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Garden and Livestock · Formula · Book recipe 9.12

Rodent bait (baking soda)

Mice and rats cannot vomit or burp, and a baking soda bait turns that against them: eaten in a sweet or fatty food, the powder fizzes into gas they have no way to release.

Member articleHandle with careWorks without power

How it works

Mix the bait
Place in tough spots
Mouse eats it
Hands-off control

Inside this article

What you'll need
Steps
Warnings
Storage and shelf life

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What is in this article

  • The method at a glance: mix the bait, then place in tough spots, then mouse eats it, then hands-off control
  • The exact numbers: bait, mix, best for, place, refresh
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  • Storage and shelf life for the raw compound and the finished mix
  • A printable one-page PDF of this article

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Prefer paper? This is Recipe 9.12, page 52, in Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide.

Questions this answers

Tap a question for the short answer.

How do I make mouse bait with baking soda?

The bait is baking soda blended into a sweet or fatty food that mice want to eat, mixed well enough that they cannot pick around the powder, then set out along their runways.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

Does baking soda kill mice?

It can, though results vary. Mice and rats cannot vomit or burp, so baking soda eaten in bait reacts with stomach acid and makes gas they have no way to release.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

What is a rodent bait that is safe around pets and livestock?

Baking soda bait is an alternative to poison, but it still belongs where children, pets, and non-target animals cannot reach it, and never near food storage or prep areas.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

How often should I replace homemade mouse bait?

Homemade bait needs regular refreshing, because a stale, dried-out dab stops drawing mice. Mix it fresh instead of storing it, and move any dish the mice keep ignoring.

Members get the exact amounts and every step.

Where should I put rodent bait in a barn or shed?

Set bait along walls and runways, near droppings or chew marks, and in gaps too tight for a trap. Outbuildings suit it best, since a mouse that dies out of sight will not stink up living areas.

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Keep going

Read nextBaking SodaThe most versatile powder in the book: antacid, cleaner, deodorizer, leavening, fire suppressant, and the raw material for stronger washing soda.Compounds and Cleaning · Compound

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Garden and Livestock · FormulaSource: Prepper's Chemical Survival Guide, Recipe 9.12, p. 52 · Last reviewed 2026-09-18

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