Very strong rat poisons include Strychnine, causing convulsions and asphyxia, and metal phosphides (like Zinc Phosphide) which release toxic gas in the stomach, both leading to rapid death, but these are highly regulated and dangerous to other animals and humans, with anticoagulants (like Brodifacoum) being common but slower-acting professional choices for rodents.
Our Pest Expert Rat Killer Poison contains maximum strength Brodifacoum (0.0025%), which is 4 times stronger than Bromadiolone and 6 times stronger than Difenacoum – the actives found in most other rat poisons. So you can be confident that it is the strongest and most effective rat poison you can buy.
Phosphides are rather fast-acting rat poisons, resulting in the rats dying usually in open areas, instead of in the affected buildings. Phosphides used as rodenticides include: aluminium phosphide (fumigant and bait) calcium phosphide (fumigant only)
The 20gm Tomcat II Rat Bait is the most powerful, single feed bait on the market today. Tomcat II Rat Bait contains 16 human food grade, inert ingredients that rats and mice can't resist.
Toxic baiting - Bleach is toxic if ingested by mice and rats, so if you can somehow mask the smell (peanut butter is one great option) then you can attempt some homemade bait stations.
Common pet rodent poisons:
Here are eight steps you can take to keep these rodents out of your home and away for good:
We rank the Motomco Tomcat All-Weather Bait Chunx as the best overall rat poison because of its moisture-resistant formula that works both indoors and outdoors while killing rodents in four to six days.
Will rats come back after poisoning? It's possible. Rats may develop resistance to the toxin or bait shyness could lead to them avoiding your bait station. Or you may have a recurring infestation.
This is because rats and mice are nocturnal animals and tend to come out around 12am – 3am looking for food. If you do see rats or mice in the daytime then you have a much larger problem.
Peppermint Oil
This fresh-smelling oil may be pleasant to humans, but rats find it overwhelming.
Amish communities get rid of mice using a mix of traditional, low-tech, and natural methods, focusing heavily on prevention (sealing entry points, removing food sources) and humane trapping, often with handmade cage traps, while also using strong scents like peppermint oil or cayenne pepper as repellents, sometimes alongside cats for natural pest control. They avoid modern poisons to maintain their lifestyle and focus on practical, sustainable solutions.
Position the hosepipe or watering can at the entrance, then turn on the water to let it run into the burrow. The water's force should be sufficient to displace the rats from their nest. After the rats have been flushed out, you'll need to seal the hole to prevent their return.
Traps
A: Rats are nocturnal, meaning they're most active at night. During the day, they stay hidden in walls, basements, attics, and burrows where they feel safe.
Avoid harmful foods such as onion, citrus fruits, walnuts, rhubarb, grapes, raisins and chocolate. Avoid sugars and high-fat foods such as dairy. Rats like sweet and fatty food, but it can cause health problems if they eat too much of it, so only use these as treats and rewards during training.
Evolutionary survival advantages: Nocturnal activity enables rats to exploit food sources and territorial opportunities without competition from diurnal species while avoiding detection by visual predators including birds of prey, cats, and human observers.
If you've only seen one rat in the past two weeks, your problem may not be particularly extensive. However, if you're seeing rats every day or so, or you've turned on a light at night and 3-4 rats scurry, you've probably got a pretty extensive rat infestation on your hands.
Will rats leave if there's no food? Probably not, rats are highly adaptable survivors, and simply removing one food source is rarely enough to make them leave. They Adapt: Rats can survive several days (up to two weeks with access to water) without food.
It is impossible to keep rats away permanently if food, water, and shelter are nearby. However, a regular maintenance and cleaning routine, along with deterrents and eradication, if an infestation is found, will keep your home free of rats.
We're using brodifacoum, which has proven consistently to perform the best. Rentokil have spent the last 18 months testing, developing and enhancing the rodenticide range to ensure we produce rodenticides of the highest possible standards with tried and tested formulations proven to work.
Rats may not eat enough or frequently enough if other foods are available. Even if they wanted to feed more on the baits, other rats may have eaten all the poison so there is none left or more dominant rats will hog the bait points, bullying less dominant rats to keep away or a combination of both.
One of the most active times for rats is during autumn due to their preparation for the cold weather ahead. Rats become more active in September-November as they scavenge for food to stockpile and make nests. When temperatures start to drop, rats are less likely to venture out during daylight hours.
Steps
You can have rats in the walls but not in the house. If a rat dies within your walls, you will notice a foul odor as it decays. In some cases, a buildup of rat urine inside your walls can create stains on the outside.