5 Best Rat Poisons [2022 GUIDE]
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Welcome to the best rat poisons review and guide to help make your purchase decisions easier.
Most Effective Rat Poison:
Just-One-Bite II Rat & Mouse Poison Bait
Finding an effective rodenticide is a hit-or-miss, but the Just-One-Bite poison bait stands out for being lethal to the toughest rats and the consistent result it gives.
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Best Rat Poison for Indoors:
JT Eaton 704-AP Apple Flavor Rodenticide Bait
The JT Eaton rodenticide contains Diphacinone, like most rat baits, but it is apple-flavored and more attractive. It is ideal for baiting indoors in bait stations.
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Best Rat Poison for Outdoors:
Tomcat All-Weather Bait Chunx
It is moisture-resistant and a suitable bait for the rats outdoors. Still, bait station setups are preferable to preserve efficacy for longer.
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Best Rat Poison for Farms:
Tomcat Bait Chunx
If you have a rat colony, you need a lethal poison, and this non-anticoagulant Bromethalin-based rodenticide is excellent in keeping rat populations under control.
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Best Rat Poison for Big Rats:
Just-One-Bite II Rat & Mouse Poison Bait
Giant rats require a lethal poison to kill, and the Just-One-Bite with the Bromadiolone active ingredient delivers.
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Best Rat Poison for Norway Rats:
Just-One-Bite II Rat & Mouse Poison Bait
Norway rats can often become resistant to less poisonous baits. This bait is a lethal second-generation anticoagulant that gets rid of big rats effectively.
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Best Pet-Safe Rat Poison:
Neogen Ramik Green Fish Rodenticide Nuggets
No rodenticide can claim to be 100% pet-safe, but your option is to use a less toxic bait, such as this first-gen anticoagulant. If your pet ingested the bait, you have more time to react and bring it to a veterinarian.
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Best Pet-Safe Rat Poison Station:
Children & Pet-Safe Rat Bait Station
The locking bait station ensures the poison stays out of reach of children and pets. The station does not come with the bait, but any bait recommended in the post is suitable.
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THE 5 BEST RAT POISONS
#1 Just-One-Bite II Rat & Mouse Poison Bait
The Just-One-Bite II bait is a potent, second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide. Bromadiolone, the active ingredient, is often called a “super-warfarin” for its added potency compared to first-generation anticoagulants.
The poison accumulates in the rat’s liver and attacks the rat’s central nervous system. This effect causes the rat to stop feeding after ingesting it, so you kill more rats with less bait.
It is a relatively strong poison bait, so place it in a bait station or only in places where your pet and young children cannot reach.
Check for dead rats regularly and discard carcasses immediately to prevent your cat or dog from eating them.
What you get with this rat poison:
- Bromadiolone active ingredient.
- Kills roof rats, Norway rats, and house mice in a single feeding.
- A very tough bait to snap into pieces; place the bait in a plastic bag and break it with a hammer.
- Poisonous to pets – keep away from cats, dogs, birds, and chickens.
Drawback:
- Nothing notable.
#2 JT Eaton 704-AP Apple Flavor Rodenticide Bait
Most rat poisons are of the anticoagulant type in green bait blocks.
The pinkish JT Eaton rodenticide is apple-flavored and more attractive to the rats while it kills them just as effectively.
Suppose you need to set the bait in places that only rats can access, place the blocks loose. It takes a few days to kill, but check for dead rats regularly to prevent your cat or dog from eating them.
What you get with this rat poison:
- Diphacinone active ingredient.
- Apple-flavored scent.
- 64 blocks in a pail, 1-ounce each.
- Each block has a hole in the center – compatible with most bait stations.
Drawback:
- Can become ineffective in killing rats over time – may then need to switch to a bromethalin-type rodenticide.
#3 Tomcat All-Weather Bait Chunx
The bait is moisture-resistant, so you can use them outdoors in the barn, yard, or garden shed.
The bait blocks can withstand weather conditions to an extent, but it is still best to shelter them from direct rain exposure to preserve their efficacy, unless you drop them directly into the rat burrows.
Although primarily designed for rats, it is a poison that can kill birds and other rodents, such as chipmunks and squirrels. Ideally, set the bait in bait stations to prevent harming non-target animals.
What you get with this rat poison:
- Diphacinone active ingredient.
- Mold and moisture-resistant.
- 4-lb pail.
Drawback:
- Not as effective as a bromadiolone active ingredient.
#4 Neogen Ramik Green Fish Rodenticide Nuggets
It should surprise you that the Neogen fish-flavored bait nuggets made this list. The bait is a first-generation anticoagulant and may not be as potent as the other products shortlisted in this post.
However, if you have pets in your home and you are particularly concerned that your efforts to get rid of rats may harm them, and the rats in your house are relatively small, the bait may work for you.
Still, you should always keep rodenticides away from non-target animals.
What you get with this rat poison:
- 1st generation anticoagulant.
- Diphacinone active ingredient.
- Weather-resistant.
- For indoor and outdoor use.
Drawback:
- Less effective against larger rats.
#5 Tomcat Bait Chunx
First-generation anticoagulants are less effective, and bigger rats are typically resistant to them, and their livers can break down the toxins in a matter of days.
If you suspect the rodents have become resistant to anticoagulant rodenticides, switch over to a bromethalin-based bait.
This bait is more lethal and requires a lesser amount to kill the rat. Set it in a bait station or loose in places your pet cannot access.
Results are not immediate. Expect to see less rodent activity one week after setting the bait and consistently replenishing it.
What you get with this rat poison:
- Bromethalin active ingredient.
- Kills Norway rats, roof rats, and house mice.
- 4-lb pail.
Drawback:
- Nothing notable.
#6 Children & Pet-Safe Rat Bait Station
Using bait stations is a good practice when setting up poison baits to keep larger non-target animals out.
When setting up bait for rats, always place it along the walls where the rats frequent or where you find rat droppings. Check and replenish the bait regularly during the day when the rats are not out in the open.
The 2.2 inches holes on either end of the station are large enough for most rats, but the station is also accessible to smaller rodents such as chipmunks and squirrels.
What you get with this bait station:
- Pet-friendly, lockable design.
- 2 bait stations, each with 2 keys.
- Internal baiting rods included.
- For indoor and outdoor use.
- The bait is not included.
Drawback:
- Plastic hinge – metal would be more durable.
- The holes are big enough for large rats, but unfortunately, chipmunks and squirrels can enter.
Rat Poison Guide
You can find rat or mouse poisons in several forms – blocks, pellets, and liquid – although bait blocks are the most popular.
They come in varying degrees of toxicity for rodents, pets, and humans, so careful and proper handling of rodenticides is crucial.
What Are the Different Types of Rat Poisons?
The most common rat poisons you find on the market fall under the anticoagulant type. They are widely used in agricultural and home rodent and pest control.
Anticoagulant rodenticides interfere with the vitamin K activation within the rodent’s body, thus thinning the blood and preventing normal blood clotting.
The different types of rat poisons depend on the active ingredients in them. They include:
- Brodifacoum – anticoagulant.
- Bromadiolone – anticoagulant.
- Chlorophacinone – anticoagulant.
- Difethialone – anticoagulant.
- Diphacinone – anticoagulant (most common).
- Warfarin – anticoagulant.
- Bromethalin – non-anticoagulant.
- Cholecalciferol – non-anticoagulant.
- Sodium fluoroacetate – non-anticoagulant.
- Strychnine – non-anticoagulant.
- Thallium – non-anticoagulant.
- Zinc phosphide – non-anticoagulant.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approves and determines the types of rodenticide poisons available for sale.
How Much Arsenic is in Rat Poison?
Arsenic is a natural component of many minerals in the soil. It is odorless and tasteless, which makes it especially dangerous to living beings.
Arsenic is poisonous and can kill rats, but rat poisons approved for sale on the market today do not contain arsenic.
How Does Rat Poison Kill Rats?
You can find two types of rat poisons – anticoagulant and non-anticoagulant.
Anticoagulant rodenticides, such as Diphacinone Bromadiolone and Warfarin, work by thinning the rat’s blood. They prevent normal blood clotting and cause spontaneous internal bleeding. The kill happens on a delayed response basis. A non-anticoagulant rat poison, Bromethalin, for example, paralyzes the rat’s nervous system and causes the nerve cells to swell. It kills rats quicker and requires a smaller dose.
How Long Does a Rat Poison Take to Kill the Rat?
How quickly a poison bait kills the rat depends on its active ingredient and the amount the rat consumes.
Most rat poisons attack the rat’s nervous system. Anticoagulant rat poisons kill in 4 to 6 days, so results are not immediate. Meanwhile, non-anticoagulants work quicker – in 1 to 2 days – and a smaller bait quantity will suffice; you kill more rats with less bait.
How Long Will Rat Poison Last Outside?
The length of time the poison remains effective outside your house will depend on the weather conditions and bait setup.
A rat poison placed outdoors should last as long as it does indoors when adequately protected against the weather. Rain is a factor, so set the poison in an enclosed bait station. Secure the station on a raised platform, and you prevent the bait from flooding and other animals from running away with it.
How to Dispose of Dead Rats?
Rats that died from ingesting poison are a health hazard to your pets. Quick and proper disposal is necessary.
Place the dead rat in a plastic bag and seal it tightly. Repeat the process with a second bag for added protection from accidental breakage. Throw the bag into the outdoor trash container, and make sure you close it securely.
How Does Rat Poison Affect Cats and Dogs?
A rat poison’s active ingredient kills by attacking the rat’s nervous system and causing internal bleeding over 1 to 6 days, depending on the type of poison.
Rat poisons adversely affect other animals, including cats, dogs, and chickens, the same way they harm rodents. The extent of the effects is often relative to the animal’s size and the amount consumed. The symptoms of cats or dogs that ate rat poison include difficulty breathing, lethargy, diarrhea, vomiting, and bleeding gums or nose. If you suspect your pet ingested rat poison, bring it to the vet immediately.
Can a Cat or Dog Survive After Eating Rat Poison?
An exposed rat poison presents risks to the pet at home, which is why setting up rat poison in a sturdy and enclosed bait station is prudent to prevent accidental ingestion by non-target animals.
Your cat or dog will survive a small dose of rat poison, provided you take it to the vet as soon as you notice any negative signs. Bring along the rodenticide packaging, so the vet has the necessary information to administer the appropriate treatment early.
How to Treat a Cat for Rat Poison?
Cats are curious animals, and accidental consumption of rat poison can happen despite your best efforts to keep them from it.
If your cat or pet ingested rat poison, send it to a veterinarian immediately. Anticoagulant rodenticides prevent blood clotting, so the treatment typically involves administering vitamin K intramuscularly or orally and blood protein monitoring for coagulation ability.
How to Store Rat Poison?
Rat poison is a risk to your pet and children when improperly set up in the trap or stored.
Proper storage of rat poison includes:
- If it comes in a bag, seal the bag and place it in a secured container, or
- If it comes in a container, secure the lid each time after you access it.
- Either way, place it on a shelf high enough and out of the children or pet’s reach, and
- Clearly label the poison container and separate it from the pet food section, and
- Lock the storage cabinet, room, or garden shed.
It is more work for you, but better to be safe than sorry.
What is the Shelf Life of Rat Poison?
Rodenticide packaging will typically have an expiry date on them. How well the product you bought lives up to that promise depends on the conditions you store it in.
Rat poison can last and maintain its potency for 5 years or more after the manufacture date when stored air-tight and in a cool and dry place, but the shelf life can differ between manufacturers and batches. To safeguard your investment, buy a year’s supply and only replenish it if you suspect the old rodenticide has lost its efficacy when put to use.
