Poison Is Bad — and, Undeniably, “Very Rude”

Warfarin laced rodent poisons are very dangerous to all living beings including children, pets, and non-target animals.

Check out the catchy beat and dance moves in this 30-second “Poison Is Bad” video…  As you can see, four out of four men in black clearly agree: Not only is poison bad, “It is very rude.” Seriously, though, everyone who knows the truth about poison knows it’s an outdated, cruel approach to rodent control. Not something you—as a 21st century human—want to even consider using.

Poison can cause death and physical suffering for the children, pets, and wildlife who accidentally encounter it in homes, yards, and other places where rats or mice (or even other animals) are being targeted. Why risk harming these innocent potential victims? In fact, why should the rats or mice you want to get rid of have to suffer the cruel and painful death that poison causes? They shouldn’t. There are better ways to solve your rat or mouse problem. Plus, it kind of goes without saying, but you’re definitely a way cooler person if you opt not to use an evil toxic substance on living creatures. Be smart. Be safe. Be kind. Have a clear conscience. Here’s how:

Not all rodent entryways are so large and obvious so be sure to look carefully for much smaller openings.

Find entryways and keep rats and mice out…

• Look for tiny openings or cracks around your home’s foundation
• See if there are holes around utility pipes or in deteriorating house siding material
• Use a sprinkling of baby powder on the ground along perimeters so you can look for tracks the next day and pinpoint the openings
• Seal up the openings you find with wire mesh or galvanized window screen
• Seal smaller openings with expanding foam insulation

Spilled bird seed attracts mice, rats, and the animals that prey on them.

Clean up whatever’s attracting them…

• Clean up crumbs under toasters and on countertops and tables
• Remove pet food dishes overnight
• Clean up spilled birdseed under feeders or in your garage
• Store your packaged foods in metal or glass containers
• Toss any food that shows evidence of mice or rats (droppings or chewed packaging)
• Keep vegetation trimmed back from your home’s foundation

Live trapping…

House mice chances of survival are diminished if you trap and release them outdoors. Even so, this is still a far more humane approach than using poison or glue boards. Live traps are available at most hardware or home improvement stores.

Lethal control…

The only lethal control you should consider is either the appropriate sized snap traps or those that use electricity (providing batteries are fully charged and trap is in proper working condition.) These traps are less inhumane, than poison or glue boards. If you’ve had to resort to killing with a trap, though, it’s imperative that you make sure you’ve sealed up entryways and cleaned up any food attractants. If you don’t take these basic steps to address the cause of your rat or mouse problem, you’re setting the stage for another round of killing.  And that would be very rude… and incredibly uncool.