Rat poisons are also known as rodenticides. They are chemicals normally used to kill rats. However, there have been some arguments that it could also be used to kill snakes. While some people believe this, others simply don’t. But what is the real truth about this matter? Will rat poison kill snakes? We have properly examined the “facts” in this article
As we said earlier, rat poisons are chemical compounds designed to kill only rats, not snakes or other reptiles. Rat poison works by causing internal bleeding when ingested by a rat. Rat poisons are of so many types, and they also differ in their active ingredients. However, they usually work the same way, i.e., they cause internal bleeding upon ingestion. The most common active ingredients of many rodenticides are warfarin, sodium flouro-acetate, stychnine alkaloid, thallium sulphate, endrin.
Will rat poison kill a snake?
Technically, if a snake happens to ingest the active ingredients of most rodenticides, then it will die through internal bleeding. However, there is something else to consider. First, not all species of snakes will die after ingesting some of these active ingredients. Snakes are of different species. Some bigger snake species have been observed to be unaffected by rodenticides.
Second, making a snake ingest a rodenticide may be hard to come by because most snakes feed on “living things,” i.e., smaller animals or insects, and not “poisonable foodstuffs.”
will a snake eat a poisoned rat?
Yes! a snake will eat a poisoned rat but this is usually rare. Why? This is because rats, after consuming poisoned food, will go into hiding once they start to feel the effects of the poison. This usually keeps them out of reach of snakes. However, there could be instances where the snake might still be able to find a poisoned rat.
You may be wondering: If a snake eats a poisoned rat, will it die from secondary poisoning?
Under laboratory conditions, it was confirmed that snakes that ate rodents poisoned with a high amount of various rodenticides did not die from secondary poisoning. The active ingredients of the rodenticides carried out in this research were Sodium fluoroacetate, Strychnine alkaloid, Thallium sulphate, Wafarin and endrin. Further research also showed that snakes were able to survive secondary poisons from rodenticides because they use their energy slowly and are able to give off the poisons over a long period of time, even when the poisons are consumed in high concentration.
if you’re planning to use poisoned rats to kill or chase snakes away, I am sorry. This might not work under normal conditions. Why? This is because rats, after consuming poisoned food, will go into hiding once they start to feel the effects of the poison. This most often keeps them out of reach of snakes. However, there could be instances where the snake might still be able to find the poisoned rat.
As I mentioned earlier, under laboratory research, snakes didn’t die from rat poisoning. However, this study was only limited to some snakes and some rodenticides, which may not be the same for every snake and rodenticide, but this shows that the chances of snakes dying from secondary poisoning from rodenticides are very low. This is not the best method to deal with a snake living in an area.
Can rat poison be used to kill snakes?
Yes! It is possible to kill snakes with rat poison; however, this may not work for all species of snakes. We already know that rat poisons are not designed to kill snakes and that not all snakes would be killed by rat poison, but it would still be effective in killing some types of snakes.
This method may be effective for snakes that eat eggs. Poisoned eggs can kill snakes if consumed.
How to Use Rat Poison to Kill Snakes
A poisoned egg can be used to kill some types of snakes. Poisoned eggs can be prepared in the following steps.
1) Make a hole in the shell of a fresh egg.
2) Put crystals of strychnine or any other rodenticide of your choice into the egg through the hole made
3) Place a piece of paper over the hole and allow it to dry.
4) Place the poisoned egg in potential hiding places for the snake.
5) Wait for the bait to be taken.
When using this method, it is advised that the eggs are properly marked and not used indiscriminately. This is done to avoid poisoning pets and other farm animals in the environment. If the eggs are not eaten within three days, it should be removed because it will become unattractive to snakes.
This method can be very helpful when trying to curtail the incursion of snakes living within an area. However, they can only work for egg eating snakes
Is Rat Poison an ideal way to kill snakes?
Is this an ideal method for killing snakes? This is a question of morality. Yes, we know that most snakes can be dangerous to humans, but there is no denying that poisoning is a horrific way to kill a pest. But hey, I’m not the one to judge. If people use poison to kill rats, why not harmful snakes?
There are also many other ecological problems that could be caused by the use of poison to kill snakes. For example, predators such as hawks and owls that feed on poisoned snakes may become harmed from secondary poisoning, and this could lead to death.
There are also problems that could occur when handling rat poisons. For example, the improper handling of rat poison can put both homeowners and pets at risk. Rat poisons can also pollute the environment, both in water bodies and soil.
Snakes help to reduce rodent populations, so the excessive killing of snakes may result in an overpopulation of rodents, upsetting the ecological balance.
Apart from all these, there are some laws that protect some species of snakes, so you should take note of that before planning to kill a snake.
Conclusion
Rat poison will kill snakes. The active ingredients of most rodenticides are potent enough to kill snakes. However, as research shows, snakes will not die from secondary poisoning after feeding on a poisoned rat. The only way snakes can really die from rat poison is by primary poisoning. This can happen when a snake feeds on a poisoned egg or water. Killing snakes with rat poison is not a viable long-term solution; therefore, it is advised to seek the services of a pest control company if you have a snake problem.
