One of the biggest myths going around concerning rat poison is that, after eating rat poison, the rats get thirsty and leave the premises in search of water, and then die outside of the building. In fact, after eating rat poison, the rats become lethargic, have trouble moving, and could not care less about eating or drinking anything. They will be suffering and will seek out a tight, comfortable place to eventually die. This may be inside your walls or in a deep remote corner of the attic. These are the worst places for them to go to, as they are the most difficult to get to once the rat has died and begun to smell bad.

And smell bad, they certainly do! Their rotting carcasses smell like a combination of Sulphur, rotting eggs, and pure death. You will not mistake their odor for any other thing in life. The best thing to do is prevent the rats from getting inside in the first place.

Once the rats have gotten in, the best thing to do is seal off any holes through which they are entering and exiting, and then trapping and removing them from the premises. Glue traps are the best solution for trapping them.



When poison is used exclusively, without taking the steps to seal off holes and trap the rats, you may end up killing a few rats, but more will certainly take their place. It is almost impossible to chase rats from an established territory or colony, without taking the abovementioned steps.

Most commercial rat poisons are made from a mixture of toxins and warfarin, an anticoagulant. This causes the rat to hemorrhage internally, and eventually to bleed out and die. This causes the new problem of having to clean and disinfect the smells and stains caused by fluid leak from the rats. When rats ingest this type of poison it will take them approximately three to five days to die.

There are other types of rat poisons, as well. The next type will cause kidney failure within one to two days after ingesting, so you must be vigilant in checking for dead rats daily right away. The other type is a neurotoxin, meaning that it causes seizures and weakness. This one can work anywhere from twelve hours to seven days after ingesting the poison, so again, you must be vigilant in checking around for carcasses.

Read the How to get rid of rats page for helpful information and to learn more about HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR RATS TO DIE AFTER EATING POISON?

HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR RATS TO DIE AFTER EATING POISON?