Will ANTIFREEZE kill RATS???

Yes, antifreeze will kill rats, but also any other mammal that eats it. Do you really want to take that chance? According to my pest control guy, the only preventative measure for rodents is a cat.

Try using rat poison containing Bromethelin. It's a neuro toxin that kills rats with a single feeding. Most rat poisons are hemmorragic that cause death by internal bleeding and require multiple ingestions to work. Additionally, rats build up an immunity to hemmorragic poisons. Read the ingredients on rat poison boxes at your local Home Depot or equivalent. It works like a champ for me.

It also depends on what for you use. Those large chunks are no good, they just pick them up and use them in there nests. You need to use the small pellets and it is even better if you squish a few so they actualy can eat it to get it in there system.

You have to think also if you use antifreeze then any animal, including lizards will go and try to eat that. I now my chickens get a kick out of trying to get the lizards the last thing I would want is them eating a lizard that just drank antifreeze and is dieing from it.

Quote:
The large chunks will work, you just have to secure them to something so they don't carry them off. We had one of those under the bathroom sink that was secured with wire and it's gone this morning! Luckily, this time of year there aren't many lizards running around, so I don't have much to worry about there. But I'm not going to use that, I bought 3 or 4 different types of poison and some traps, so that should work

Didn't read the whole post, but I'd be worried about any animal (dog, cat, hawk, etc) that catches and eats the contaminated rat. Not sure if they would be affected, but this is something I would definitely ask my vet first. This reminds me of the guy who got convicted for killing bald eagles when he set out poisoned meat for coyotes and the eagles ate it and died.

Bromethelin has been tested and shown not to be toxic to dogs that subsequently ate a rat that died of a lethal dose of bromethelin poison. Here's the study URL:

http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1023&context=vpc10

I have a cabin up in the mountains. Really up in the mountains. Nowhere near a city for miles and miles. I have mice, rats, ground squirrells and other creatures (muskrats) that want to come in and make messes. I tried for years to do what was though to be correct until I got fed up and went on a rampage to kill them all. Every year when I leave for the winter I put down 5 pounds of "decon" in a stainless steel bowl that is screwed down so it won't tip over and is not too tall for even the smallest mouse to jump in. I even put a brick next to it so all can enjoy. Next I put Parmesan cheese all over it and stir it in with a stick. Lastly I put out an old icebox drawer with 50/50 water and antifreeze out next to the decon, about 5 gallons. For the last 3 years when I come in during the spring to open it up there is less than 10% of the droppings around. All the decon is gone as is the water. I'm thinking of putting twice the amounts out this coming fall, 2014.
You have to remember that a cat is the best deterrent, but I can't leave one all winter at 30 below. Don't leave anything out that you don't want to be rummaged through. Do you part. These critters reproduce so fast, don't ever feel sorry for killing off a few thousand every year, you'll never win the fight. If you have access to your crawl space (if you don't then drill a 3/8" hole in the floor where it's not noticeable and where you can tape over it and put a carpet or something over it) get a funnel from the hardware store and start putting the decon under your home. Just open the packets with gloves on and pour the contents into the funnel. The funnel will put a mound of it under your home. Add in some Parmesan cheese to bring them in and watch them die. You may see them all over the place on their sides trying to breathe their last breath.
Putting it where kids and other 'pets' can't get to the poison is smart and who wants to poison a kid or their own pet. Yeah I know there are some out there that would but I ain't going there.
$100 a year is all it takes.If your neighbors would do the same, you could soon have a rodent free zone for the most part.
Doc