There’s a saying that goes, “if you see one rat, there are 100-more in the local area that you can’t see. If you notice rats rummaging through your garbage can, or feeding in your vegetable garden, then it’s time for you to take action against these vermin.
Using rat poison to kill vermin infestations is a prudent and effective way of controlling rat populations around your property. However, there are different brands or poison products available, and how do you know which one to buy?
We put together this review of the best rat poisons to give you an idea of the options available.
Our Top Picks
You might not have the time to read through our entire review. Fortunately, we made things easier for you by placing our top three recommendations for the best rat poison in this section for easy reference. Choose the product that matches your needs, and get rid of the rats plaguing your property.
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
- Top Pick: MOTOMCO Tomcat Mouse and Rat Pack Killer
For the most effective rat poison, we recommend MOTOMCO Tomcat Mouse and Rat Pack Killer. This poison works through the rats repeatedly feeding on the bait. It’s a pet-friendly option, and suitable for use inside or outside the home. This formulation kills rats and mice in four to six days, depending on the size and species of the rats. - Premium Pick: Farnam Just One Bite II Bait Pellet
This poison kills rats with one feeding. It’s the best choice for use in agriculture, and this poison will keep your barn free of rodents. The poison comes in pellet format and is available in an 8-lbs box. - Budget Pick: D-Con Corner Fit Mouse Poison Bait Station
For those homeowners looking for affordable and effective rat poison, we recommend the D-Con Corner Fit Mouse Poison Bait Station. This station is tamper-resistant and safe for use around children and pets.
Rat Poison Reviews
Now that you have our top choices for rat poison products in this review, let’s take a deep dive into the rest of the best rat poisons and give you the information you need to make an informed purchase decision.
If you’re having trouble with selecting the right rat poison for your application, then read through our buyer’s guide for more information.
MOTOMCO Tomcat Mouse and Rat Pack Killer
If you have rats, then you need a fast and effective solution for getting rid of the rodents in your life. The MOTOMCO Tomcat Mouse and Rat Pack Killer offer you an efficient and affordable means of ridding the rats from your property.
This poison comes in a standard pellet format, with food-grade ingredients. The portion size is ideal for rats, ensuring maximum absorption of the poison in the rat’s system. In most cases, the pellets kill rats in 4 to 6-days. However, larger rat species, such as Norway rats, may require multiple feedings for the poison to be effective.
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This product is a standard rat poison formulation, meaning that you’ll need to clean up rat corpses immediately, as a pet or wild animal feeding on the rat could cause cross-contamination and poison the animal.
The MOTOMCO Tomcat Mouse and Rat Pack Killer is a straightforward poison that produces excellent results and its cost-efficient as well.
- Kills rodents in less than 6-days.
- Comes pellet format.
- Food-grade ingredients.
- No immediate kill.
Farnam Just One Bite II Bait Pellet
For those people living on farms or smallholdings, by the time you realize you have rats, there are dozens of them skulking around your property. Rats get into the vegetable garden and destroy crops, they rummage in the barn and leave droppings everywhere, and if you don’t kill them, they’ll continue breeding and multiplying quickly.
Fortunately, Farnam Just One Bite II Bait Pellet is a specialized formula for agricultural use. This potent rat poison contains anticoagulant that causes rapid death in rats after only one feeding. The rats typically last 3 to 4-days before dying.
- Death is delayed 4 to 5 days, so there's no bait shyness
- Kills warfarin resistant Norway rats
- Norway rats, roof rats and house mice may consume a lethal dose in a single night's feeding
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The pellets feature nibble edges to encourage feeding and feature central holes for use on bait stations. It’s important to note that this product is not suitable for use around the home. The potent toxins in this formulation cause cross-contamination, harming pets, and local wildlife if the animals eat the dead rat corpses.
Farnam Just One Bite II Bait Pellet is all you need for the ideal agricultural rat solution. This bait gets rid of rats fast, ensuring they don’t overrun your property. This formulation is effective on all breeds, including Norway rats.
- Suitable for agricultural usage.
- Kills rats with one feeding.
- Comes in a bulk 8-lb box.
- Suitable for killing Norway rats.
- Designed to promote feeding.
- Not available in residential doses.
D-Con Corner Fit Mouse Poison Bait Station
If you need an effective way to kill rats around the home or an apartment, try the D Con Corner Fit Mouse Poison Bait Station. This compact rat bait station features a secure design, and your pets or children cannot get at the bait. The station comes with 20-bait refills, which is enough to get rid of the largest rat colony.
- 1 Mouse Bait Station + 20 Refills (refillable)
- Helps reduce house mice problems. Guaranteed to kill *or your money back!
- Contains NO neurotoxins or anti-coagulants
- Resistant to tampering by children & dogs
- Ideal for your: attic, kitchen/pantry, basement, bedrooms, bathrooms, living room, laundry room, garage and shed
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The ingredients in the formulation of this product are non-toxic to humans. You don’t have to worry about any cross-contamination to your pets or local wildlife.
The D Con Corner Fit Mouse Poison Bait Station offers a safer rat solution using pellets, and it’s suitable for use around the home or in an apartment.
- Tamper resistant and safe around children and pets.
- Designed as a bait station.
- Suitable for use indoors and outdoors.
- Safe formulation.
- May not be effective at killing Norway rats.
Neogen Rodenticide Ramik Nuggets
Neogen Rodenticide Ramik Nuggets are a versatile rat poison that kills rats, mice, and voles. If you have a vegetable garden where voles and rats are getting out of control and eating your crops, then this is the best rat poison for your situation.
The pellets come in a large portion size that’s suitable for a once-off feeding that kills the vermin in your garden. These pellets are water-resistant, and they won’t melt away like other pellets if they get wet.
- One of a kind: ramik green rodenticide is made of 1st generation anticoagulant: diphacinone (.005 percent )
- Target rodents: kills rats, mice, and meadow voles
- Effective results: death may occur within 4-5 days after lethal dose is consumed
- Proven formula: ramik green rodenticides are formulated with a food quality fish flavored grain mix
- Protect your home: can be used indoors and outdoors and is especially suited for wet or damp areas
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This specially formulated rat poison for damp or wet climates is the ideal choice if it rains frequently in your area. The poison wont dissolve, and you get an effective rat killer that solves your rat [problem around the home.
- Suitable for exterminating rats, mice and voles.
- Suitable for use indoors and outdoors.
- Formulation id wax-free.
- Suitable for use in wet and damp conditions.
- Not suitable for killing Norway rats.
JT Eaton Rodenticide Anticoagulant Bait
This poison comes in bait blocks that are slightly larger than your average pellet size. You get 144-blocks per 9-lb container, making this poison the ideal choice for landlords looking to clear large rodent populations form commercial buildings.
The rat poison features anticoagulant formulation, causing internal bleeding and death in rats in as little as 48-hours. However, you’ll need to properly dispose of the corpses before they cause cross-contamination with other animals in the area.
- RODENT CONTROL: Anticoagulant block bait that eliminates rats and mice within a few days
- QUALITY FORMULA: Specially formulated with a peanut butter flavor to attract rodents and stop a potential rat or mouse infestation
- PROVEN ACTIVE INGREDIENT: Diphacinone (0.005%) efficiently eliminates mice and rats
- EASY TO USE: For use outdoors in farm and agriculture areas or indoors in attics, garages, basements, or other areas of the home; designed with center holes for easy use in bait stations
- 1-OUNCE BLOCKS: The 10.5"(l) x 10.5"(w) x 10.25"(h) tamper evident resealable pail includes 144 x 1-ounce Bait Blocks
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
We wouldn’t recommend this poison for use around the home, especially if you have pets or children, or there’s plenty of local wildlife in your area.
JT Eaton Rodenticide Anticoagulant Bait Blocks attract rats with its pleasant peanut-butter fragrance. They’re an effective anticoagulant poison that causes death in rats in as little as 2-days after ingestion.
- Available in a 9-lb bulk pail.
- It has a peanut butter flavor.
- Anticoagulant properties.
- Suitable for mice and smaller rodents
- Block bait system.
- Not suitable for killing Norway rats.
Pest Control Rat Traps from Kat Sense
The Pest Control Rat Traps from Kat Sense comes in a six-pack, and offer homeowners an effective means of catching rats and smaller mice in the home. Unlike other trap systems that break the rat’s skin, causing blood to mess over the immediate area, these rat traps offer a humane trapping system.
The body of the trap features construction with polystyrene, with an integrated bait cup at the bottom of the base of the trap. The killing arm snaps shut, instantly ending the rat’s life, but without breaking its skin.
- Reliable And Sanitary Pest Control - Free your home from unwanted critters and keep your household secure and sanitary with the best rat trap catcher in the market. Boasting a smart, integrated bait cap feature that allows you to place your chosen rat attractant or bait to lure the mice in, as well as an extra sturdy, plastic construction that promises to last for years to come without losing its efficiency, you can finally get the rodent killing eradication results you have been asking for.
- Set It And Forget It - Say goodbye to ineffective, exterminator methods that leave dead, decomposing mice in your attic or home structure. Place these mice killer rat traps indoor for home near baseboards, corners or in spaces, where rodents might hide and forget about them. Once the rodent triggers the rattrap, the high power precision, stainless steel metal spring will hold it in place with 35% more force than other packrat traps in the market, ensuring a mess free kill, every time.
- Successfully Capture Rats – No Escape - Forget about false triggers, stolen bait and escaping mice. Kat Sense lethal large indoor rat traps feature a powerful, highly responsive snap mechanism with a sensitive pedal and specially designed jaws style teeth to catch mice and rats every time. The improved, humane design ensures that rodents are killed fast and with as little pain as possible.
- Easy To Use Multiple Times - Unlike traditional, wood traps that are difficult to set and tend to leave foul odors and stains, these multicatch traps for rats are made of washable material for easy cleaning and removal of offensive odors from previous catches that can potentially alert mice to avoid the trap, making them a hygienic option for efficient rat removal again and again. The big rat traps can be easily pressed to open over a garbage bin for quick and hands-free touchless disposal.
- Get Your Reliable Trap - Being so sure about the top pro quality and excellent performance of our rat snap traps, we are able to offer you a hassle-free return - complete satisfaction. In the unlikely event that these effective mice traps don’t eliminate or exceed your expectations, you can return them for a full refund of your purchase, in no time. Can you really afford to miss this offer? Grab Your Pack of 6 outdoor rat and mouse traps and get rid of the squirrels immediately.
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Most spring rat traps cause a mess and don’t offer a humane trapping system that sometimes leaves the rat alive. The Pest Control Rat Traps by Kat Sense provides an effective kill, without drawing blood from the rat.
- Humane rat trap.
- Pet-friendly.
- Sanitary and reusable.
- Comes in a 6-pack of traps.
- Bait-cup design.
- Not suitable for killing Norway rats or voles.
Tomcat Rodent Station
The Tomcat Rodent Station offers you a safe and effective way of getting rid of rats in your home or apartment. Listening to rats jump around in the rafter of tour home while you’re trying to sleep is annoying.
The Tomcat Rodent Station offers a full body that allows you to insert a trap or bait into the station. However, the station has a long entrance with a design that only rats can enter. After the trap kills the rat, there no way your pets or children can get into the body to remove the rat.
- Helps to effectively control rats, mice and other rodents and pests while helping protect children and pets from accidental exposure to rodent baits or traps
- Contains 1 rodent station, 4 bait securing rods and 1 security key; baits and traps sold separately
- Weather- and tamper-resistant; usable indoors and outdoors
- Made from a rigid, heavy-duty plastic construction, ensuring your rodent station is long-lasting
- Rodent stations are easy to use, allowing placement in small places like entry and garage doors, below windows, near utilities and any other areas where rodents tend to hide
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
This station is the ideal pet and child-friendly rat bait station for use in the home. The design of the body ensures that nothing but a rat can access the trap or bait.
- Suitable for use outdoors and indoors.
- User-friendly set up.
- Safe for children and pet-friendly.
- Compact and compatible with snap traps.
- Not effective at killing Norway rats.
Rat Zapper Ultra Rodent Trap
If you’re looking for the most humane, effective, and efficient rat trap on the market, it’s the Rat Zapper Ultra Rodent Trap. This electric trap shocks the rat with a high-voltage charge after it enters the trap to feed on the bait.
The inventors of the Rat Zapper realize that some people don’t want the hassle of loading bait stations.
- Ideal for catching and killing larger rats, mice
- Easy to use insert batteries, bait, turn it on, place, and relax
- Hands-free no touch, no view disposal reduces the yuck factor
- Safe and sanitary while always wise to use caution around kids and pets, there is no blood, mess, chemicals, or poisons
- One set of 4 D batteries equals to 60 kills
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
They also understand that there are people that might be squeamish about disposing of a rat’s body or even seeing a dead rat. The no-view disposal offers a way for these people to remove the rat from their home, without handling or looking at the corpse.
This electric model rat trap is an excellent solution to kill rats and keep them out of the home. The body of the machine contains the rat for no-view disposal, as well.
- Kills rats humanely.
- Suitable for Norway rats.
- 60-kills per battery charge.
- No poison.
- No view, no touch disposal.
- Not as effective as a bait station.
EcoClear Products RatX All-Natural Rat Poison
The EcoClear Products RatX All Natural Rat Poison offers you the best solution for getting rid of rats if you’re a pet owner or you live in an area with birds of prey. This formulation contains no dangerous neurotoxins or anticoagulants, and if your pet eats it, they won’t die or get deathly sick.
- RatX Pellets are your safe and effective solution for removing rats
- Perfect for use in homes, barnyards, industrial buildings, livestock areas, and more
- Easy to use - Just place pellets wherever you spot rodent activity
- Attracts rats with its scent and taste, and active ingredients work quickly to eliminate the rodent within 3 to 5 days
- Formulated with naturally derived ingredients made in the USA
Last update on 2024-10-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
However, this rat poison is not effective at killing voles and some hardy species of rodents, like Norway rats. The digestive systems of these vermin resist the all-natural poison, and they might survive.
With EcoClear Products RatX All Natural Rat Poison, you remove the risk of cross-contamination in pets and local wildlife if they feed on the rat corpse before you can clear it. The non-toxic formulation contains no harmful anticoagulants or neurotoxins.
- Kills rats with a single feeding.
- Pet-friendly and child-proof.
- Biodegradable.
- No contamination risk for vegetable crops.
- Not suitable for use indoors.
Rat Poison and Your Pets
According to news reports across the country, America has a rat problem. Research shows that cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago have massive rat populations that are starting to cause problems for residents.
Rats carry a multitude of diseases, and they often transmit them to humans. For example, San Francisco is currently dealing with the emergence of typhus; a third-world disease wiped out in the United States for decades.
However, the cities rat population is growing at a rapid rate and the fleas that feed on rats carrying typhus end up feeding on the homeless population around the city. As a result, what was thought to be a medieval disease no longer in existence, is making a comeback.
Typhus is one example of a dangerous disease carried by rats. However, in most cases, doctors can cure patients suffering from the effects of the disease. However, rats can carry fatal diseases like the “bubonic plague,” which has a far higher mortality rate than typhus.
Pet contamination is one of the biggest concerns for homeowners when using rat poison. The last thing you want to happen is for your dog to find that tasty peanut-butter flavor rat poison and start wolfing it down in delight. The chances are that poisoning your pets is not what you had in mind when purchasing your rat killer.

If you own pets, or you have young children, then it’s best to use a rat poison formulation that requires multiple feedings to become active. Some brands have products that steadily build toxin levels in the rat’s bloodstream as they feed on the poison bait over a few days.
Eventually, the poison levels reach a critical threshold, and the rat’s internal organs start to shut down. Therefore, this extended killing action makes these types of poisons suitable for use around the yard, even if you have pets.
If your dog eats pellets with a pet-friendly formula, they won’t eat enough of the bait to cause them to die. At worst, they might have a runny tummy for a day or two. While no-one wants to see their dog sick, it’s better than rushing them off to the emergency room at the vet.
If you have pets or you live in areas where birds of prey may swoop down on poisoned rats, then a pet-safe formulation is a musty. Killing a bald eagle that feeds on a poisoned rat would be a travesty.

Health and Safety Precautions
When handling rat poison, it’s essential to have respect for the product. Rat poison can kill you or make you deathly ill if you accidentally consume some of the bait. Handling rat poison and then eating food with your hands could end up in you poisoning yourself.
Always wear rubber gloves when handling rat poison, and after you’re done setting the bait, wash your hands thoroughly to remove any possible traces of poison from your hands. It’s also important to follow safety procedures when clearing your property of dead rats as well. Dead rats require removal, or they’ll end up rotting away, causing a terrible smell while inviting disease onto the property.
Place dead rats into a plastic garbage bag and seal it before dumping it into your trash can outdoors. It should be common sense that you wouldn’t toss dead rats into your trash can indoors.

How Does Rat Poison Kill Rats?
Different companies and brands offer different rat poison formulations. Some of the common ingredients found in rat poison products include; bromethalin, zinc phosphide, calcium releasers, and anticoagulants.
All of these three toxins have different mechanisms for working in a rat’s system. Bromethalin interacts with the rodents at a cellular level, affecting the mitochondria, causing a shutdown of the vital organs in the rodent’s body.
Zinc phosphide is a common toxin found in agricultural rodent killers. This toxin causes changes in the rat’s digestive system, resulting in the swelling of the internal organs and eventual death through the gas build-up.
Calcium releasers work by releasing additional calcium steadily into the rat’s bloodstream, calcifying the arteries and cardiovascular system of the rodent, causing death.

This toxin is safe for use around pets and children, and it’s one of the more popular lethal strategies for killing rats around your property. Calcium releasers won’t be harmful to pets or birds or prey that decide to feed on dead rat carcasses.
The last toxin found in some rat poisons is anticoagulant. This product causes internal bleeding in the rat after they eat the bait, resulting in a slow and painful death. You should avoid using anticoagulants wherever possible, as this toxin has a broad spectrum, and can kill a variety of animals, such as predators, pets, and birds.
However, anticoagulants may be the only option when it comes to killing toxin-resistant rats, such as the Norway rat species. These rats have some resistance against non-toxic ingredients and require a stronger poison to kill-off populations.

How long Does It Take Rat Poison to Kill Rats?
Kill times vary depending on the species of rat and the type of rat poison you’re using as bait. If you purchase rat poison and leave the box in your garage for a year, the poison becomes less active, and it might take longer for it to kill rats, or the rats might not respond to the toxins.
In most cases, rat poison takes two to three days to kill the rodent, provided that it consumed enough of the poison for it to stay active in the rat’s bloodstream and gut. Most rat poisons require repeated feeding by the rodents for the poison to reach toxic levels in the blood and gut of the rats.
As a result, the rat may take longer to die if they are feeding on multiple sources that don’t include the rat poison. However, this makes the formulation safe for your pets, as they require repeated feedings to sustain poison levels at sufficient levels. If your dog does eat the poison, it might not even display any signs of poisoning. However, the size of the pet also plays a role, and if your poodle eats the poison, it will feel the effects more than if a St. Bernard decides to feed on the poison pellets.

There are a few strategies you can use to ensure that the rats on your property consume as much of the poison bait as possible. We recommend that you look for rat runs – tiny pathways the rats run along to reach food sources.
Check around your trash cans for evidence of rats, and place the poison on the way to the food source. By putting the poison on the rat run, the rat encounters the toxin before the food source and feeds on the bait instead of the trash.
Always place the bait in the same place, as rats are habitual feeders, and return to the same food source day after day. If you spread the poison around many locations on your property, the rats may avoid it and choose to feed on other food sources in your yard or home instead.

Conclusion
By now, you should have a complete understanding of rat poisons and how they work. Choose one of the products in this review, and start baiting your rat runs. If you’re still struggling to identify the rat poison that’s the right choice for your property and home, then you can rely on our top picks in this review for an effective product that works.
If you have animals around your home, or you live in an area that has local wildlife, such as deer and eagles, then buy a product that does not cause secondary poisoning in animals that consume poisoned rats.
The needs of farmers and homeowners are entirely different, and farmers might require a stronger-acting poison that kills rats after a single feeding. Whatever your requirements, make sure that you respect the product and keep it out of sight of children and pets.
2 Comments
Does Rat Zero actually kill the rodents or just discourage them from coming around! The bag does not say. The active ingredients are listed as corn gluten meal and sodium chloride.
I didn’t have a mouse “problem” , it was an infestation. I was trapping 30 mice a week. with no signs of slowing down. Finally I bought Tomcat Rat and Mouse killer. The package said it would take two or so days . Nope. It only took 10 hours. That’s RIGHT! Only 10 hours and the mice were gone. I left the bait by set up water sources around the house and that is where I found the bodies that i did have to dispose of, It’s been three weeks and not a sign of another mouse. Tomcat Rat and Mouse killer lives up to it’s promise and then some 😉