Rats & Sweet potatoes

[kdpdolphin]

I've been told that raw sweet potatoes will kill rats because they have a compound that turns to cyanide during digestion in rats. It sounds WAY to simple but I'm grasping at straws to avoid poison. Has anyone tried this?

 

[cavemanrich]

Rats are Extremely smart. Even if that combination would work, the rat population would quickly learn to avoid that food. Controlling rats is an ongoing WAR in many Large cities. (like Chicago) Am sure problem is everywhere else, but to different degrees.
Wherever there are people, and garbage, and other source of food, rats are likely.
The one rat poison that seems to work, (I don't have any brand names to suggest)
works in such a way that causes rat to become very thirsty , and drinks water to excess, and expires. The rats do not associate the problem with the food (poison) but rather the water they ingested afterward.
There are other methods to control rats, and some seem inhumane and cruel. I know we do not live in an IDEAL UNIVERSE.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[drumstick diva]

I was told if you put out a dish of instant potatoes (just little flakes) and a bowl of water it will kill rats. The water will cause the flakes to expand (they really do) and rats cannot vomit. Unless someone is messing with my mind, I can see it working. I've only seen one rat in 50 years of living here. It was a dead one near a grocery store. I've noticed the grocery stores, Target, Walmart etc. all have rat bait stations set up. Not the nicest thing to encounter when you are planning to get food.

 

[drumstick diva]

caveman ps if the rats associated death with the water instead of the poison wouldn't they just stop drinking water??

3:01 am here caveman, what time do you have?

 

[BDutch]

Don’t know about the sweet potatoes chips.

imo: Best way to control rats without poison is to combine 2 methods:

• Make it impossible for rats to access food. There are special feeders for that. Use hanging feeders the rats cant climb on. Or you can make a one leg food table where chickens can jump/fly on, but rats can’t climb on (smooth metal table leg). Make the coop, or at least the nesting box area, rat proof. Take away the food after breakfast and diner time.
• Get yourself some rat predators. E.g. a barn cat. (I am lucky my neighbors have cats).

Its not a good idea to give rat poison for two reasons too. :

• Rats do get immune. We have a immune rat-population in the the east of our country.
• Poisoned rats get eaten by predators. It staples (can i say that this way?) and weakens the predators and eventually kills predators. This is proven with owls and weasels. Rat poison can disturb the natural balance and can result in a new, more severe plague of mice or rats after some time.

 

[Howard E]

Most of the problem when dealing with rats.......and for that matter, most other problem animals is......
1. Ignorance.......meaning lack of understanding as to the nature of the animal.....and far too often that leads to.......
2. False assumptions and therefor incorrect solutions, which are then coupled with....
3. A near pathological need to avoid solutions that are known and proven to work in favor of chasing hearsay and rumors and miracle discoveries that only a few folks have ever heard of.....but surely must work.....not because they actually do, but because they want them to.

I have always assumed the truth generally wins out, but with some, that is simply not the case.

Back to the OP's original question. Before accepting the premise of the question, what is the nature of the rat problem....starting with the fact that rats are drawn to food and shelter. If you are allowing them access to either or both, you are making it easy on them.

So what is the nature of the problem? Food? Shelter?

What have you done to deny them either or both?

 

[Howard E]

Also......on the product to induce thirst........ya got that backwards. Product is RatX and active ingredient is corn gluten, which turns off thirst sensor........rats do not drink and die from dehydration. Or so the product claims. Some have tried it and it works......others......not so much.

 

[BDutch]

....,,,,..

I have always assumed the truth generally wins out, but with some, that is simply not the case.

Back to the OP's original question. Before accepting the premise of the question, what is the nature of the rat problem....starting with the fact that rats are drawn to food and shelter. If you are allowing them access to either or both, you are making it easy on them.

So what is the nature of the problem? Food? Shelter?

What have you done to deny them either or both?

The big boys in the poison industry are very good in marketing and in even buying test results. They are threatening people to get fired who want to go public with the truth. And people who work for this industry (threaten to) prosecute those people /organisations who still dare to go public.

This really happened (proven) with round-up wich kills bees and other insects.

 

[Howard E]

Poison.....or not...... debate set aside for now.......still hoping to find out from OP nature of their rat problem........what rats are eating now........where they are living now.......and what actions, if any, have been employed to date.

 

[cavemanrich]

caveman ps if the rats associated death with the water instead of the poison wouldn't they just stop drinking water??

A little background.
About 30 years ago, a friend that I attended High School with, was working for Chicago Sanitation Department. He is the one that told me what the City department was using, and how it worked. Maybe someone told him the wrong info. ..
Howard informs this thread that whatever they are using (now) works differently. I am not sure if the 30 year ago product was same as current one in use. Many things used then are banned now.