Last Updated on October 8, 2022 by Real Men Sow
You’re done playing it safe. No rat-proof compost bin or trap can do the work. Rodents can pollute food and water, and they are super-spreaders of many diseases such as bubonic plague or typhus. Rodents can also cause structural damage to buildings and homes. Rat poison is the best way to get rid of a large infestation. You may wonder, “How long will it take for the poison to work?”
What Makes Rat Poison Effective?
Before we discuss how long the poison takes to kill rats, let us first talk about the factors that influence its effectiveness.
First-Generation Or Second-Generation Rat Poison
There are two types of rodenticides that you will likely encounter when looking for rat poison. First-generation poisons will slowly kill rats and require that they are fed multiple times. Diphacinone and Warfarin are two examples of first-generation toxins. Second-generation poisons work quickly and the rodent needs to only eat them once for their lethal effects. Brodifacoum, a second-generation poison, is very popular.
Remove dead rats ASAP
If you don’t quickly remove dead rats from your area, rodents may become bait shy when using poisons like these. The bait will then become associated with dead rodents for them. This awareness is unlikely to occur with first-gen poisons because rodents require multiple meals before they die.
Rats Chemical Resistance
Some of the oldest poisons are still in use today after being around for many decades. Warfarin’s commercial use in the United States in 1948 as a rat poison was an important development in fighting rat infestation. Some species have become resistant to Warfarin over the years.
Other Sources Of Food Asides From The Rat Bait
They will avoid bait stations if there are other food sources available for rodents in the building. Rats are habitual feeders and will avoid new feeding points if they have access to their old feeding areas. Make sure you have cleared out any food sources that could be contaminated with rat poison before you spread it. It is a good rule to find toxins that smell like the food they eat.
The Poison’s Location
You must correctly place rat bait to ensure that your pets won’t eat it and that weather conditions don’t affect its ability to work. Snap traps or bait stations are a great way to make sure that rat baits work. There are two advantages to these stations:
- Protect your children and pets from the toxin.
- Allows you to create an environment where the rodent can easily find its food. Rodents are drawn to familiarity and will be suspicious of anything unfamiliar.
How Long Does It Take For Rat Poison To Work?
It all depends on the type of toxins that you buy for rat control because it depends on the generation type of your poison. They typically take seven days for a rodent to die if it is first-generation poison. Because the lethal dose requires multiple feedings, it can take up to seven days for the rodent to die.
Two or Three Days
The second-generation poison is capable of stopping the rodent’s internal bleeding within two to three days. It is more effective. Second-gen poisons have the advantage that secondary poisoning is unlikely due to their high toxicities. Secondary poisoning occurs when another animal in the food chain eats poisoned rodents and then dies from the effects of the poison. You don’t need to worry if your pet accidentally eats the rat.
What To Do To Increase Its Effectiveness
Rodents can be very intelligent and picky eaters. Rodents learn quickly and will begin to avoid bait if they find a problem in their usual food or feeding habits. These clever creatures can be countered and rat poison’s effectiveness increased.
Fresh Rodenticides
Use fresh rodenticides whenever you have a problem with rats. You won’t want to use an old pack that’s been in your basement since the last infestation. A new set is necessary if your old one has expired. You might also find that the storage conditions have affected its effectiveness. In such cases, rodents can develop resistance by using expired rodenticide.
Bait Area Maintenance
You should inspect the trap area every so often after it is set up. You should replace any bait the rats have ingested with fresh bait, and get rid of any remaining bait. Also, make sure to check for dead rats in the area. These actions will decrease the chance of bait shyness.
Use Of Pre-Bait
To avoid getting poisoned, rats will often eat the food. If the rat does not become sick within a few days, it will return for another bite. If the rat does get sick, it will not eat any food with the same smell, taste or flavor.
Pre-bait can be used with the same taste, smell, and flavor as the poisonous bait to prevent this. This will make the rodent associate smell and taste with positive outcomes, and they won’t be able to resist switching to toxic bait after a few days.
Removal Of Alternate Food Sources
Use tightly sealed containers that they won’t chew through before setting out the bait. This will make it so the rodent has no choice but to eat the bait or taste it. Metal containers should be harder to open when storing garbage.
Rat Poison in Appropriate Areas
It is crucial to know where you place the poison. You should be aware of areas that have high levels of rodent urine and feces. These are the areas where you should place your baits. After placing the baits, make sure you don’t move them.
Rats can see when something is moving around and may avoid it. You’ll have to move the bait if the rodents have not touched it in a while. Make sure you place your baits in a location that is both their food supply and their potential habitat. You want densely covered areas. These are the places where rodents love to rest and eat.
Final Remark
Now you should have an idea of the time it takes for rat poisons to work. The following questions can help you decide if you should use second-generation or first generation poison:
- Are your pets at risk for secondary poisoning?
- Are there any wildlife in your yard that could ingest the poison and then die from internal bleeding after eating the carcass of the rodents?
Whatever type of poison you choose, be sure to keep it away from children and pets.
