Why Do People Use Rat Poison to Manage Rats? A Mixed Methods Study in A Large American City

Authors

Maureen H. Murray, Lincoln Park ZooFollow
Danielle German, Johns Hopkins UniversityFollow
Jacqueline Y. Buckley, Lincoln Park ZooFollow
Seth B. Magle, Lincoln Park ZooFollow
Kaylee A. Byers, School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser UniversityFollow

Publication Date

12-18-2025

Commensal rats are managed worldwide using rat poisons known as anticoagulant rodenticides (ARs). ARs are a global health and conservation issue as they sicken and kill non-target animals that consume bait or poisoned rats. The public can use AR bait to manage rats without oversight, and so understanding why people use ARs is critical to reducing public use of, and demand for, ARs. We used a sequential explanatory mixed methods approach to examine 1) urban residents’ perceptions and use of rat poison, 2) drivers of rat poison use, and to 3) describe the reasons that poison was used. We surveyed households across Chicago (complete cases = 446) and used a path analysis to identify factors associated with rat poison use. A subset (n=50) also completed semi-structured qualitative interviews. Respondents who were more likely to use rat poison had highly negative attitudes about rats, more concern about disease from rats, held values supportive of lethal wildlife management, perceived more rat problems, and had lower incomes. Survey responses showed that rat poison was considered to be least important among a range of possible rat control actions. Qualitative data showed that lack of awareness of alternatives was the primary rationale for using rat poison. Messaging should increase public awareness of the risks associated with ARs and benefits of alternative methods using neutral language to avoid stoking hatred of rats. Reducing the public’s reliance on ARs while promoting sustainable rat control will help create healthier cities for people, pets, and wildlife around the world.

Recommended Citation

Murray, Maureen H.; German, Danielle; Buckley, Jacqueline Y.; Magle, Seth B.; and Byers, Kaylee A. (2025) "Why Do People Use Rat Poison to Manage Rats? A Mixed Methods Study in A Large American City," Cities and the Environment (CATE): Vol. 18: Iss. 3, Article 3.
DOI: 10.15365/1932-7048.1402
Available at: https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cate/vol18/iss3/3

DOI

10.15365/1932-7048.1402