Rat poison, will it kill hedgehogs

[wellerjam]

Hi

I have a rat/mouse problem.

If i put poison down will it also kill the lovely hedgehogs that come into the garden?

thanks for any advice

[kshotton45]

Originally Posted by wellerjam

Hi

I have a rat/mouse problem.

If i put poison down will it also kill the lovely hedgehogs that come into the garden?

thanks for any advice

I would expect poison to kill hedgehogs.

Try a trap from here ..
Helst Pest Control Electronic Rat, Mouse Zappers Cages and Traps
The first 2 look dodgey ! But with the others a hedgehog shouldn't be able to get in the cages, but if they did you could release them.

Keith.

[Paul mabbott]

Rat/mouse poisons are based on warfarin which 'thins the blood' so that animals that digest it will suffer "strokes" from internal bleeding (rather than from clots). Clearly the amount of warfarin needed for fatality varies with the size of the animal - mice will be more rapidly affected than rats than foxes than humans ....
If the problem is within the house then use a mouse/rat killer - shouldn't affect anything else.
If it's outdoor then you need to take selective methods - enclosing the bait &c ... what is your basic problem?

[Cazzie]

Hi wellerjam and welcome to WAB - fan of the Jam by chance?!?

Ok, so onto your rattie problem....

In my opinion rat poison should only be used where it is confined from wildlife eg. down a drain for example. If this is not possible because that's not where your rats are, then a humane trap and alot of patients and regular checking of the trap is the only way to go about it methinks, but please don't bait it with poison - I've heard scrambled egg works!

Keep us posted on your rat-catching efforts, would be interested to see if and how you got them!

[RobSutton]

Originally Posted by Paul mabbott

Rat/mouse poisons are based on warfarin which 'thins the blood' so that animals that digest it will suffer "strokes" from internal bleeding (rather than from clots). Clearly the amount of warfarin needed for fatality varies with the size of the animal - mice will be more rapidly affected than rats than foxes than humans ....
If the problem is within the house then use a mouse/rat killer - shouldn't affect anything else.
If it's outdoor then you need to take selective methods - enclosing the bait &c ... what is your basic problem?

I'd heard that most animals would vomit up Warfarin at levels way below that needed to kill them but rats and mice don't do this so warfarin is a pretty specific rodenticide - not sure whether this is true, has anybody else heard this?

Not sure, either, whether I would use it because of the possible effect on mice and voles.

[Paul mabbott]

That's a bit reassuring! The mice have been into our pantry eating potatoes at a great rate and, i'm afraid, I've had to put out some pellets.
Quite interesting that they are coming imdoors so early and that they are eating pots - carrots there as well as a lot of dried food; I don't recall them specialising on the tatties before.
Normally they go for packeted things - flour, lentils, rice, nuts - with just the little nibble at fresh veg ...

Originally Posted by RobSutton

I'd heard that most animals would vomit up Warfarin at levels way below that needed to kill them but rats and mice don't do this so warfarin is a pretty specific rodenticide - not sure whether this is true, has anybody else heard this?

Not sure, either, whether I would use it because of the possible effect on mice and voles.

[thunder]

I think there are many more poisons than Warfarin used for rats nowadays. I would definitely be wary of using rat poison where any other animal could pick it up.

henrya

[demicav]

I agree, poison - bad idea. Only as a last resort and not where other animals can pick it up. Poison can get into the food chain and kill wildlife. If you have Hedgehogs I would be especially careful as They are on the decline anyway and need Hedgehog friendly gardens to live in. I would use humane traps and relocation, I only go for humane traps .

[Paul mabbott]

Quite so - always read the instructions and the components! Certainly all the mouse killers that I can find are warfarin based. I can't find anything going back to the Agatha Christie days of cyanide or strychnine which could be conveniently used to kill off a rich or inconvenient relative! Thankfully, I only want to deter some mice .... mind, I have this rich uncle ....

Originally Posted by thunder

I think there are many more poisons than Warfarin used for rats nowadays. I would definitely be wary of using rat poison where any other animal could pick it up.

henrya

[naturelover]

i have give up with my rats,as you know i have a rat problem this is how i found wab,i invested in the rat scarer worked for a while now there back,i dont see any rats just holes under my decking,they live off of fish pellets and sunflower seed, i have now stopped feeding the birds but i cant stop feeding my fish they look for me every morning,i will not use poisons or traps so they will just have to get on with it.