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No, poison isn’t the best way to deal with animals in your attic. It’s unlikely to completely eradicate the problem, especially if you don’t take care of access points. Also, poisoned animals may die and decay in the attic, causing noxious odors. 

Some animals may leave the attic before the poison kills them, which could lead to nearby pets or other wildlife eating the animals and becoming poisoned themselves. Ultimately, it’s better to avoid using poison and contact a professional instead.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), fleas can carry human disease-causing pathogens for Plague, Flea-borne typhus, and Cat scratch disease. These diseases are caused by fleas such as Oropsylla montana, Xenopsylla cheopis, and Ctenocephalides felis, and are commonly found in rural areas of the western United States, California, Texas, and Hawaii. Fleaborne parasites like tapeworms can also be spread to people and animals if they accidentally swallow an infected flea, and small children are at a higher risk. Symptoms may not be present in most infected people.

Gel bait and gel bait traps use poison to kill cockroaches, and aren’t safe to use around pets. Many gel bait traps are called “child-resistant,” but this only means that the traps are hard to rip open for children. Large pets and children are still able to swallow them. If you use gel bait, use it in areas where pets and children can’t access them, such as under a washing machine. Another option is to use glue traps, which don’t contain pesticides and are safe to use around pets. 

Stink bugs can start reproducing a couple of weeks after they leave the nymph stages, which gives them several months to mate and start laying eggs. A single stink bug can lay up to 400 eggs in a lifetime, which can worsen an infestation. Stink bugs lay significantly more eggs in warmer climates where they stay active longer and have several rounds of egg laying.