3 Pet-Safe Options To Rid Your Home Of Mice

As a homeowner, you want the peace of mind that your home is free of mice. However, as a pet owner, you want to make sure that your preferred rodent control methods won't harm your furry family members. Check out a few pet-friendly alternatives for rodent control that will help you get rid of and keep mice away from your property.

Set out Live Traps

Though traditional snap traps are an effective way to get rid of mice, they're not a good fit for households that have pets. If your curious cat, dog, or small pet messes with the trap, they will get snapped. The bait that draws mice to the trap also attracts pets.

Instead of snap traps, set out live traps throughout your home. Live traps don't pose a threat to your pet and the configuration of the trap will conceal the bait so that it's difficult for your pet to access. Should you opt for live traps, check them at least twice a day.

Avoid using sticky traps to catch mice. Not only are these traps painful to the mice, but they pose a dangerous risk to your pets. Sticky traps don't discriminate, and your pet can wind up with significant injuries if they access the trap. 

Utilize Scents to Deter Mice

With pets in your home, you want to stay away from using poison to eradicate mice from your property. Swap poisonous alternatives for mice deterrents that use scent to discourage mice from taking up residence in your home.

There are a couple of different options to explore. Sprinkling cayenne pepper in mice-prone areas will help keep them away; cayenne also has the benefit of being safe for your pets. Cinnamon is another scent mice try to stay away from. Though it's safe for cinnamon to be around your pets, you don't want them to eat it. Only use cinnamon in places you know your pets can't get to, like cabinets or your attic.

Mint is another scent that rodents don't like. You can plant mint plants around the foundation of your home, or you may sprinkle dried or fresh mint leaves anywhere you've found mice droppings. 

Seal off Entry Points to Your Home

It's important to make your home as difficult as possible for mice to enter. Call in the help of a professional exterminator to help you identify areas where mice might be entering your home, like cracks and crevices in the foundation or doors and windows with insufficient weather stripping. Examine all the pipes that enter your home to make sure they properly connect and have no space where mice might fit.

For more information, contact a local pest control service.


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