# Rat Poison **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 14, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rat-poison/168555 "2003-04-14T04:14:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rat-poison/168555/1 "2003-04-14T04:14:59Z")
We have a house guest. My lights blew out about a week and a half ago and the electrician diagnosed critter-chawed wires. Directly thereafter, Ringo Radar[sup]TM[/sup] picked up a little [sub]skritch-skritch-skritch[/sub] in the corner of the living room. In the interest of hospitality, I’ve been endeavoring to feed him or her nightly. I’ve been using JT Eaton Bait Blocks which, besides the nuts and grain, pack something called Bitrex (apparently a brand name) as dessert. Well, this little sucker has now been through almost two boxes of the stuff. Cleans his plate every night. Does the stuff work? I figure: a.) this little dude’s immune to it, b.) I’m killing’em off, but attracting new ones by putting out what looks like a good spread or c.) 10 days ago we had eight or nine rats and now we’re down to three or so. Scoop, TM? ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rat-poison/168555/2 "2003-04-14T04:39:15Z")
Like many rat poisons, the stuff you’re using is an anticoagulant. This may take several days to kill all of your rats (they slowly bleed to death either internally or externally). Details of the active chemicals and their effects are [here](http://www.jteaton.com/jteaton/New%20Site%202/Pages/msdshtml/5623msds.html) If they’re eating it, then it shouldn’t be long till they’re dead. ---
**Author:** ![Rabid\_Squirrel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e0b2c6/32.png) [@Rabid\_Squirrel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rabid_Squirrel)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rat-poison/168555/3 "2003-04-14T04:45:23Z")
Causes death through internal bleeding as it inhibits blood clotting. [Link](http://www.fbbfs.org/poisoning.html) [[http://www.abcbirds.org/pesticides/Profiles/brodifacoum.htm](http://www.abcbirds.org/pesticides/Profiles/brodifacoum.htm)] and here too Supposedly better than warfarin based posions. Try traps baited with household foods, occasionally messy, but effective. Bitrex is an industrial additive to prevent kiddies from eating it. Is also used in laundry chemicals such as ‘Friend’. It’s harmless, but very bitter and gag inducing (I did try a pinpick worth of Friend Stain Removed, yes, Bitrex works). ---
**Author:** ![Motog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85e7bf/32.png) [@Motog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motog)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rat-poison/168555/4 "2003-04-14T04:46:59Z")
p.s. from memory the reason anti-coagulants are used rather than other types of poisins is because rats give off a warning signal when they die that discourages other rats from approaching. I can’t recall the details but seem to remember they produce an odour or scent that warns other rats away. Does anyone else have the details? ---
**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rat-poison/168555/5 "2003-04-14T04:50:50Z")
You think Botrex is bad in stain remover? When I was a QC tech at a company that made janitorial products, I had to sample and test incoming lots of that stuff. ONE MOLECULE of that crap landing on the tongue made it impossible to eat lunch (damn stuff would float around for hours looking for a victim). ---
**Author:** ![zoogirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/b9bd4f/32.png) [@zoogirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoogirl)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rat-poison/168555/6 "2003-04-14T05:04:22Z")
Ohh, that stuff’s nasty. If you ever saw a poisoned rat, you wouldn’t use it. Of course I’m too soft hearted for my own good sometimes. I’d stick with good old snap-traps. Quick, effective and you know where the rat ended up. I know the poison is supposed to dry the rat out, but who wants to take the chance? We had one keel over under the bathtub last summer, where it was inaccesable. Reeked for days - NOT a pleasant experiance! I find peanut butter works very well on the traps. By the way, my wild rat, Chewy, lives in the computer room. Her cage is facing away from the monitor, but those little suckers are SMART. Hope she doesn’t notice what I’ve written… ---
**Author:** ![viking](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/bc79bd/32.png) [@viking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/viking)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/rat-poison/168555/7 "2003-04-14T06:06:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by zoogirl \* > \*\* and you know where the rat ended up. I know the poison is supposed to dry the rat out, but who wants to take the chance? \*\* I’ll second this part. I was over at a friend’s place for dinner, sitting around on the couch, and shoved a cushion aside when a somewhat stiff and dessicated mouse fell out from behind it. My friend’s reaction was ``Ah, that’s where he went…’’ Not that I really minded any, but she was quite relieved it was me rather than some of her more squeamish friends 😃