How does rat poison work?

Rats live in a number of environments and typically only use your home for shelter and food. They also reproduce quickly, so if you don’t get rid of them fast, you’re at risk of a large rat population moving into your home.

If you’ve recently seen a rat in or around your home, a number of things may be going through your head. Is there more than one? Where are they coming from? What are the eating? And most importantly, how do I get rid of them?

When trying to remove a large population of rats, many instinctually think of poisons first. While this method may be appealing due to its large blanketed strategy, there are many things you should know before you decide to use poisons to eliminate pests. Take a few minutes to learn how rat poisons work and how it can have a larger impact on your community and environment.

Why rat poison isn’t always effective

Many people, especially those who seek professional pest control, believe that poison is an effective method to rid their homes of rats. For professionals, rodenticides are an important tool to rodent control. However, when used carelessly rat poison poses a threat not only pets, non-targeted wildlife, and children. This is because firstly because of its attractiveness to animals and young children.

Many rodenticides are brightly colored and sweet tasting so the rats feed on them long enough to be effective. You can already see how this could be an issue if not handled with the utmost care around children and other animals.

Secondly, when rats consume rat poison, they don't always die right away. They may run away to another location, die and then be scavenged by another animal or pet, passing on the poison to their scavenger.

Rat poison is terribly inhumane and causes suffering for the rodent and the potential of exposure to other species.

How rat poison works

There are several types of rat poisons, or as they are known professionally, rodenticides. Overall, the purpose of rodenticides is to bait the pests into eating them, causing them to slowly die. Since rats are crafty, commercial companies create palatable poisons to keep them coming back. This is where the sweet tasting and brightly colored pellets come into play. They are disguised as a tasty treat for the rat, but pack dangerous ingredients.

Rat poisons come with many different ingredients and several different methods to kill rats. Perhaps the most popular (and one of the most cruel) versions are known as anticoagulants. Anticoagulants prevent rats blood from clotting, eventually killing them from within. Depending on the concentration of the poison, the rat can experience symptoms for days or die within one day of consumption.

Of course, the effectiveness of poison depends on a number of factors. For instance, you have to place the poison where you notice signs of rodents. If you don’t place them in familiar places, it’s unlikely they’ll even be able to find the bait. Chances are something eventually will. If you choose to use poison, it's vital to keep a close eye on the pellets you lay out.

Sometimes, you believe you have a mouse problem instead of a rat problem. Based on its size, a rat can eat more than a mouse. Calculating the proper amount of bait for a rat versus a mouse can also become confusing — especially with multiple pests.

Most importantly, rodents will avoid the poison if they find other food sources. If you're too busy to constantly clean your home, you leave trace amounts of food that may appeal to the rodents more than the poison, making it ineffective.

Common rodenticide side effects

Rodenticides are extremely toxic for animals, so by using poison, you run the risk of your cat or dog accidentally eating the pellets. Common signs of rodenticide poisoning in your pet include:

• Oral and nasal bleeding
• Internal bleeding
• Muscle pain and weakness
• Trouble breathing
• Coma

Based on how toxic rodenticides are for mammals, your pet's life could be at risk. To avoid severe complications, seek veterinary care immediately.

Your family is also at risk of rodenticide poisoning. If it only comes in contact with the skin, you’re likely to experience irritation. However, when this poison is ingested, you can experience nose bleeds, as well as many other serious side effects. If you notice any unusual signs, immediately go to the hospital.

Poison is inhumane and dangerous.

Rodents are pests once they’re in your home. However, they serve a purpose to our ecosystem. Oftentimes, rats bring seeds underground and save them to eat at a later time. When they relocate, they leave the seeds, which later grow into new vegetation. Not to mention they’re a food source for many predators. Poisoning rats is an inhumane way to them to die. Depending on how fast they ingest the poison, they’re slowly bleeding to death and in suffering. If their predators eat the poisoned rats, they have a higher likelihood of a slow death themselves.

The same applies to your pets. If your cat or dog eats a poisoned rat, they’re likely to experience secondary poisoning. So, you’ll either have a the risk of your pet dying or you’ll have to pay expensive veterinary bills.

Goodnature A24

When it comes to finding the perfect pest control, you should consider using non-toxic traps. Goodnature offers quick-kill traps that work automatically immediately after setup. Best of all, they don’t use harmful toxins, which means your pets aren’t at risk for being poisoned. Just be sure to follow the proper instructions for optimal results.

Goodnature rat traps have 24 resets for every gas canister. These specialty traps also come with an Automatic Lure Pump, which ensures up to six months of lures. Also, these traps work immediately, so your pests don't die a slowly and suffer.

Whether you want to prevent an infestation in or outside of your home, automatic traps are effective in every weather condition. You can place them on your porch, behind furniture, in openings, or spots that you notice droppings indoors. Best of all, these products are built to last, so you don't have to repeatedly buy them like traditional rodent traps or poison.

Nobody wants a rat infestation in their home. Aside from being inconvenient, rodents carry diseases and track them into your house. By simply touching your countertops or floors, they leave bacteria and residue that can otherwise come in contact with your skin or body and cause sickness.

On the other hand, you don’t want to endanger your family or pets to get rid of a rat or mouse. It’s best to invest in a quick-kill, fast-acting luring trap to keep your home safe and clean. Rather than using poisons, try using an automatic trap. After setting them up, automatic traps work independently to rid your house of pests.