Red Clover is the source of the the blood thinner Coumadin, and the rat poison Warfarin, which is a slow-kill repeat-bait poison and among the safest and most effective rat poisons in common use.
Warfarin was discovered after Canadian cattle ate improperly stored (moldy) red clover and began to hemorrhage and die. In 1930 the active ingredient "coumarin" was isolated from this clover. In 1940 the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation patented a coumarin compounded called Warfarin (named after the foundation's initials). In 1952 warfarin was first used as an anticoagulant on humans, and today it (or some other coumarin derivative) is used by patients with artificial heart valves or who are in danger of thrombosis (blood clots).
When used as a rodenticide, warfarin should be set out in feed-on-demand bait stations for at least two weeks. Other anticoagulants that work about the same as warfarin are brodifacoum, bromadiolone, chlorophacinone, diphacinone, fumarin, pival, and PMP. Some rat and mouse populations have become resistant to warfarin and other anti-coagulants -- a good reason to temporarily discontine warfarin after a few months and switch to zinc phosphate or another quick-killing raticide.
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