Most rat baits are toxic to other animals if they happen to chew or chomp on a dead rat. This is a deadly but non-toxic method to kill rats by using Instant Potato flakes or powder. Here in Australia they are marketed as "Deb" Instant Potato and there are also generic or 'home' brands available. The brand doesn't matter at all.
Simply make a small opening in the sachet so the rats get a smell of it and place it in a dry place where the rats can find it. The rats will gorge themselves on it and it makes them thirsty. When they take a drink, the potato flakes/powder expands to many times in size and it bursts the gut of the rat and they die instantly. It's no more painful than the slow death by internal bleeding that is caused when the usual rat baits are used and if an animal happens to pick it up there's nothing toxic that can harm them.
Source: My local Nurseryman who uses this method to safely kill the rats that eat his young vegetable plants.
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I'm curious as to why if the potato flakes/powder expands to many times in size in a rat it would not act the same way in other animals and birds. Does anyone know?
Because the flakes have already expanded in the mouses gut
I used the potato flakes and I don't see it did how long will this take it seems like I'm feeding the rap more than killing it
Unlike other animals, rats have very little esophageal muscle strength and are unable to vomit.
They can't burp or fart either.
That make sense
Primarily because rats and mice have a one way digestive system, and they can't burp or vomit. The same effects happen when you feed them soda, the carbonation causing them to swell up.
Using carbonated drinks such as colas does not kill rats because they don't drink enough to have the desired effect. Voice of experience.
Yeah, I'm not so sure this would be safe for other animals to ingest either.
The instant potatoes expand when coming into contact with the liquid the rat/mouse drinks after eating them. Once expanded, they don't continue to expand, so don't endanger anything else that would eat the dead animal.
The idea is to place the packets discreetly in areas where only rats or mice would likely be crawling. Other animals don't usually pick up the toxic baits either if the bait is placed carefully. Once the rat or mouse is dead there's no chance of the powder or flakes expanding any further.
How does it effect skunks I have a lot of them
This would be a very cruel way to kill any animal. If the gut bursts, the animal does not "die instantly". It will develop peritonitis and die a painful death over a period of days.
You realize the poison that is used causes internal bleeding until they die. A bust gut isn't going to be anymore painful then that
I absolutely agree with you. I am struggling to find a humane way to deter rats. My next move will be to plant Corsican Mint through out my garden.
Shotguns and even rat traps are far more instant/humane than busting somethings gut and letting it die slowly over days.
Seriously? Who the heck cares about cruelty to a roof rat of all things? Frankly I would rather have a scorpion problem. I have had a roof rat issue for years now. I've had my home inspected, treated, put carpenters cloth over every opening, cut back all my trees, maintained a monthly pest service for 2 years, and they still find a way. They are beyobd gross, disgusting, freakishly destructive, with absolutely no redeeming value at all.
Agreed. Consider this: A male and female rat, over a year, will create 30,000 rats.
I totally understand where you're coming from... BUT, how would you propose to get rats outta your attic & garage destroying everything??? I'm just asking...
Lol its a rat. They carry diseases that are transferable to humans such as how the plague spread. Its definitely not the nicest but its effective.
Why would anybody care how painful it is it's a RAT
Can someonentell me exactly how to do it ...I have 4 baby mice in my house i fed them chocolate with clonidine pills and they ate all of it and did not affect them.Anyway need details about Potatoes. and about the water part do I need to puit water down as well so they drink it...asap...
not only that if the potatoes does the job quickly then they wont suffer too long, but a slow acting poisen i could definitely see the argument that its cruel, therefore i think any labeld to kill mice should have to cause the smallest amount of pain possible, although we cant have them in our homes, but we should try not to torture them either
We put 5 pouches on peppermint oil around , it DIDN'T get rid of them
Stop allowing your feelings control you, by doing that you end up trying to control other people too by telling them that they are inhumane for killing rats, and then everyone will be overrun by rodents, that's the world we would live in if we all think like you do lol!
Dupperdog, obviously youve never had a unwelcome guest in your home.
mashed potato flakes works..frankly I dont care if they are in pain or not..we have a plague here where I live and I now have bad lung infection because of constantly cleaning up after disgusting disease ridden things..they can cause a lot of health problems
Be interested to know how the Corsican mint deterrent works please.
It's called empathy, you sociopath. FYI rats are the only species of animal that experience time the same way we do. Not even Chimps have a true sense of time enough to look forward to the future. They are also HIGHLY intelligent and emotional and actually play with toys and each other. I had one that would curl up string in a neat circle on the window sill then drop it over and over. I've had many and they would give me kisses before accepting a treat from me. I could go on, but I doubt it will impress someone who doesn't care about cruelty such as yourself
I understand your concerns and I agree. Unfortunately, they have caused me 10s of thousands of dollars in repairs from their destruction and it is not stopping. I even have cats but still the rats are getting worse and worse. If there was a way to make them go elsewhere I would. Killing them seems like my only option.
With all the diseases and humans that have died due to rats infecting them with different plagues, none are which are instant deaths! I want to say the rats get what's coming in the same for their fleas!
The rats in my yard run right through all my mint bushes . I think they are taunting me.
Peppermint doesnt work. Tried, failed many times. Just smells better.
But in addition to the potato flakes I heard you can mix peanut butter with equal parts BAKING SODA this causes their CO2 to raise and makes them acidotic, or throw off their PH internally. This shuts down their metabolic function ( a little like carbon monoxide in humans, except its not carbon monoxide) This would just put them to sleep and then stop their breathing ultimately. Only draw back I can see is that if the potatoes work quickly they may die outside the home so you can dispose of them properly, If they go to sleep in your walls and roof, you may have to smell them decomposing for a number of weeks. But I dont know enough to say for sure. Im trying potatoes tonight with a tiny bit of sugar substitute, then I will scout the yard, drainage points, pool & water sources for carcasses. Wish me luck! If potatoes dont work, Ill try baking soda
I dont know that they have pain receptors that are the same as ours though. I watched a video of a man testing capsaicin in his barn with a night vision motion sensor video & they had no hesitation eating the peppers. if mice and rats eating Diablo peppers without hesitation or impact, Considering that they cant vomit and the peppers destroyed a full grown man,but had zero impact on both big rats and tiny field mice - then it makes me wonder. And since capsaicin is the chemical signal in pain conduction to the brain - it makes you wonder if they feel pain the same way we would. I dont have an Answer to your higher question about it all, although I agree. But I have literally tried every deterrent, electronic, sonic, UV light& every recommended smell they dont like, peppermint, citronella, ammonia, even considered moth balls except they decompose to a toxic gas that I couldnt get rid of from the walls and attic. So other than a very small cat that could maneuver in the attic and walls, I am out of ideas my friend. Even though I agree with you. The other consideration in deterring them from living in my roof, is for my neighbors. My neighbors and I seem to share visitors on garbage day, they are smart and they know! My dogs have always let me know when they were visiting. So I knew when they were here and more importantly, when they may have left. Now they let me know they are living in the roof over the garage and I heard scratching in the wall . I tried to talk myself into snap traps but after my dog brought me the back half in the house, that isnt what I want her eating, so that was the end of that. The exterminator recommended glue traps, which I think would be torture. But we just found the glue trap moved to another area, stuck to a wall but no rat. The electrocuting traps would be more excruciating for them. & same issue with my dog. And given that they are in the wall now I cant wait any longer. . So Im with you, in the broader sense, & I tried to make it uncomfortable for them to live here- although, they would just go to my neighbors, so doesnt really solve the issue - and I am not comfortable sending them to the next property over. The snap trap has its issues as well. The baking soda may be the most humane and least toxic risk to kids and pets and going to sleep after their favorite meal of peanut butter isnt the worst of options. But I cant say I would be comfortable with their decomposing bodies sending potential pathogens through the ventilation in the entire house either. I dont know my friend, I dont have an Answer. Just doing the best I can considering all the pros and cons. Wish I had a better way. But Its getting worse despite past efforts. So I have to try the potatoes but Ill add the baking soda and hope they go quickly in their sleep, outside . But their pain sensory system is not the same as humans, and so I hope that means they would not Experience what we would in the same scenario.
I tried this with mint, the rats just find a way around it all, and I'm having bad problems with them in my Attic...
Potato Flakes has helped some, I've tried everything but rat poison, so far the flakes r winning.
Mint repels rats. If mint is close to the potato flakes, the rats wont eat it. They hate the smell of mint.
I agree with you Ive been dealing with riff rats for over a year now my dog has become neurotic they broke my oven they take my stuff and no matter how I kill they just dont seem to go away I at first didnt like to harm them but now I want them all dead my basement looks like an excavation site from them digging up through so I say hill then kill then all plus my house stinks like urine
Let me just increase your idea by 1,000%. Mix the potato flakes with baking soda. The recipe I am using that is 100% effective, is Jiffy corn muffin mix mixed with baking soda 50-50. It also is non-poisonous and does not have secondary poisoning. It works even faster than waiting for them to go find a drink. The acid in their stomach is so high that it causes death within just about a day or so. You can mix a couple of tablespoons at a time or you can mix the whole box with equal amount of baking soda and place in little containers around where you see their action. And you can put some containers in your barn, your well pump house room, under your car hoods, on your equipment motors etc. It does not cause secondary poisoning. Since they can't burp or fart they die. Any animal that eats them will have no problem because they can burp or fart.
Just put the instant potatoes out as noted earlier. The rodent eats the potatoes, leaves the area looking for water, find it, drinks, bye bye rodent.
This is the same way some commercial baites work - but perhaps toxic to pets and kids.
i use instant potatoes to kill the nasty disaise ridden mice and woodrats that invade and desroy my home. i do mean destruction.i wouldnt harm an aminal but these distugesting critters are not your pet store rats.
And it works well cuz I can't take these mice no more lol traps and stuff like that is not working and I have kids and a baby so no harmful stuff here..
I want to know how to make the potato flakes at home please
no need to make them..... its just instant mashed potatoes any grocery store carries them.
I've had a rat to the wall and is stuck in my bathroom I put ammonia in a bowl and I could still hear I now put potato flakes with water and it still not just how long will it take for it to die if any
You don't make potato flakes you buy them at Kroger's or Dollar General put the potato place out they will kill the rats they are rats remember that they are disgusting carrying diseases stop being a wussy
I've heard you can roll them into balls in peanut butter or nutella
The instant potato flakes sound great. I just spoke to a women that had a rat problem as am I. She told me the she put out Bob Evans mashed potatoes and the rats gorged on them and died. They glue traps made today are too easy for rats to get out of if the struggle, and some are so smart they know what the are and avoid them even when placed in their pathways. I have a live catch trap that I can catch them in and release them but I have a couple left that are to smart for that. I just heated up some Bob Evans mashed potatoes and put a half stick of butter in it. I hope it works. People cannot ignore these creatures. They will take over if left to their own resources.
Why would you cook them & add butter? Curious. I have tried everything to get rid of them exterminator caught 12 in my attic. Sick sick sick. Now they are in my kitchen and come out anytime. So these flakes I pray work.
I believe that she is trying to bait the live trap with the cooked mashed potatoes and butter, not kill them by using the dry potatoes.
Good luck, I hope you find the solution to your problem.
Hey!! Cooking them defeats the whole purpose!! Use instant dried potato flakes. Pour the flakes into a small bowl or plate and put where you find rat droppings. They eat them and the dehydrated flakes swell in their stomach and kill them.
The prepared, cooked mashed potatoes with butter will not kill the rats. The instant potatoes need to be NOT prepared, and as they are out of the package to be able to kill the rats.
If you make mashed potatoes and butter for the rats, you'll only create more of a rat problem because the prepared mashed potatoes won't kill any rats.
Youre not supposed to cook them!! Pour the flakes directly from the box onto a paper plate and place in a hot spot.
Cooked potatoes don't work. You are giving them a tasty treat
I think you are supposed to put just the powered potato flakes out so rodents eat it dry.. then when they drink water, the dry stuff swells up.
you dont make them, you give them to the rats dry. if youre makeing them 1st , with milk water and butter, youre just feeding them.. dry instant potato flakes is what ya want..
I used the instant potatoes dry and put eaquel in it and it worked i put it in one placeIn my kitchen i cut the bottom off a plastic cup and put it in it it draws them out and gone my husband had to refill a couple times a day until they didnt eat it anymore and I saw no more mice it works !!!
Old farmers trick- add some plaster of paris to your favorite mix. Turns to a rock in their gut.
Anybody who has had a rat fill the engine compartment of their car with mesquite bean seed pods, jumping cholla, dog shit and whatever else they chew up and chew thru whatever wires are in their way causing thousands of dollars in repairs will wish for the rats slow and painful death
I have also seen this guy on youtube that gives pretty good advice and experiments different methods www.youtube.com/
Rats should be destroyed by any means necessary. I saw one in my bathroom, then in living room in broad daylight. I dont care how painful the death is, my home is more important to me. I put out the large glue traps and the critter has avoided them. I put out six, since 4 days ago and in the areas Ive seen the rat, Im on my way to get plaster of Paris , and baking soda. I need these critters gone.
I've been waiting to try this. The rats have taken over my entire house. There everywhere in my kitchen at night including all my counters and I see three or four of them at a time I've been trying to battle this for months. I'm willing to try this and anything else that will help rid me of this problem because my landlord sure aren't trying to help and I can't afford to move
I want to use the potato flakes on the mice in my house but if they take so long to die aren't you afraid they will go back into the walls and die?? Then you have another problem!
I am thinking this may be a great alternative to poison. I am going to try and put a half full bucket of water nearby in hopes they fall in and drown hopefully making their death faster.
Has anyone tried this method personally I tried it however I ddnt add the water please let me know if you did it firsthand
Yes..had a mouse problem. Potato flakes, voila!
Dead in 3 to 4 days
This is simple and makes perfect sense people. Let me spell it out. DRY instant potato flakes double or triple in mass size when liquid is added to them, a Rats Body has liquid in it and they are physically incapable of burping or puke. Ergo : 1 Scoop(or more)of DRY uncooked flakes + Liquid in Rat body = 2-3 Scoops(or more) of hydrated potato flakes inside Rat intestinal tract...the Rat pigs out on DRY flakes and isnt prepared for eating more, the flakes absorb and deplete its body of water and it becomes thirsty(but there is NO water around), the flakes continue to dehydrate and expand in the rats digestion areas causing a rupture of its guts and therefore killing it. Make sense? P.S. They hate ground Black Pepper:)
Quit sitting on high horses, everyone loves animals of some kind, but frankly put there aint enough food in the world to waste it on (most likely diseased) rats. So kill them, cause otherwise they find someone else to but the crap out of. Goodnight:)
How long does it take for the mouse to die after eating the flakes? Will it take several hours in which case the mouse will probably crawl underneath something and die and then rot and start to stink? Or does the stomach burst right away?
I was reading your article about using instant potato flakes to kill mice. apparently they eat the potato flakes and then when they drink water the potato swells up and makes their stomach burst and "die instantly". but I'm writing to let you know that that is not true, the desk can be slow and painful from internal bleeding. A ruptured. Will not stop their heart, or cease brain activity. It will cause tremendous pain and bleeding. There are many ways to kill mice that are more humane and quicker. Snap traps and electric traps that shock the mice are the best ways to KILL them (when used correctly), but if you want it to be even more humane than that, you can purchase a reusable "catch and release" trap that you will bait with peanut butter, and then dump the mice out at least 100 yards from your house. these are usually clear plastic and can be purchased online very cheaply. The best thing is that they are reusable and you don't have to touch dead mice. Whatever you choose to use however, just realize that something like potato flakes which swells up, orother types of rat poison do not cause instantaneous death. rather a lot of suffering. And the worst type of trap of all is the glue trap. The mice will struggle until they rip their own limbs off, or starve and dehydrate. they can't even suffer heart attacks from the stress just like humans. Long story short, potatoes might be instant, but the death is not.
Well said though I have no idea if you'll ever see my comment. I've been trying salted peanut butter, then noticed that they did not like that. So I scattered salted sunflowers seeds around (close 3,000 of sodium per quarter cup). I thought it would be the same as using Ratx but it turns out that the corn gluten is what stops them from being thirsty. I was really trying to be humane but obviously botched the effort.
I've killed at least 30 rats with glue traps, babies are the easiest to catch, as they are tiny and can't get loose. I then put them in the plastic bag, take them outside and bang the plastic bag against a wall till they stop moving, and into the garbage they go. Am now trying the instant mash potatoes as I have more rats once again. They ate the first stuff I put down so we will see in the next few days whether it works or not.
Did the potato powder work on your rat problem back in Oct 2020?
I have used one whole box of potato flakes and the rat is still eating it did not kill it. Don't even bother useing potatoe flakes,tom cat rat kill or ramik green none of them have worked.if you don't believe me,waste your money.im waiting for it to come out and hit it with the beebee gun it
Potato flakes to rats are like potato chips to us! We all gorge on them!! O we all die from them From? NO. Do not bother buying boxes of dried potato flakes unless you want to throw a huge gorgeous for all the rats in your neighbourhood!!!! From personal experience with a horrible and sudden rat infestation during Covid 19 in our backyard, NOTHING I TRIED WORKED. The potato flakes I put out piled on small terracotta plant pot bases, were SWARMED by RATS within minutes of putting these dishes out.!! I was HORRIFIED by the sheer QUANTITY OF RATS we had. I had seen one early in June and thought that was gross,and that he was passing through ( we have the only greenery and a man made creek for drinking from) so this is lush and private but also...a rats paradise!!!!!! By July we had 6 adult rats per terracotta plate full of dried potato flakes....a cruiseship feast and they were healthy and happy and could care less about my presence mere feet away. They caused a lot of sleepness nights. I list the Summer. Didn't sit out and read my book in the backyard..all I thought about was HOW TO GET RID OF RATS. I watched YouTube videos, I made special peanut butter and plaster rat appetiser balls, I bought lavender and peppermint oils. What I SHOULD HAVE DONE THOUGH UPON FIRSTVRAT SIGHTING WAS TO CALL A PEST CONTROL EXPERT. I ended up having to do that after all. 4 black boxes full of rat poison. My problems were basically solved within 2 weeks. I still pay for monthly service, just in case. It's been a year. We still occasionally find dead ones but mostly.mice zip by. That's OK, in comparison. So word to the wise: DONT WAIT if you see a rat in your house or garden. CALL A PEST EXPERT IMMEDIATELY. They reproduce like crazy and you will have a huge disgusting infestation before you know it. They chewed all wires in parked car rendering it unusable. They chewed all wires in our outdoor lighting and pond/waterfall feature. Security cameras too. The soil where their underground nest was located has sunk down several feet and our creek water feature now leaks water like crazy. They are a true financial and osychological menace. Don't " wait for them to leave on their own" as I did. They will NOT go on their own volition and none of these Internet rat irradiation tricks actually works.
A little powdered cheese goes a long way to make it more attractive, therefore they love the way to die! You know by the old notion both rats and mice love cheese.
After all we are enemies and All is fair and Love and war.
I've been using potato flakes now for 2 weeks, for rats in my attic. I must have several dozen at least, I've found only about 4 dead rats, I'm putting out 8 cups a flakes a day, and I'm still seeing rats. All of the flakes r deff. Being eaten, wondering how long to get rid of the entire herd, I'm at my wits end. I have pets, so I cant use poison. Peppermint oil didn't phase them at all, they drank it up. Guess I just keep pouring the flakes out 4 ever, I've never had to deal with rats ever till this year.
This all was grate for a lol
But use the red rat poison
And I use peanut butter with chocolate dip the rat poison in it and throw the blocks out
Believe me they will be gone
The other way unless theyre in a area where you can pick up the dead bodies they will die in your walls and they will stink everything up believe me the other one dehydrates them
I havent tried the baking soda I would never try the potatoes I would attract them unless I mixed it with plaster Paris no I would take the potatoes and shake those flakes with Pastor Paris
And A little Bayleaf blender of course to a powder
With some borax and chicken noodle soup flavouring
Now this sounds all weird but it works like a charm
And the person that put butter and milk in the potatoes made me laugh so hard that I almost pissed myself
And the one that is on here thats whining about killing rats just get off of here when your house is infested with rats and theyre chewing everything that you have including your electrical wiring and straighten your house on fire then youll come see the site and be glad you have a recipe to kill those dirty little beep beep with
If you use baking soda they wont eat it
But the borax is tasteless
They love the taste of the leaf
I love chicken noodle
And why not use some plaster Paris with it
It seems like a lot of ingredients to get
But you are trying to kill them arent you
And a little bit goes a long long way
For them that cant use the red poison
But they get smart really smart
And rats once theyve gone there they will follow each others trail because they dont have A way to keep their urine in the urine everywhere as they walk in the other ones just follow the urine trail
They cannot control their bladder
But yeah that made me laugh about the mashed potatoes with butter and milk I never laughed so hard in my life
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