Rat Poisoning: An Inhumane and Ineffective Method of Pest Control

The temptation is to find the fastest and easiest way to get rid of rats in the house when a home is under infestation. No one wants these rodents scampering around the places we eat, sleep, and play, after all ... but turning to rat poisoning isn't just inhumane, it's also ineffective and can end up causing homeowners significantly more time, money, and stress than using one of the more humane pest control methods available and following up with ways to exclude rodents from the home.

Why is using poison a bad idea?

• Poisoned rats suffer an agonizing death. Regardless of whether an animal is considered a 'pest', it is still an animal that can suffer. Please be kind - the use of poison is cruel and heartless. Even snap traps or a rodent zapper are much more humane than poison because they kill the rat quickly.
• Poisons can be dangerous to pets and young children. Any sort of poison needs to be very carefully used and its placement carefully thought out due to its toxicity. No one wants a pet or child to be accidentally harmed by poison.
• The rat may die inside your home. You may not even realize that a rat has crawled off somewhere in your home to die, until the stench hits you. Trying to locate the dead body (or bodies) can be time-consuming and very difficult, and may require the services of a professional pest control company - turning it into a costly endeavor. In the meantime, the smell can drive you crazy - especially if the carcass is located somewhere in or near the home's ventilation system.
• Other animals may inadvertently be harmed by ingesting a poisoned rat. Regardless of whether the rat dies inside your home or manages to get outside before dying, any other animal that ingests it is at risk for becoming ill or dying as well. That can include owls, coyote, other wildlife, and even family pets! Remember, the poison the rat eats becomes poison that other animals may eat too when they consume the rat.
• Poisoning rarely solves the underlying issue. Poison is usually looked at as a quick fix or as an easy one, but in reality, it is not. Every single rat needs to be caught in order to eradicate the problem - and that's never the case with poison. Not all rats will eat the poisoned bait, and of those that do, not all will die. A single breeding pair of rats reproduces quickly to become a Very Big Problem once again.

With so many other methods available to help control or manage rodents, homeowners need not turn to rat poisoning to try to solve the problem. Solving an infestation isn't usually easy. A carefully conceived removal plan followed up by preventive pest control measures will help to ensure that the rats don't come back.