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Rat / mouse poison (rodenticide bait block) — household safety profile

Extreme risk

Consumer rodenticide bait blocks or pellets containing second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) such as brodifacoum, or acute neurotoxic rodenticides such as bromethalin.

What is this product?

Consumer rodenticide bait blocks or pellets containing second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs) such as brodifacoum, or acute neurotoxic rodenticides such as bromethalin. SGARs inhibit vitamin K epoxide reductase, causing fatal internal hemorrhaging 3-7 days post-ingestion. Bromethalin uncouples oxidative phosphorylation, causing cerebral edema. Single-dose lethal to target rodents. Extreme hazard to children, pets, and non-target wildlife. Secondary poisoning of raptors and predators from SGARs is a major ecological concern.

What's in it

Click any compound name for its full safety profile, regulatory consensus, and exposure data.

Active Rodenticide

  • Brodifacoum — Second-generation anticoagulant. Half-life in human liver ~24 days. Single-dose lethal to rodents. Fatal to dogs at ~0.25 mg/kg. No effective antidote for bromethalin; Vitamin K1 is antidote for brodifacoum.

Active Rodenticide Alt

  • Bromethalin — Neurotoxic rodenticide. Uncouples oxidative phosphorylation. No antidote. Lethal to dogs at ~2.5 mg/kg. Cerebral edema is the cause of death.

How to use it more safely

  • Use ONLY in EPA-approved tamper-resistant bait stations
  • Place stations in locations completely inaccessible to children and pets
  • Check stations regularly and collect dead rodents promptly
  • Keep Vitamin K1 information available for veterinary emergencies

Red flags — when to walk away

  • Loose bait blocks without tamper-resistant station — Extreme ingestion risk to children and pets

Safer alternatives

  • Snap traps (modern enclosed designs) — Kill traps with no poison; eliminate secondary poisoning risk; enclosed designs reduce child/pet contact
  • Professional pest control (IPM approach) — Licensed applicators can use targeted methods with proper placement and monitoring

Frequently asked questions

What's in Rat / mouse poison (rodenticide bait block)?

This product type can contain: Brodifacoum, Bromethalin, among others. Click any compound name above for the full safety profile.

How can I use Rat / mouse poison (rodenticide bait block) more safely?

Use ONLY in EPA-approved tamper-resistant bait stations; Place stations in locations completely inaccessible to children and pets; Check stations regularly and collect dead rodents promptly

Are there safer alternatives to Rat / mouse poison (rodenticide bait block)?

Yes — consider: Snap traps (modern enclosed designs); Professional pest control (IPM approach). See the Safer alternatives section above for details.

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Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific information. Why we built ALETHEIA →