Can You Kill Mice With Salt?

by Derrick | Last Updated: May 25, 2023

Killing a mouse with salt? Statistics show that 14 million American families have a mice infestation where they live, so there is no harm in trying to kill mice with salt. But is it effective?

We could say yes but under certain conditions. Salt will kill rats if they eat at least 80 grams and have no access to water. If you can gather these conditions, it is possible to say that salt can kill rats; otherwise, there may be other options.

Experts in this field always question the actual effectiveness of salt in killing rats. Many rumors claim that it is only a myth. The experts recommend getting products specially formulated for this type of extermination. Some sectors support the use of this method. However, reality tells us that there is still no conclusive evidence that ratifies or denies the effectiveness of salt as a rat exterminator. Nevertheless, we will approach this subject in greater depth in this article to know more about salt to eliminate these unpleasant rodents.

What Is The Effect Of Salt On Mice?

Salt will not significantly change the health of mice if consumed in minor or moderate amounts. The reality is that salt is, on the contrary, an essential part of the diet of mice since no mammal could survive without salt in its diet.

You can find evidence of this in house mice. These rodents nibble and eat salty snacks such as pet food, crumbs, and spicy leftovers. We also have wild mice that continually nibble on nuts, seeds, and vegetables with salt.

However, it is essential to be clear that, as in many circumstances, consuming salt in high quantities is not healthy for anyone and not even for mice. Recent studies indicate that excess salt is harmful to the brains of mice. Specifically, many National Institutes of Health suggest that mice with diets high in salt show changes in their immune system and gut. This situation can lead to brain damage due to decreased blood flow to the brain.

Additionally, mice on high-salt diets show an accumulation of a protein in the brain linked to Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. With this picture a little clearer, we could conclude that salt in moderation is acceptable. Still, too much salt is not suitable for mice, which brings us to our initial issue: can too much salt kill mice?

Can You Kill Mice With Salt?

Theoretically, yes, too much salt can kill mice. The truth is that too much of almost anything is always toxic to any living thing.

Perhaps the more appropriate question is, do mice eat enough salt to be poisoned and die from that consumption? There is no verifiable evidence in this scenario since mice tend to have many food sources available to them, either in the home or in the environment where they live. If you place a bowl full of salt, it is unlikely that a mouse will sit down to eat it entirely unless there aren’t other food options.

How Much Salt Do Mice Have To Consume To Die?

Mice will die with more than 70-75 grams of salt circulating. However, it is best to administer an amount above these levels to ensure that the poisoning will be fatal. Because of this, experts recommend feeding one kilo of your bait with 80 grams of salt, which is above the threshold of death. Applying this recipe will take between 18 and 24 hours for the mice to die after consumption and total water deprivation.

What Are The Advantages Of Using Salt As A Mice Poison?

Many people choose to use salt to kill mice because it is a product that offers multiple benefits in achieving this goal. Some of them are:

• Salt is perhaps one of the most economical ways we can find to diminish the mice population in case we have an infestation of rodents in our house.
• Salt is a material that is always available and very easy to find.
• Salt is much safer than commercial mouse poisons that could quickly kill our pets. Although salt can also affect our pets if accidentally eaten, it is less lethal than commercial poisons and rarely kills them.

Physiological Consequences Of Excess Salt In Mice

The fact that the tiny mouse body causes salt ions to accumulate more rapidly can produce harmful effects sooner than the same amount of salt in humans.

Acute salt poisoning in mice will produce gastroenteritis and inflammation. Other consequences in mice will be neurological signs, where they will experience general weakness, muscular paralysis, blindness, and deafness.

Suppose the mouse does not get to drink plenty of water soon. In that case, the resulting burning effect will also permanently damage the stomach and intestinal lining, usually resulting in the rodent’s death.

How Can I Get The Mice To Eat Salt?

This point is precisely the most complex to achieve. Initially, getting the mice to eat the amount of salt necessary to die may be challenging, so the only thing left to do is trick them. The strategy of deception depends entirely on the bait. There are two main bait options: cheese and rat chow.

Large Amounts Of Salt And Cheese

When you are addicted to cartoons like Tom and Jerry, you may have the preconceived idea that cheese is the only food that attracts mice. However, this image of mice and cheese is an exaggerated stereotype. Cheese is not exactly the favorite food of mice as we see them on television, but they will still eat it because they are omnivores.

• Cheese is the ideal bait because of its strong odor in all directions. Like any other animal in hunting mode, mice use their sense of smell to locate food.
• The first action to do is to get a slice of pungent-smelling cheese seasoned with 80 grams of salt, enough to kill these pesky rodents.
• Test a piece of the cheese to ensure it is strong enough for the mice. Remember that your goal is to get the mice to eat as much as possible. In addition, you must deprive them of water and other food scraps in the house; their only food source should be cheese seasoned with salt.
• Cover all water sources and leave the sink dry to ensure the salt has the desired effect on the mice.
• Don’t limit yourself to cheese alone; try bacon, oily fish, or any other strong-smelling food, but always keep the salt at the 80-gram threshold.

Large Amounts Of Salt And Rat Chow

• To create this killer diet, you should get 930 grams of rat chow, designed to attract lab rats.
• Then, put at least 80 grams of salt in an odorless bowl or dish. Consider it momentarily; getting such a small animal to consume 80 grams of salt is difficult. For this reason, you must mix these ingredients properly so that the mice will eat them all without heartburn being a problem during the feast.

Ethical Considerations of Using Salt To Get Rid Of Mice

When discussing pest control methods, it’s essential to consider the ethical implications of the chosen approach. Using salt to kill mice, as described in the article, raises several ethical concerns.

Firstly, the method involves causing the mice to consume a lethal amount of salt, leading to a potentially painful and distressing death due to dehydration and organ failure. This approach may be considered inhumane, as it does not provide the animal with a quick, painless end. It’s important to remember that while mice can be pests, they are also sentient beings capable of experiencing pain and suffering.

Secondly, this method requires the mice to be deprived of other food and water sources, which could prolong their suffering before they eventually consume the salt-laden bait. This could be seen as an unnecessary infliction of suffering, mainly when alternative pest control methods are available that could be considered more humane.

In light of these ethical considerations, exploring other pest control methods that minimize suffering is advisable. Humane traps that capture mice without harming them, for example, allow for the possibility of releasing the mice in a location where they won’t pose a problem. Alternatively, professional pest control services often have access to methods that can quickly and humanely deal with a mouse infestation.

Other Natural Methods To Kill or Control Mice (Natural Poison & Deterrants)

1. Peppermint Oil: Mice dislike the smell of peppermint oil. Soak cotton balls in it and place them where you’ve seen mice or suspect they might be entering your home.
2. Mothballs: Mothballs can deter mice, but they should be used cautiously as they can harm humans and pets if ingested or inhaled.
3. Humane Traps: These traps capture mice without killing them, allowing you to release them far away from your home.
4. Ultrasonic Devices: These devices emit high-frequency sounds unpleasant to mice and can deter them from entering your home.
5. Cayenne Pepper: Sprinkling cayenne pepper around entry points can deter mice as they dislike the strong smell and taste.
6. Cloves or Clove Oil: Like peppermint oil, mice dislike the smell of cloves. Place whole cloves or cotton balls soaked in clove oil in mouse-prone areas.
7. Ammonia: Ammonia smells like predator urine to mice and can scare them away. However, it should be used cautiously due to its strong smell and potential to cause harm to humans and pets.
8. Baking Soda: Baking soda is often mentioned as a natural method to kill mice. The idea is that when the mice ingest the baking soda, it reacts with the acid in their stomachs and produces gas. As mice cannot burp to release this gas, it can cause internal blockages or ruptures, leading to death.A Final Thought On Killing Mice With Salt

Can we kill mice with salt? If and only we can get them to consume 75 to 80 grams of salt. This task is hard to achieve, so using baits such as cheese, bacon, fish, or Rat Chow is best. These baits will trick the rodents into consuming the dose of salt that will cause their extermination.