# Bromethalin rat poison - need answer fast **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849 "2015-09-28T17:14:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/1 "2015-09-28T17:14:50Z")
The rodents in our antique house have exceeded our ability to turn a blind eye. The Ratcatcher wants to put down Top Gun bromethalin rat poison. He says the cats and dog won’t come to any harm if they eat the dead rodents. Is this true? The bromthalin traps themselves will be behind the fridge where the pets can’t reach. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/2 "2015-09-28T17:40:25Z")
Based on a quick Google, YES THEY CAN BE HARMED by eating dead rats. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/3 "2015-09-28T17:41:27Z")
If you can’t deal with the daily grind of snap traps, you could get your house tented for termites. That should kill pretty much any living thing. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/4 "2015-09-28T18:58:40Z")
Hmm. I hadn’t thought of termite tenting … that’s safe for animals down the food chain? It’s not so much that I can’t deal with snap traps as that I don’t know how many rodents we’re talking about, here, and I’m not sure how many traps I’d need and so on. It sounds like there’s a three ring circus going on in our kitchen and our current feline roommates could not be less interested. Also, we need help moving the appliances to try and find their method of ingress. The exterminator helped with that. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/5 "2015-09-28T21:05:09Z")
Well, Vikane leaves no residue. Not sure about consumption of a rat killed by Vikane. But the rats will either die in inaccessible places, in which case you’ll have to live with some smells or stay out of the house for a few more days; or if the rats crawl out to die, you’ll see them and can dispose of them before your animals come back in. Snap traps are a chore, but you don’t have to worry about the poison aspect–though you do have to put them where your pets can’t get to them. Not sure how easy that is for you. This kind is effective and much easier to set than the “classic” style: [http://www.homedepot.com/p/Victor-Power-Kill-Rat-Trap-M144/100558611](http://www.homedepot.com/p/Victor-Power-Kill-Rat-Trap-M144/100558611) ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/6 "2015-09-28T21:06:42Z")
PS, I am not an exterminator, but I have trapped rats. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2015, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/7 "2015-09-28T22:34:03Z")
> [@Merneith](#): > > It sounds like there’s a three ring circus going on in our kitchen and our current feline roommates could not be less interested. Try feeding the cats less. Much less. They’ll get interested. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/8 "2015-09-29T00:42:33Z")
Second the trap suggested by **TSBG**. They are good for several uses, and they are easy to release the dead rat. I just toss mine in a bucket of bleach solution between uses. Load them up with peanut butter mixed with coconut oil for bait. ---
**Author:** ![newme](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e0b2c6/32.png) [@newme](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/newme)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 5:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/9 "2015-09-29T05:51:36Z")
The trouble with using rat poison is a poisoned rat will often end up dying in the wall somewhere and stinking up the whole house for a few weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Merneith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Merneith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Merneith)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/10 "2015-09-29T19:12:46Z")
Thanks for the responses. I’m not happy about any of this. This house is ancient and we live in a fairly rural part of town. The occasional rodent is just part of the landscape, here, but once they built a nest behind the kitchen appliances, I’m afraid Steps Had To Be Taken. I believe they got the last laugh, though, because now our refrigerator fan is dying. I suspect something got screwed up yesterday. I’ve got all but a few rooms closed off to keep the pets away, in case they find a corpse before we do. Poor little ratties. I’m sorry, guys. I hate being the predator. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/11 "2015-09-29T19:21:38Z")
I just paid $500 to get a car repaired after a rat decided to make a home underneath it. Don’t feel bad. Kill every rat that you can. ---
**Author:** ![TSBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/77aa72/32.png) [@TSBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TSBG)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2015, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/12 "2015-09-29T20:36:29Z")
In all likelihood the rats destroyed your fridge. Don’t feel bad. ---
**Author:** ![Graymalkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/35a633/32.png) [@Graymalkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Graymalkin)\ **Post date:** [October 1, 2015, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bromethalin-rat-poison-need-answer-fast/732849/13 "2015-10-01T01:25:22Z")
> [@TSBG](#): > > In all likelihood the rats destroyed your fridge. Don’t feel bad. Don’t put poison out unless you know your cats can’t get it and keep track of each and every packet that you or the exterminator put out. Cats will eat it and it will kill them.