Five Things Not To Do When Dealing With Mice Infestations: Tips For Parents Of Small Children

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If you've found mouse droppings or seen a mouse rushing across a room, you need to start a pest extermination strategy as soon as possible. Remember, mice are incredibly fast breeders, and if you ignore the issue, it can get a lot worse, really fast. However, if you have small children in the house, there are special safety rules you should keep in mind.

Most importantly, here are five things you shouldn't do if you're trying to get rid of mice and you have kids:

1.  Don't use poison.

Mouse poison typically works as an anticoagulant, meaning it causes uncontrolled bleeding inside the mice until they die. These poisons can also be extremely toxic to children. In some cases, especially if you buy colored poison pellets or ones flavored with something sweet, the poisons can even attract children. Even if your little ones don't eat the poison, they may be affected by breathing near the poison.

2. Don't put traps in insecure places.

Snap traps and little fingers can be a painful combination, and if a trap is loaded with peanut butter, it may attract toddlers just as much as it attracts mice. If you decide to use snap traps, put them in out-of-the-way locations that your kids cannot access. In particular, if you put traps in the back of cupboards or drawers, invest in a child lock for that cupboard or drawer so that your child cannot accidentally get to the trap.

3. Don't just focus on the daytime.

Mice tend to be more active in the night when everyone in your house is sleeping. To match the natural activity cycle of these pests and to keep your children safe, try to focus on extra extermination methods in the evening. Once your kids are in bed for the night, put out some poison or snap traps. Then, make sure to clean everything up in the morning before the kids wake up.

This method is the safest if your kids are still in a crib or co-sleeping with you. If you have toddlers who are prone to waking up in the middle of the night or who can easily leave their rooms without you noticing, you may even want to avoid poison and snap traps in the middle of the night.

4. Don't forget to buy some oil

Sticky traps can be an effective alternative to snap traps, and if you have a new mama mouse in the house, a single sticky trap can get a lot of her babies at once. Best of all, if your child gets into the sticky traps, there's no worry of potential injuries. However, your child may get stuck to one of these traps. To dissolve the adhesive and pull the trap off your child's skin without pain, you just need to apply oil liberally. Because of that, you should make sure that you're well stocked on olive or vegetable oil before you use these traps.

5. Don't miss the opportunity for a new pet.

Having a mouse infestation can be pretty disturbing, but there's a silver lining to almost everything. Consider using your predicament as encouragement to get a new pet. Head down to your local shelter and look for a full grown cat. Ideally, you want a cat that is old enough to hunt well but not too decrepit to handle the job. In most cases, your kids will love the new pet, and your mouse population certainly won't.

Dealing with mouse infestation can be difficult. If trying to eradicate the issue on your own isn't working, contact a specialist at a company like American Pest Control Inc. Exterminators have all kinds of methods that can work to get rid of mice, regardless of whether or not you have small children or toddlers in the home.

22 February 2017