Strychnine

Strychnine is the main ingredient used in rodenticide bait products to treat mice and rats. Strychnine is so potent that it can also eliminate larger pests like gophers.

Solutions Pest & Lawn is proud to carry products containing this powerful active ingredient. On this page, you can learn more about Strychnine and why it works so effectively to kill even the toughest rodent and gopher infestations and shop the strychnine contained products in our inventory.

What is Strychnine?

Strychnine is a lethal natural substance that is used for the control of rodents and wild animals. Strychnine is highly toxic and can be rapidly absorbed through the mucous membranes of the mouth, stomach, and small intestines. Most products containing Strychnine are restricted use rodenticides, which only certified pest control professionals can purchase and use, but some are available without the restriction (like Martin's Gopher Bait 50)

In its original form, Strychnine is a white, odorless, bitter crystalline powder that can be taken by mouth, inhaled (breathed in), or mixed in a solution and given intravenously (injected directly into a vein). Strychnine was first registered as a pesticide by the EPA in 1947. 

Strychnine is registered below ground as a bait application to control pocket gophers. The end-use products are formulated as grain-based bait or a paste.

How Does Strychnine Work?

Mode of Action

Strychnine is a powerfully lethal active ingredient that works by preventing the proper operation of the chemical that controls nerve signals to the muscles. When it comes to rodents, Strychnine boosts the reflex irritability of the spinal cord, which causes a loss of control of the motor functions in the rodent, causing severe contractions of the muscles. One typical symptom of Strychnine poison is an arching of the back.

Strychnine rapidly enters the blood upon ingestion, and symptoms appear as quickly as 20 minutes. The symptoms begin with cramps and soon grow into erratic convulsions that start and stop. The respiratory muscles are also affected, which leads to respiratory failure and death.

Benefits of Strychnine

Strychnine is a highly potent pesticide for rodent control. It is highly effective in small doses for treating rodents.

Drawbacks of Strychnine

Most pesticides containing the active ingredient are restricted-use products due to being highly toxic, so only licensed pest control applicators can use them.

Is Strychnine Safe?

Strychnine is safe to use only by licensed pest control applicators and is mostly a restricted-use product due to EPA regulations. Since most strychnine-based baits are placed below ground to control gophers and rodents, the person most at risk of exposure is the handler of the pest control product.

Personal protective equipment is required to lessen the risks of inhaling, ingesting, or touching the skin. The minimum PPE suggested when handling strychnine-based products includes chemical-resistant gloves, eye protection, and dust masks.

What To Expect

Baiting can be done manually or with the use of application equipment. Typical application equipment includes a burrow-builder, which digs artificial tunnels, or an impinger, which "injects" bait into the animal's tunnel. You should expect very fast results as within ten minutes to two hours after ingestion, complications and lethal symptoms occur, which result in sudden death.

Featured Products

Martin's Gopher Bait 50 - Martin's Gopher Bait 50 treated grain is made with strychnine and applied directly into the gopher's tunnel. After ingesting the bait, gophers die within a few hours. It is the most effective and economical bait available to kill gophers.