We have mice in our house. My wife wants to buy a bunch of traps and set them all over the place. I’d rather just get some poison bait and be done with it. You guys are the pros, what do you use or recommend? B.B., Hollis, NH

There’s no one answer to this question. It depends on your specific situation –- and that’s why it’s best to have a professional on site to evaluate the problem.

Each control method has its advantages and disadvantages. If people are going to do their own mouse control, we generally recommend sticking to traps just because too many people don’t know how to use poison baits correctly, or they place bait and forget it. There is always a risk if bait is not safely applied and monitored. If you have small children or pets, you probably want to avoid the use of toxic mouse baits.

WHICH TYPE OF TRAP IS BEST?

If you decide to use mouse traps, there’s also the question of whether to use standard snap traps or disposable glue board traps. Again, each method has advantages and disadvantages. See this blog for help on making this decision: Mice! Glue Traps or Snap Traps?

Trapping mice may be a bit more labor intensive than placing bait. You have to frequently check, and re-bait, and re-set or replace the traps (see How to Place Snap Traps for Mice). One of the biggest advantages to traps, though, is that you can dispose of the dead mouse, avoiding the unpleasant experience of a smelly, rotting mouse hidden somewhere in a wall void (see Use Traps to Avoid Dead Mouse Odors). That odor can linger for weeks and can even result in invasions of insects that feed on carcasses. When mice eat toxic bait, you have no control over where they end up dying.

PROTECT CHILDREN AND PETS WHEN CONTROLLING MICE

Whatever method you choose, be sure to use a tamper-resistant bait station that keeps children and pets from getting to the bait or trap. Poison baits sold to consumers should come with a protective cover for the bait in the package. Any professional exterminator that you contact will place poison bait in inaccessible locations or will supply protective bait stations as part of their baiting program. Even mouse traps should be under protective cover because little fingers (or tails) can be caught in the trap just as easily as mice.

A PROFESSIONAL WILL RECOMMEND THE BEST METHOD

If you call Colonial Pest, we work with you to come up with the best plan to eliminate your mouse problem and we work with you until all of the mice are gone. In some cases, we may even use a combination of control methods in different locations in and around your home…and we do all the messy work. What we use depends on the size of the infestation, the location of the infestation, what the mice are feeding on, and our customer’s concerns. Our technicians know mice and know where to locate baits and traps. Ask us about mouse-proofing, too. We provide a service that will locate and seal up all of those little openings that mice use to get inside. Call Colonial today!

Photo Credit : By Karen Rustad – http://flickr.com/photos/mllerustad/53919426/in/set-1169139/, CC BY-SA 2.0, Link