Will Antifreeze Kill Rats? (Only if You Use This Method)

Rats are really troublesome especially when they start to destroy your belongings and trash everything else around them.

But there are a few things that you can do to end their party pretty soon. In this article, we are going to show you how to use antifreeze to kill rats.

Can Antifreeze Eliminate Rats? Yes, it can. When rats ingest antifreeze, it quickly becomes lethal as it obstructs their kidneys. Ethylene glycol, commonly known as antifreeze, is highly toxic, making it a formidable foe against these rodents.

What Will You Need to Kill Rats With Antifreeze?

This is very easy to do, you only need:

• An empty bottle
• Pair of scissors
• Antifreeze solution

How to Kill Rats With Antifreeze?

1 – Grab an empty bottle and make a small round hole with some scissors in it, just enough for a rat to enter. Cut the hole on the side and a little above the bottom.

2 – Then, pour some antifreeze coolant inside of it. It doesn’t matter which one it is, as long as it smells good it will work.

3 – Place the bottle strategically in the area where you have seen signs of rat activity, make sure to keep it off limits for pets and small children.

Many rats fall for these traps if they are not used to them, once they’ll taste the antifreeze liquid they will end up dying in a matter of hours.

Pro tip: If you are looking for some DIY rat extermination check our guide.

How Long Does It Take a Rat to Die from Antifreeze

The time it takes for a rat to die from antifreeze ingestion can vary depending on several factors, including the concentration of the antifreeze, the size of the rat, and the amount ingested. Here are some key points from the search results:

• Ingestive responses of rats to ethylene glycol-based antifreeze were found to be inversely related to concentration. This means that rats may have different reactions and time to death depending on the concentration of the antifreeze.
  
  
• Antifreeze does not kill rats instantly, and it can take a few days for the rat to die. The correct dose of antifreeze causes a slow and potentially painful death for the rat.
  
  
• The size of the rat can also affect the time it takes for the antifreeze to take effect. If the rat ate over a teaspoon of antifreeze, it may die within 24 hours. If it didn’t, it will die a little bit later on.
  
  
• Variables such as the size of the rat and the amount ingested can affect the time it takes for a rat to die from antifreeze poisoning. On average, it takes about 1 to 3 days for a rat to die from antifreeze poisoning.

Other Things That Will Kill Rats

Here is a list of many other things that will kill rats in case you have them at hand in your home.

Will Ammonia Kill Rats?

Ammonia does not kill rats, but the strong smell of ammonia works great as a deterrent. If you want to keep rats away from a specific area just pour some ammonia strategically and they will avoid those areas for sure.

Will Baking Soda Kill Rats?

Baking soda (AKA sodium bicarbonate) will kill rats if they ingest it. When baking soda starts to be digested it will produce a lot of gas and rats will die from the internal pressure caused by it.

They are not able to pass gas through their intestines and release it, thus ending up dead.

Will Cats Kill Rats?

Cats will kill rats because it’s part of their nature, they are hunters and rats are the perfect prey for them to chase. Unfortunately, cats are not the solution for a large infestation of rats but can handle a rat or two that appear once in a while.

Will Dcon Kill Rats?

d-CON products have many solutions to kill rats, from baits to traps they are effective in their own way. You can use them around your home in strategic places to kill any rats that might be there.

Decon usually takes 4 to 5 days to kill rats after feeding themselves with bait.

Will Ferrets Kill Rats?

Ferrets will definitely kill rats, in fact, many farmers use them to exterminate rats around the farm from time to time.

Ferrets are predatory animals that have the instinct to hunt, usually, they are fed with pre-killed rats to start sharpening their senses and prepare them to kill rats.

Will Gopher Poison Kill Rats?

Gopher poison will kill rats but it is not labeled for such a task. Gopher poison is known for having a highly toxic gas to rodents and other animals. This will happen due to zinc phosphide poisoning which is the main ingredient of it.

Will Instant Potatoes Kill Rats?

Instant potatoes also known as potato flakes will kill rats when they eat them. Once rats eat instant potato mix they’ll become thirsty, after drinking water the mashed potato mix expands in size rats will either die from the pressure of it or from starvation because new food will not be able to enter.

Will Mouse Poison Kill Rats?

Mouse poison will kill rats as well but it might take longer than expected. Rodenticides are designed to kill any type of rodent but specific ones have higher concentrations to become more efficient. Larger quantities of mouse poison given the time will kill a large rat as well.

Will Tomcat Mouse Killer Kill Rats?

Yes, tomcat mouse killer bait can kill up to 10 rats. Although is mainly produced to kill mice it is also effective against rats. Rats will enter the station to eat tomcat mouse killer bait and then will exit to go to their nests, after 1-2 days later they end up dying.

Will Uncooked Rice Kill Rats?

Uncooked rice will not kill rats, it might be effective against mice but not with rats. This is a common misconception by popular beliefs but when testing against rats uncooked rice had no effect in killing rats effectively.

Will Vinegar Kill Rats?

You can use vinegar to kill rats if you mix it with baking soda. When you mix vinegar and baking soda together you can create a poison that is able to kill rats effectively. If applied strategically in rat-infested areas it will work well against them.