Poison and rodents

There is a rodent in your house and chances are that its presence is driving you insane. In the last bit to get rid of it, after virtually trying everything, you plan to poison the little bugger. However, you’re concerned. What exactly happens right after? Will the rodent drop dead? Or as the popular tale that has been around for a while dictates, the rodent will consume the poison and get very thirsty and look for water before they die. So what exactly is the truth and what exactly is fiction, and what exactly happens in the whole process? – Let’s find out.

What are rodenticides?

The technical term for rat poison, are substances produced with the sole aim of killing rodents, such as rats. Rodents incline never to eat a substance whole in one go. They have an evolutionary adaptation which makes them have a piece of something, wait and see if it affects them, and then have it again if there is no bad effect. This is parallel to vomiting in us humans, which is the body’s adaption to throw out food which it thinks is bad. For this reason, multiple doses of rodenticides are needed to kill rats.

Cons of rodenticides

Rodenticides are directly toxic to any mammal that consumes them, such as dogs, cats, rabbits and even humans! Therefore, if you’re using rat poison and have a toddler in the house as well, it is risky business and an outright threat to the baby. Furthermore, rodenticides also post a major threat to scavengers. Rodents who have died via this method may be further consumed by scavengers. The gradual accumulation of rodenticide in the scavenger via the consumption of the rodent may pose a threat to the food chain.

Different types of poisons.

There are notably three different types of rat poison. Anti-coagulants, metal phosphides and hypercalcemia. Anti-coagulants are responsible for the disruption of the Vitamin K cycle, which makes it impossible to produce important blood-clotting factors. Metal phosphides are used as a fast-killing poison. Their method of action is total consumption and the consequent production of toxic gases in the stomach of the rodent, such as phosphine. The last one is an assortment of Vitamin D, D3 and D2 since they are toxic to rodents.

Addressing the myth

There is a certain myth that after consuming poison, rats get thirsty, go and die outside. This myth is false, and there is no scientific evidence to back it up. The reason this myth was believed was due to the delayed effect of the poison since the rat doesn’t die on the spot and generally moves about, often outside the house as well, before dying.

Free Wildlife Removal Quote

Animals in Attic Critter Trapping Rat / Mouse Control Bat / Bird Control Snake Removal

Brands We Use

Business Hours

Mon8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Tue8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Wed8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Thu8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Fri8:00 A.M. - 7:00 P.M.

Sat9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Sun9:00 A.M. - 5:00 P.M.

Our Guarantee

We strive for complete customer satisfaction, and stand by our work! We guarantee all our exclusion and prevention home repairs against new animal entry into the home or attic. Call us for more details.