Why Does Toothpaste Kill Rats?
WouterFor many homeowners, toothpaste is a natural repellent for mice and rats. Unlike the poison used to kill mice and rats, toothpaste is not toxic. It is only dangerous in high concentrations. It works by preventing a rat’s blood from clotting, which makes it difficult for the rat to survive. However, toothpaste is not a good option if you have a large infestation of mice or rats. Luckily, toothpaste is not the only natural repellent for rats and mice. You can also use baking soda to repel these pests.
Rats are very intelligent and will avoid traps and poisons. You can use toothpaste as a natural repellent for rats, but only if it has a high enough sodium fluoride content. While toothpaste may kill rats in large quantities, small amounts do not have the same effect. The toothpaste is not dangerous for rats if it is mixed with bait.
One common way to kill mice is to sprinkle it with toothpaste. Mice can survive if they eat only a pea-sized amount of toothpaste, but if they ingest a large amount, they will die of the toxin it contains. To make matters worse, mice cannot vomit toothpaste, so they end up choking on it.
Sodium fluoride, the active ingredient in most toothpastes, is the culprit. It kills bacteria and germs in the mouth, but it is toxic to small mammals like rats. One rat can ingest up to 21 gm of toothpaste, the size of a pea, and die within a day. This is more than enough to kill an adult rat.
