Rat poison, also known as a rodenticide, is an extremely hazardous substance. Unfortunately, when rats decide to make a home in your basement, you’re left with no choice but to use it on them.
Once you’ve handled the rat situation, you might have some rat poison left.
Throwing rat poison in the trash is a bad idea because of how deadly this substance is.
It doesn’t just kill rats but can also harm other animals and even kids!
Here is everything you should know about safely disposing of rat poison.
Safe Ways to Dispose of Rat Poison
Rodenticides like rat poison usually have active chemicals like warfarin, bromadiolone, and chlorophacinone. All of these are considered high-risk ingredients that can have deadly effects.
These chemicals aren’t just hazardous to rodents. They can also kill other wildlife and be a health risk to your pets. Moreover, if children end up engulfing these chemicals, it can be extremely dangerous.
This is because these active ingredients stop your normal blood clotting processes. It can quickly lead to internal bleeding, which affects all organs and systems of the body.
Hence, it is crucial that you dispose of rat poison carefully and safely. Once it has served its purpose, you should follow the safe disposal methods mentioned below to get rid of it ASAP.
It is the best way to keep yourself, your family, your pets, and even the wildlife around you safe.
Talk to the Manufacturer
Some manufacturers also allow you to return your unused rat poison to them. However, you will have to make sure that the rat poison is still in its original packaging.
Simply give a call to the vendor who you bought the rat poison from.
You can ask them if they accept opened boxes of rat poison and how to return it back to them.
Consider Trash Disposal
This isn’t the best way to dispose of the unused rat poison. However, if you take care of all the precautions and follow the instructions, you can consider trash disposal for the rat poison.
Firstly, call the local trash management company and ask them how to dispose of the rodenticide. They will tell you the trash collection times and offer advice on how to safely dispose of the poison.
If you decide to dispose of the poison in the trash, make sure you keep it away from regular household garbage. This will help you contain the hazardous nature of the poison.
You can keep the poison in a container and seal it tight. Ensure that there is no room for the poison to escape.
Place the container in another bag and knot it up. This will ensure there is no leakage during the collection, handling, or disposal processes.
Talk to a Licensed Pest Control Operator
It can be a good idea to hand over the unused rat poison to a person who is qualified to use it.
Most neighborhoods have licensed pest control operators who are in charge of handling rodent populations. So, by reaching out to them, you can easily find a safe way to dispose of the rat poison.
Call the local pest control unit and schedule a time for you to drop off the poison to them. They might even offer to pick it up from your house if an operator plans to visit the neighborhood.
Before handing over the rat poison, make sure it is in its original packaging. Don’t repackage the product or keep it in a random container that you have lying around.
Also, ensure that the original packaging has the label intact. This will help the pest control operator distinguish between commercial class and domestic class rodenticides.
Give it to Neighbors
If you’re dealing with a rat infestation, it is highly likely that your neighbors are too.
Rats hardly ever stay in one area. They are more likely to spread out in different places in search of food and a safe space to give birth.
So, another safe and effective way to dispose of rat poison is by offering it to your neighbors. Ask if they are dealing with a rodent infestation as well, and offer them your unused poison if they are.
Not only will it help you get rid of the extra rat poison on your hands, but it will also help your neighbors.
Moreover, a rat infestation at your neighbors’ place risks the chances of these rodents returning to your house. So you’re basically hitting two birds with one stone through this!
Recycle the Rat Poison
You can also recycle the rat poison yourself. However, before you get started, make sure you confirm whether this is allowed in your state by the local waste management council.
Continue only if they give you the green light to go ahead with the recycling process.
Before you start, make sure you can find an appropriate recycling facility nearby to take the poison to. Reach out to the recycling facility and ask them for any specific guidelines to follow.
They will guide you on the right way to dispose of the rodenticide. Make sure you place the rat poison in a container that can be tightly sealed before you start the recycling process.
Incinerate the Rat Poison
Some states in America allow you to incinerate hazardous materials that you may have in the house.
Since rat poison is also labeled as a hazardous material, you can employ this method to dispose of it.
However, it is best to first call your local waste management company and ask about it. They are best situated to guide you on whether it is a good idea to incinerate the poison or not.
They will give you certain guidelines to follow when doing it. You should also ask them about any safety precautions to take care of when incinerating the poison.
Keep it for Future Use
If all else fails, you might decide to keep the rat poison around for future use.
This is especially true for people living in neighborhoods where these rodents are a recurring problem.
There are some ways in which you can keep the rat poison in a safe manner.
Firstly, you should make sure that you keep any unused rat poison baits in a secure location. This stands true for any poison powder or other form of poison that you may have used as well.
Keep it in a locked, signed, and vented cupboard in a room that people, especially kids, don’t frequently visit.
You should also label this cupboard and mention that it contains hazardous substances.
Safety Tips for Handling Rat Poison
Now that you know the many different ways of safely disposing of rat poison let’s move on.
Here are some important safety precautions to follow while handling any rodenticide.
Wear Disposable Gloves
Wearing disposable gloves before handing the rat poison is of utmost importance. It will prevent your skin from direct contact with the poison and eliminate any chances of ingestion.
Be sure to wash your hands well after you have disposed of the poison. As an added precaution, you should also change your clothes and shoes.
This will prevent any traces of the poison from entering your airways or sticking to your hands.
Don’t Dispose Of It in the Sink
Disposing of the rat poison in the sink is a terrible idea. Not only does it risk chances of water contamination in your neighborhood, but it can also become a major environmental hazard.
The deadly chemicals in the poison will quickly end up in groundwater. This water is supplied to the homes around your area. Additionally, the wildlife drinks this water.
You could even end up watering your backyard with this contaminated water!
Double Bag before Disposal
It is essential to double bag the rat poison before you dispose of it.
Regardless of whether you’re handing it off to the neighbors or you’ve reached out to a pest control operator. You need to place the poison in an airtight container and then wrap it up in a plastic bag.
This will prevent any instances of leakages as you carry the rat poison so its destination. It is also the right way to store the rat poison if you plan to use it at a later date.
Remove Affected Rodents
Lastly, it is important for you to properly remove and dispose of the dead rodents.
These rodents have died as a result of ingesting the poison. This means that the poison would have entered their bloodstream.
If these rats aren’t removed, other animals will end up eating them. The result of eating poisoned rats would be other animals also suffering from the deadly effects of the poison.
This is called secondary poisoning. It occurs quite frequently in areas with rat baiting programs.
The best way to keep the environment and its wildlife safe are by safely disposing of the rats.
Most rat poisons come with instructions on how to do so on the label. Simply follow these instructions to the dot and remove the rats from any accessible premises.
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