Last Updated on: 4th June 2022, 09:38 am
Ammonia is a corrosive compound. As anyone who has smelled ammonia will attest, the odor can irritate the nose, eyes, and throat.
Smelling it can lead to coughing, nausea, and headaches. However, these symptoms go away as soon as someone ceases to be exposed to ammonia.
For rats to die due to the smell of ammonia, they’d need to inhale a lot of this gas for a protracted amount of time. You’d need to trap the ammonia gas with the rat inside.
To get rats to ingest ammonia, mix it with peanut butter or chocolate to disguise the strong scent.
If a rat consumes enough ammonia, it’ll die within 24 hours. It’s difficult to get rats to ingest enough ammonia in one sitting. Instead, it’s better to use ammonia as a rat repellent than rat poison.
What Is Ammonia?
Ammonia (NH3) is a colorless compound with an extremely strong smell. Ammonia readily reacts with water to produce ammonium hydroxide, which is a corrosive compound.
Living organisms are full of moisture, both on the skin’s surface and inside the body. When ammonia is swallowed, comes into contact with the skin, or is breathed in, it can damage cells upon contact.
Rats exposed to ammonia will experience the following symptoms:
- Irritated eyes
- Irritated airways
- Blindness
- Lung damage
- Death
Does Ammonia Repel Rats?
Rats are averse to the smell of ammonia because it’s one of the compounds found in urine.
When rats smell urine, they’ll think that a cat or dog (predatory animal) is nearby. This makes the smell of ammonia more effective as a rat repellent than as a rat poison.
Mixing Bleach And Ammonia To Kill Rats
Bleach and ammonia create chloramine gas, which is toxic to humans and animals. When you’re exposed to chloramine gas, you may experience the following symptoms:
- Burning and watery eyes
- Coughing
- Wheezing
- Difficulty breathing
- Nausea
- Pain in airways, including throat, chest, and lungs
- Fluid build-up in lungs
There are very few cases where people have died from accidental exposure to chloramine gas.
After all, the smell is so pungent and corrosive that people immediately leave. However, if you stay in the area, it can lead to death or cause permanent damage to your airways.
So, never combine household cleaners, whether you’re using them as rat poison or to clean your home. Combining household cleaners won’t result in a cleaner home or a more effective poison.
How To Use Ammonia To Kill Rats
The lethal median dose of liquid ammonia in rats is 350 mg.
An average-sized rat would need to ingest a little less than 1 gram of ammonia. This equates to about ½ tsp of ammonia.
To get rats to die from ingesting ammonia, a rat will have to eat ½ tsp of ammonia in one sitting. Ammonia has a strong odor, so you’ll need something to mask the smell and entice the rat.
Ammonia And Peanut Butter
The most common way people use ammonia as rat poison is by mixing it with peanut butter.
Because peanut butter contains a lot of oil, it’s a common addition to many rat poisons that have a pungent smell. It’s also the ideal texture for masking other ingredients that rats may not like.
For this method, you’ll need the following:
- 4 tsp of ammonia
- 1/2 cup of peanut butter
Mix the two ingredients into a disposable plastic container. Ensure that the ammonia is fully incorporated into the peanut butter, so mix it thoroughly.
Then, form the mixture into peanut butter balls. Wear gloves so that your scent will not be transferred to the mixture. For this amount, you’ll yield about 4 peanut butter balls.
Place the peanut butter bait balls in spaces where rats frequent. Close off any easy exit routes to ensure that the rats don’t run off with the peanut butter balls.
Ammonia And Chocolate Powder Mix
Another way to mask the smell of ammonia is by using chocolate. Like peanut butter, chocolate is rich in oils, which are a great way to mask the smell of ammonia.
Be sure to use a chocolate mix with a lot of sugar and cocoa. This will be the mix that can best mask the smell of ammonia.
For this method, you’ll need the following:
- 2 tsp ammonia
- 1/3 cup of chocolate mix
In a disposable plastic container, mix the ammonia and chocolate to form a paste. Then, transfer it into bowls and place them in areas that rats frequent.
Ammonia And Sugar
An alternative to the previous method is by switching chocolate mix with sugar.
Like chocolate mix, sugar will mask the scent of ammonia, although to a lesser degree. For this method, swap out the chocolate mix for equal parts sugar.
Ammonia Rat Repellent
Ammonia works better as a repellent than as a rat poison.
To use ammonia as rat repellent, use these methods:
Ammonia And Dish Soap
An easy way to make an ammonia rat repellent is by adding dish soap. Dish soap allows the mixture to stay on surfaces better, so the ammonia can be effective.
For this method, you’ll need the following:
- 2 cups of ammonia
- 1 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon of dishwashing liquid
Mix all of these ingredients in a bowl. Then, place the solution in exits and entrances around your home.
Rags Soaked In Ammonia
If you don’t mind the strong smell of ammonia but don’t want bowls all over your home, this method is a good alternative.
Create the ammonia solution in the method above, and make enough to soak some rags. Then, place the rags near entrances and exits. You may also place the rags in possible hiding spots.
Remember to change out the rags once they dry out.
Ammonia Spray
Leaving out bowls of ammonia will release the strongest scent. However, if you don’t want the smell of ammonia to be too strong, using a spray is a good alternative.
For this method, place the ammonia, water, and dishwashing liquid solution inside a spray bottle. Then, spray entrances and exits around your home.
Include spaces where you’ve seen rats frequent and other possible hiding spaces. Do this regularly, ideally in the morning and evening, to drive rats out.
