastern harvest mouse (Reithrodontomys humuli)*, Golden mouse (Ochrotomys nuttalli)*, Polynesian rat (Rattus exulans)*, and Meadow vole (Microtus pennsylvanicus)*, White-throated woodrat (Neotoma albigula)*, Southern plains woodrat (Neotoma micropus)*, Mexican woodrat (Neotoma mexicana)*.

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6. d-CON Rodenticide Rodent and Mouse Bait Station Corner Fit

D-Con Ready Mix Rat and Mouse Killer: photo

This is an old and proven killer of rats. This package contains one refillable corner fit bait station, 12 Bait Refills. Just place it in the approximate area where you saw the rodents.

As customers noted, D-Con Rat & Mouse Bait works on mice and rats (especially on horrible “Norweigen Warf Rats”), squirrels and chipmunks. If you want to destroy rats to the bitter end, you need to keep giving them more poison bait until they all die.

Look at the common customer’s review: “My husband has been using this brand for a few years now to deter some rats that tend to live in the attic. It does help a lot, just have to make sure once use, you have to regularly check the attic for potential issues of possibly finding dead rats.”

By the way, there are a lot of other useful tips among users’ feedback:

  1. Normally the activity of the mice increases in early November – be ready!
  2. You can mix it with peanut butter.
  3. Users give a tip not to resort to other methods of getting rid of rats (exterminator’s ways or glue traps, for example) at the same time as using D-Con Ready Mix Killer , they can stunt the bait’s effectiveness.

Active ingredient : Brodifacoum.

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Rat & Mouse Poison Baits Comparison Table




one
First Strike Soft Bait RAT/MICE Rodenticide Poison – 16 LBS 6666325


  • Can’t ship to CA
  • A New Concept Soft Bait Rodenticide for us in areas of high infestation or when competing food sources exist.
  • This product is a 10-gram pouch, containing the active ingredient difethialone, and designed for use in bait stations..FirstStrike can be used like traditional bait blocks, being fixed on the vertical or horizontal bars of a bait station.








3
18 Lbs Rat Mouse Rodent Bait Blocks Poison Bait Not For Sale To California


  • 18LB Buckets
  • NOT FOR SALE TO: AK, CA, HI
  • EPA Registration: 12455-79








four
d-CON Refillable Corner Fit Mouse Poison Bait Station, 1 Trap + 12 Bait Refills


  • This is our safest bait station, and is resistant to tampering by children & dogs.
  • Compact design & low profile bait station helps reduce house mice problems.
  • Weather-resistant, and can be used indoors or outdoors.
  • Can be used in tight places around the house.
  • Ideal for: attics, behind appliances, basements, garages and sheds.








5
Kaput Rat Mouse Vole Bait – 32 Place Packs 61305


  • Warfarin – .025% The bait is formulated with warfarin – a highly effective anticoagulant with very low environmental and secondary toxicity making it a very good pest control product.
  • This may only be used inside and within 50 feet of buildings or inside transport vehicles (ships, trains or aircraft).
  • For best performance, remove other food sources from the area.Rats: 2 – 8 placepacks per bait placement in intervals of 15 – 30 feet in infested areas.-Maintain a 10 day supply of bait.Mice: Open pack and apply 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of bait per placement at intervals of 8 to 12 feet.-Maintain a fresh supply of bait for 15 days.Voles: Open pack and load one ounce (half of a pack) of bait into each bait station.-Situate bait stations near runways, burrow openings or plants that.








6
MOTOMCO Tomcat Mouse and Rat Liquid Concentrated Bait, 1.68-Ounce, (8 Pack)


  • 8-pack, 1.68 oz.Rat/Mouse bait.
  • Not for use in residential settings.
  • Do not use outdoors.
  • Active ingredient: diphacinone.
  • Effective liquid bait for the control of both rats and mice.
  • Gives exceptional control of rodents under dry conditions.
  • Size-1.68 OUNCE/8PK.
  • effective liquid bait for the control of both rats and mice.
  • Size-1.68 OUNCE/8PK.








7
Kaput Rat Mouse Vole Bait – 60 Place Packs 61110


  • Warfarin – .025% The bait is formulated with warfarin – a highly effective anticoagulant with very low environmental and secondary toxicity making it a very good pest control product.
  • This may only be used inside and within 50 feet of buildings or inside transport vehicles (ships, trains or aircraft).
  • For best performance, remove other food sources from the area.Rats: 2 – 8 placepacks per bait placement in intervals of 15 – 30 feet in infested areas.-Maintain a 10 day supply of bait.Mice: Open pack and apply 1/4 to 1/2 ounce of bait per placement at intervals of 8 to 12 feet.-Maintain a fresh supply of bait for 15 days.Voles: Open pack and load one ounce (half of a pack) of bait into each bait station.-Situate bait stations near runways, burrow openings or plants that voles have.








eight
MOTOMCO Jaguar Mouse and Rat Bait Chunx/Pail, 9-Pound


  • 9 lb.Rodent bait.
  • Extremely powerful.
  • For agricultural/rural use Only.
  • Item Package Dimensions: 10.0″ L x 10.0″ W x 10.0″ H.








9
Neogen Havoc Rodenticide Rat & Mouse Bait Pellet Pack, 8 lb. Pail


  • One Of A Kind: Second generation anticoagulant—the strongest available.
  • Target Rodents: May kill both rats and mice in a single night’s feeding.
  • Multiple Sizes Available: Available in pellets, blocks, and Meal Bait configurations.
  • Effective and Safe: Havoc Attack contains Bitrex, a child and nontarget deterrent.
  • Proven Formula: Havoc Attack Blocks are formulated specifically for use by livestock producers offering high palatability and acceptance.








ten
JT Eaton 166004 709-PN Bait Block Rodenticide Anticoagulant Bait, Peanut Butter Flavor, for Mice and Rats (9 lb Pail of 144), Green


  • Anticoagulant block bait with specially formulated peanut butter flavor that attracts and eliminates mice and rats.
  • Active ingredient Diphacinone (0.005-percent) efficiently eliminates smaller rodents.
  • 144 1-ounce rodenticide blocks in a tamper evident resealable pail.
  • Pail measures 10-1/2-inches length by 10-1/2-inches width by 10-1/4-inches height.
  • Comes with a 1-year limited.





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Rat Poison & Pets (Dogs, Cats)

There are no pet-safe poisons, as all of them are created to kill rodents. Be very careful: rodenticide poisoning may occur when your pet swallows such bait.

Please be very careful using this bait if you have a dog. Your dog may not be able to get into the bait station, but rodents have a tendency to want to hide these baits all around the backyard.

In order your cats or dogs do not eat it in the yard by chance, you may string it up with a strong wire between a couple of fences, for example, or hide pieces of bait in landscape rocks or other places where pets can’t get – and then wait for dead rats.

“Just use it carefully in garages and attics — places where your kids and pets aren’t going to find it and sample it. It’s possible that a dying rat or mouse will exit and be eaten by another animal (though if you live in an urban area, the chance is low compared to a rural location) — but my experience is that most will die near the location where you used this. Not a pleasant smell for a few days (which is why I won’t use in an attic, only in a garage or storage building, where I don’t have to contend with the odor)”.

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How to Use Poisons: Rules & Tips

  1. Do not disregard steps for prevention: take away the garbage, always use tightly sealed metal containers for both trash and food, do not leave pet foodstuff overnight, seal up holes and cracks in the house, use repellents.
  2. Use  bait stations  that only rodents can access.
  3. Use different bait stations for mice and rats: rats are bigger than mice, thus require bigger stations.
  4. Wear gloves to prevent your smell on the bait.
  5. Choose products that are ready to use.
  6. Choose low-risk pesticides over high-risk.
  7. Always follow the instructions of use and disposal provided by the manufacturer.
  8. Store it in original container.
  9. If accidental exposure occurs,  call 911  immediately.

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Pros & Cons of Slow Poison

Pros
  • Safe for humans and pets (you essentially “buy time” to save your loved ones since no one can die after a single exposure).
  • Rats are unlikely to become trap shy.
  • Rats most likely to wander away to die off the premises of your house.
  • There is a known antidote, it’s Vitamin K.
Cons
  • Rats acclimate and become resistant to most of the 1st generation poisons.
  • Requires a lot of time to kill rodents, thus there’s a possibility that they won’t die at all.

Pros & Cons of Fast Poison

Pros
  • Requires a single dose to become lethal.
  • Rats will certainly die.
  • Antidote: Vitamin K.
Cons
  • Rats will die within 2-4 days (not in a minute).
  • Rats will most likely die on your property (possibility of dead rat smell).
  • Dangerous to humans and pets.
  • Rats can become trap shy.
  • For neurotoxin there’s no known antidote.

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What to look for when buying?

  • Size : for large rat populations choose a bucket of poison. If you have rats here and there, occasionally, then choose bait stations
  • Ingredients : if you have children and pets in your household, then opt for a safer poison (1st generation), or choose other alternative elimination methods
  • Choose the approved rodenticide. If you want to check if it has been approved by the EPA, then check it in the Pesticide Product and LabelSystem .

Poison Effectiveness: when rodenticide is better than other pest control methods?

Poison is never better than other pest control methods. It endangers biodiversity, put at risk your loved ones, and contaminates groundwater and soil.

However, if you are aware of the risks that pesticides entail and are still willing to take them. Then there are a couple of cases that can justify the use of poison:

  • All other methods have failed to work.
  • You have a large rat infestation that damages your crops, vegetation, and property.
  • Rats put in danger your children.
  • Rats put your health at risk.
  • You want to exterminate most of the rat population before you switch to more safe and humane methods.

Rat Poison Symptoms & First Aid

Common symptoms are the same in both humans and pets. Please, watch out for these and call 911 or Poison Control for Humans at 1-800-222-1222 and Animals at 1-888-426-4435 whenever you see these symptoms in others or experience them yourself:

  • Anorexia: appetite loss.
  • Impaired movement or vision.
  • Blood in stool and vomit, nosebleeds, bleeding gums.
  • paralysis.
  • Weakness and fatigue.
  • Seizures.
  • hair or fur loss.
  • Shortness of breath.

Some of the symptoms may take time to develop: from a few hours to a few days.

Poisons and pets: First aid

Whenever you see your pet suffer the symptoms described above, call Animal Poison Control immediately. Unfortunately, there’s nothing you can do at home to help your pet. Your pet might require prolongation treatment with Vitamin K .

Poison and humans: First aid

Call 911, Poison Control, or your doctor and receive first recommendations as to what you can take and do to help you deal with the first symptoms. Some of the meds the docs that advise you to take can be charcoal and syrup of ipecac . However, do not take any medication if not directed by professional. Charcoal may not work for some poisons or even make things worse. Vitamin K shots might be also necessary for full recovery.

What precautions should I take when using rat poison?

The following precautions are necessary for safe use of poison at home:

  • Store it in original container.
  • Always use gloves when applying poison and wash hands immediately afterwards.
  • Do not handle baits near foodstuff.
  • Use bait stations to prevent pets and children from accessing them.

FAQ

How to protect my pets against poison?
Use bait stations: This way, your pets won’t be able to access it.

If my dog ​​or cat eats a dead poisoned rat, will my pet die? Or does poison break down within the rat’s body?
Yes, there’s a risk of secondary poisoning. So whenever you think your pet consumed a dead rodent, please, call Animal Poison Control immediately.

Can I place a poisoned bait into a regular rat trap?
Yes, you can, but we do not recommend doing it. Your dog can access the bait and die, your child can be exposed to the poison, and suffer as well. So please use special bait stations to ensure no one in your household gets hurt.

What’s the difference between different colors of rat poison?
There’s no color coding standard for rat baits, but generally, the color indicates the main ingredient in it.

Which other pests can I kill using rat poison?
You can kill any pests with rodenticide. Anyone who consumes it can die.

Is rat poison a chemical hazard? Is it legal?
Of course. That is why it’s called a pesticide, and controlled by the EPA. Yes, it is legal. But using it to kill other animals is illegal.

Using Poisons on the Poultry Farm

Poultry houses and livestock barns are very attractive for rats for reasons that they provide places to hide and nest, abundance of water and food. Rats will eat and contaminate poultry feed, cause multiple physical damage to building structures, equipment, and electrical wiring.

There are several things you can do to control a rodent population:

1.   Prevention and sanitation: prevent rats from accessing the barns and poultry houses by sealing the cracks and holes shut. Employ good housekeeping practices: clean the barns and coops frequently and carefully, mow the grass and keep the trash away in the sealed metal containers, get rid of the garbage, sawdust, and clutter to prevent opportunities for nesting.

2.   Rodenticides. Contrary to popular belief, rat poison is allowed for use in poultry farms and recommended as an effective method of controlling rodents by Mississippi State University biologists. However, please exercise extreme caution to accidental prevention and secondary livestock poisoning.

Tips for using poison on the poultry farm:

  • Use ready-made products.
  • Follow the instructions carefully.
  • Prebaiting period is necessary for the rats to get used to its safety.
  • Number of bait stations must directly correlate to the degree of rat infestation on your farm: the larger the rat population, the more baits you need.
  • Ensure you put the baits wherever you’ve seen the rodent activity: if you fail to place the baits everywhere the rats travel, they’ll just migrate to a safer place without the poison.
  • Remove all other sources of food: check for poultry feed spills regularly and remove them as soon as you notice.
  • Change poison baits frequently: use different baits with different active ingredients and flavors, rotate them over time.
  • Use gloves to prevent your smell on the bait and for extra protection against the poison.
  • Use different bait stations for mice and rats: rats are bigger than mice, thus require bigger stations.
  • Ask your poultry supply store for any recommendations.

Yes, poisons kill rodents. But you don’t know what place to die they will choose. Dying rodents are looking for a place to die, and you are lucky if they go away. But perhaps it will happen in your home or backyard, then you will find a nasty surprise –  dead rat smell . (If it bothers you, read  “How to get rid of dead rat smell” ).

FAQ about Poison Bait

Can I use the rat poison bait inside a house? How to do this best?
Yes, Havoc Rat & Mice bait can be used indoors. You may either scatter the granules around, or just open the packet and place it where the rats are likely to run.

There are mice in my attic. Shall I leave the bait in there? It is rather difficult for me to get into the attic, so I am afraid that the smell of dead mice will trouble my family afterwards.
The chief advantage of this bait action is that after being eaten by mice or rats it causes great dehydration in their bodies and they are eager to find the source of water or die. As a rule, they manage to leave the house – but if not, you won’t notice any strong smell. So you can leave the bait in the attic.

How long is the shelf life of the product?
You need not be worried about this: Havoc bait may be kept as long as 4 or 5 years and this period will not impact its efficiency as the packets are sealed safely.

Does Havoc Bait work on rats and mice with the same effect?
Yes, in practice the bait attracts and kills both mice and rats.

What Is The Best Rat and Mouse Bait for Traps?

There are a lot of options to choose from, and you should also know how to lure the pests in effectively. For the  rat trap , you should choose the best bait that will work effectively on rodents in your region. This is a necessary step, because if the bait does not attract rats, they will never go for it and you’ll be left with an empty rat trap and persistent problem.

Have you heard about the great  rat eradication ? It’s an example of large campaign which directed to getting rid of rats in huge numbers. We hope that there are people amongst you who just have a small rat infestation – you can use organic baits for rat traps in order to eliminate some rats.

You can choose any of the natural baits for rat traps below:

  • Peanut butter : It’s actually more effective than cheese, as we see in cartoons. Rats are very attracted to peanut butter.
  • Chocolate : Sweet chocolate definitely entices rats to come out of their places of rest and try to get some candy.
  • Bread : Plain bread or bread with a little butter on it is very effective for baiting rats.
  • String : A string is a nesting material attracts rats significantly. They use it to make their nests and keep warm. This will be an incentive to come to the rat bait.
  • Cotton : Cotton is another nesting material that can be used to attract rats.

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26 thoughts on “Killing rats and mice with rat poison [UPDATED 2022] Buyer’s Guide”

  1. I live in my own house and I cannot say that I have big problem with rat. But sometimes I see 2-3 rats and, surely, it is not normal. I bought here JT Eaton 709-PN Bait Block to stop rats in my house and to prevent appearing of new one. But I am afraid about my cat – Is it die, if it will eat this block?

  2. Beware!!! kills the hawks and owls that eat the sick or dead mice and the creatures that eat the dead birds or mice, including cats, raccoon, fox. By killing the hawks and owls etc… we are killing the rodents natural predators that also die as slow, gruesome death.

    1. C.J. Are you referring to once particular rat poison brand or all of them. We have a rat problem but don’t want to harm wildlife.

    2. CJ… your statement is without warrant and not true with most poisons. After ingestion of the poison it is broke down and rendered safe. Plus the fact only a small amount enough to kill the rodent is on board.

      Research before you report.

      1. Any rat or mouse poison can kill a cat , dog, or wildlife, there is no safe amount to ingest without possible harm to an animal, especially one that dehydrates as severely as this product does. The precautions alone for usage is enough to scare some one from using the product, even if you pick up this product without gloves, it can deliver the poison through the skin of a human.This product can last a long time , just because the mouse or rat is dead , does not mean the poison is no longer effective in the dead mouse.

      2. This total nonsense, sorry. It is dangerous to ALL creatures that eat rodents. Period. The only exception is Zinc phosphide.

  3. I really need to try this stuff but I am very afraid to. I have a chi mix that is a mouse killing machine if he sees a mouse.. but he also eats the mice. I try to get him to stop eating them as they carry disease some times but he runs and tears it apart and eats it so fast I cannot stop him.I sure do not want him to get a mouse that has been poisoned. I think he likes mice meat better than dog or people food and the thrill of the hunt is very appealing to him also. I just don’t know what to do but one thing is for sure, I have to get rid of the mice without killing my 11 year old chi.

  4. We have a mouse problem and I have no problem with poison bait. Those who insist people use humane methods either A) They dont have a mouse problem. Or B) They have yet to discover how expensive and totally ineffective they are. We bought 3 different ‘live traps’, two of them were too short and their tails held the trap door open so the little critters ate the peanut butter and made a U turn. The other trap they wouldn’t even enter, so my advice to anyone going through this sleepless (Because they are very active at night, as you toss and turn wondering what the little savages are gnawing through.) save your money and just GET THE POISON !

  5. so if rats eat some poison, they live outside under our deck, barn and sheds. Mostly tree rats as I can see, if they eat the poison and die and our dogs find the dead ones how likely will it be for the dogs to get sick or even die?

  6. Simple way I kill Rats is I mix equal parts of plaster of Paris & flour mix well add a very small amount of cooking oil this attracts rats. Leave in a small plastic bag close to where you have seen Rats or rat Poo. When they eat this simple mixture it sets solid inside the rat it will die with in minutes of eating this tasty last meal & no poison in the dead rat to harm any other animal that may eat it.

    1. As far as I know, there are two types of poison: slow-acting and fast-acting once. In general poisons affect a rodent’s nervous system once ingested, then they paralyze the animal and it dies.

    1. Again, there are two types of bait: non-toxic and obviously, toxic. I believe that tomcat is the best mouse bait of them. It’s my personal opinion but I formed it after reading many reviews and threads and dashboards. I would also like to emphasize havoc bait which is one of the market leaders as well.

    1. I can say that this poison is quite old and it has long been on the market. When it comes to its effectiveness, it is just as helpful as such market leaders as havoc. I personally used decon when I had rodents in my pantry. We stored wheat there and successfully got rid of the pests with the help of this poison. I think it’s an excellent rat killer.

  7. Thumbs up to the previous poster regarding the de con rat poison. We used it in our country house. Naturally, there were some rodents there and we started considering ways to remove them. We opted for poison and de con caught our attention. I won’t rant as there is enough information about this poison; all I am going to say is that we loved the result. I truly recommend it.

  8. I have recently come across a thread where rodent poisons were discussed. Someone shared their opinion that smoked sausages are the best bait for mice, what do you think about that? This was something unexpected for me!)

  9. my mice has been feeding for about a week and they are still feeding. it said ust one bite but I feel I’m only feeding them. I hate meces to pieces, help. I live in an apartment

  10. I have a camp in the mountains and mice do get in. I’ve used the d-con bait trays and boxes with the granules. As it turns out the trays and boxes were cleaned out within a couple of days and I found the granules stored all over the camp. In boxes, between the sheets in the bunk beds and various other places that were out of the way (where they hide). This was not acceptable for me so I use traps. That way I know I got them. I’ve had great success with Tom Cat mouse traps baited with their liquid bait that comes in a small squeeze plastic bottle. It costs about $5 but it works great. Seem they can’t resist it. It works a lot better than peanut butter. It’s an on going battle but seems I’m winning.

    1. I did not find this information on the package. But I bought a lot of packages, and used them for several years, and the bait worked!

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