Eco Friendly Pest Control- Part Two

With the FDA banning of many horrible rodent poisons from the consumer market, I am beginning to feel safe about installing an owl box or enrolling in some falconry courses for mice control. I read some horrible articles about American owl populations dwindling due to poisons which may be consumed by their primary rodent food sources.

I am planning on building an owl box in the near future; I will be certain to post some pictures, and hopefully have some new house guests to introduce!

Eco Friendly Pest Control- Part One

 E-mail to me from a concerned homeowner:

"I really do not do well with killing animals, but I also did not want to share my living space with a mouse.... I did a great amount of research on mice control, and was particularly horrified with stories of the various poisons on the market- the EPA revoked several this year for their unsafe presence in the home. I definitely did not want my dog to sniff around and gobble any chemicals intended for mice control! That being said, I don't think my pup would be to happy if I introduced a cat into the house for my mouse problem...

I had success with the Smart Mouse Trap, and was able to release the critters it caught, but I'm worried that I am just scratching the surface... What else do you recommend?"

I am sharing this e-mail, and including the same mice control tips I gave my friend in need of advice. For a successful repellant, you can obtain pellets made with fox urine, which is great with evacuating mousey invaders. At this stage, it sounded like the mild alternatives, such as mint, that I suggested in an earlier post would be entirely effective.

Safe Tips for Everyday Mouse Control

Dealing with rodent and mice control is frustrating at the worst of times, but the last thing many home owners wish to do is cover their home and food supply with common pest control chemicals. Many people do not approve of the use of poisonous sprays in their homes. This resistance can be born from several concerns. Traditional chemicals may worry homeowners for their concern with their children or pets, or may be personally unsettling for them. Homeowners who feel this hesitance need to feel comfort that introducing toxic substances to their homes is not their only choice, and rodents in your home can be controlled beyond standard methods.

The key to natural pest control lies in removing access to points of infestation; aggressively locating and sealing holes is the only way to ensure long-term victory in the war for mice control. This can be quite a difficult job, and one must be quite thorough. Considering that mice can squeeze through quarter inch wide cracks, the necessity to be diligent is understood. But once openings are located, they can be permanently blocked with steel wool; which is one of the few materials mice cannot chew through. While the initial location and blocking of mouse entrances may be daunting, with enough dedication homeowners are capable of keeping rodents out of their abodes.

Just as important as securing your home's exterior is making its interior as unappealing to mice as possible. Make sure to secure all food in air-tight containers, so that there is no way for mice to nibble into boxes. Cleaning and vacuuming should be a daily activity, keeping mice from smelling and searching for bits of food on floors. Certain oils and smells are effective for mice control, so you can scent your home with herbs to keep rodents away. Studies have shown applications of peppermint oil can act as mild repellant for mice control, as can moth balls. These tasks are time consuming and require diligence on the homeowner's part; not everyone may have the time for this, and in such circumstances hired pest control effectively relieves much burden. If you decide to have mice control problems professionally handled, ask your contracted help what green services and options they have added to their traditional packages.

Mice vs. Larger Rodents

Rodents are characterized by their continuously growing teeth, which includes two prominent incisors on the upper jaw that must be kept short through any means possible. The order of “rodents,” coming from the Latin rodens meaning “to gnaw,” is made up by mice, rats, squirrels, chipmunks, porcupines, and beavers. Rodents chew their way through most materials for the upkeep of their dental hygiene; which can be particularly devastating for some homeowners, with home damage from rodents estimated to be in the millions each year. There is no discrimination for rodents when it comes to finding things to chew on: plastic trash cans, fire wood piles, ransacked birdfeeders, and home-grown vegetable patches are all susceptible to the toothed vandalism of rats, squirrels and chipmunks.

If you are beginning to see the signs of damage on your property from the filing of rodent teeth, a good first course of action would be an assessment of the scope of damage and attempting to identify the nest and size of the rodent colony. A helpful rule of thumb is that the smaller the rodent implies a large colony. No matter their size, having more of the same rodent often means more damages, which will help determine the chemicals and methods used in the specific rodent pest control mission. If a larger group of rodents, such as squirrels, have been feeding on your home’s exterior, setting up traps intermittently in corners and along the walls could just as effectively send the message out to all rodents and have them avoid your home in the future. If mice control is needed in your home’s infrastructure, it would be more effective to release a wide-scale fumigation procedure so that all the mice are exterminated on the spot, which is best administered by a rodent control professional. While mice control may be a great annoyance, the lingering smell post-disposal may be even worse.