How to dispose of mouse poison?

[Hailey Knight]

Short story: had a mouse problem, couldn't solve with capture traps, got poison, haven't seen mouse in a month, time to get rid of poison.

The problem is, no one knows what to do with this stuff. Obviously I can't flush it, that's dangerous. The package says "ask someone", and the internet says the same. I'm guessing a lot of people just throw it out, despite how you're not supposed to just do that, if it's this hard to get info. Is there something I can buy to neutralize it before disposing of it? I can see now why people say not to buy this stuff; it's a pain in the ass to not have anymore.

 

[drifter]

Around here, there are hazardous waste facilities where you can drop that kind of stuff off. Try checking your city's website and looking up hazardous waste disposal.

 

[PatrThom]

Most mouse poison works because it is an anticoagulant, but there's no guarantee which anticoagulant it might be.

Don't know enough about the chemicals involved to suggest what will neutralize it. I assume blending it with sufficient muratic acid or pickling lime could chemically change it, but I don't know which one you would need NOR do I know if harmful byproducts would be produced. Some cursory Internet research suggests that thoroughly blending it with some sort of protein (soy/whey powder?) would render it inert, but I'll let someone more biochemically experienced speak to that.

--Patrick

 

[Hylian]

Have you tried calling your local poison control or fire department for suggestions?

 

[Hailey Knight]

Keep in mind, however, that summer is a time of plenty for vermin, you may not see them because they don't need to take risks for food. It may be that come winter when outside sources are unavailable or too cold to use that you'll see them again. It might be worth securely storing the poison for a year to ensure that they are no longer present.

I suppose so, but in the event that this did get rid of the trouble mouse, and we did get more intruders, I'd like to try the capture traps again on hopefully dumber mice.

But I suppose keeping it doesn't prevent me from doing so. I just get nervous having it in the house.

If I do decide to still get rid of it, guess I'll have to call the waste disposal locally. Thanks, everybody.

 

[Mathias]

Short story: had a mouse problem, couldn't solve with capture traps, got poison, haven't seen mouse in a month, time to get rid of poison.

The problem is, no one knows what to do with this stuff. Obviously I can't flush it, that's dangerous. The package says "ask someone", and the internet says the same. I'm guessing a lot of people just throw it out, despite how you're not supposed to just do that, if it's this hard to get info. Is there something I can buy to neutralize it before disposing of it? I can see now why people say not to buy this stuff; it's a pain in the ass to not have anymore.

What's the active ingredient?

 

[Hailey Knight]

What's the active ingredient?

Brodifacoum.

 

[PatrThom]

Oh great.

Brodifacoum is highly lethal to mammals and birds, and extremely lethal to fish. It is a highly cumulative poison, due to its high lipophilicity and extremely slow elimination.

...so it has a long half-life in the body, is cumulative, and decomposes slowly.

--Patrick

 

[Hailey Knight]

Yeah, that's terrific stuff.

The American Bird Conservancy has advocated[when?] that brodifacoum not be used by the general public.

Well why the fuck can any shmuck like me buy it then?! Fucking hell.

I'll call tomorrow and hope they can give me a solution. Never doing this again.

 

[HCGLNS]

You could always blend it into a bucket of rapid set cement and when it hardens just throw out the bucket.

 

[Hailey Knight]

You could always blend it into a bucket of rapid set cement and when it hardens just throw out the bucket.

Would that be safe though?

 

[HCGLNS]

Well if you blend it correctly, you would seal the poison in concrete in a plastic bucket, so human consumption would be minimal and it would take a long while for the poison to reach the environment.

 

[Hailey Knight]

Maybe. Part of this is because I have rodents I don't want poisoned and want to make sure I do this all properly.

I will call around tomorrow when government places are open. My wife informs me that a disposal center is right next to our subway/bus station.

 

[Mathias]

Brodifacoum.

You're dealing we a very, very small amount of poison. You have to eat a half a kilogram of rat or mouse poison for it to be lethal to the average adult. You could simply seal it in two ziplock bags and throw it away and it would likely never make it into the water table as-is. It isn't uranium.

http://www.inchem.org/documents/pds/pds/pest57_e.htm

The WHO recommends that animals killed using this poison be burned to avoid secondary poisoning via carcass or water runoff. However, secondary poisoning is very unlikely.

Even if other mammals or birds ingest the poison as is, they have to eat a lot of it for it to have the same effect as it does on mice and rats.

If you don't want to call around and figure out a different way of dealing with it, incineration destroys it just fine. The above link doesn't suggest that the burning smoke created poses a hazard, but I wouldn't breathe it in when burning it.

Honestly I think you may be overreacting a bit.

Agreed. Find out if your garbage pick up goes to an incinerator. Otherwise just burn it in a bucket in your yard.