Should I ever poison a rat?



If you have rats inside your house, then you know that these can be extremely difficult to get out. These are resilient and persistent little critters, that burrow their way around your home, building nests, tearing apart your boxes of cereal, and leaving their droppings everywhere. When you have just one or two rats in your home there are a large number of solutions to try to get rid of these animals. Most use the traditional trap, the one that closes down on the animal whenever it tries to go for the bait. This can be highly effective tool and does the job quickly. But what do you do when you have a group of rats inside your house?

Some Turn to Poison
Some look for a more permanent solution that is quick and simple. They purchase commercial poisons at their local store that they leave around their house. These products contain foodstuffs that entice the rat to eat them. However, they are laced with poison that will kill the rats in a very short period of time. This seems like the perfect solution. The rats eat the poison and they die. If there are a large number of rats, this ensures that all of them suffer the same fate. What more could you ask for than that?

Not So Fast!
However, before you start high-fiving yourself, understand that this is not the great solution you may think. There are a number of concerns you should have about using the poison. This starts with the fact that you can't be sure that your own paths or children will not eat the poison. If you have small kids, they are curious, and when they see that little block hidden by the side of the stove or next to your file cabinet, they may go right for it. Little kids love to put things in their mouths, and the last thing you need is for your own child to be swallowing that. For your pets, the same thing that lured the rats to the poison may lure your cat or dog. You may soon find that your animal has eaten the poison and you may have a dead pet on your hands.

The Aftermath
Besides the concern about your children or pets eating the poison, you have to consider that you could very well have dozens, maybe even hundreds of dead rats in your home. Think about the smell of decaying rat a few days after you have killed them all off. Not a very appetizing smelled to say the least. In addition, you can be sure that those dead animals are going to attract a large assortment of insects, especially ants and cockroaches. You could have a trail of ants leading all over your house devouring those rats. Disgusting is the word that comes to mind. If you are in a situation where you have a large colony of rats inside your home, you need to hire a professional. They may use some type of poison, but it will be quick and they will perform the cleanup. This way, you don't have to worry about any of the concerns related to dead rats in your home.

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