If you are tired of trying homemade concoctions and remedies that don’t work, or setting out mouse traps that have no results, then Mouse Poison is a sure way to get rid of the rodents.
Poison is so far the most successful way of dealing with mice. But this delicate process needs to be executed with a lot of care and the strength of the poison must be carefully assessed.
Choosing The Right Mouse Poison
A range of different types are available; some suppliers even offer ‘Professional’ grade poison. This type has area restrictions meaning limitation on where it can be used, such as indoors only. Other poisons are specifically for outdoor use only, but have a higher potency.
The sales of such items are restricted by The Health & Safety Department due to loss of control during use. The poison can be carelessly used outdoors and put the lives of stray animals or birds or farm animals etc. at risk.
How Mouse Poison Works
Elaborating on the previous section, there are different types of mouse poison available, and each has a designated use and work differently. To determine the best type of mouse poison for your rodent problem while keeping in mind your family, it’s best to learn about the common agents of mouse poison and how they work.
Anticoagulants
This is the most common type on the market. This poison completely blocks and stops further formation of Vitamin K in the body. Due to this, the rodent is unable to create blood clots and eventually dies.
On a side note, you should also know that anticoagulants further come in several types and will take approximately two weeks to exterminate a mouse according to the strength of the specific anticoagulant used.
Products containing hydroxycoumadin and Warfarin kill a mouse after several intakes. Brodifacoum and Bromadiolone, also known as super warfarin, also categorize under anticoagulant, but are quick acting and strong.
Metal Phosphides
These are super-fast and kill a mouse within 3 days. The main element is zinc, and the poison forms a toxic phosphine gas after entering the body. This is recommended when the mice are apparently immune to standard anticoagulants.
Another advantage to this is that there is very low risk of poisoning if eaten by your pet, since it doesn’t reside in the animal’s tissues.
Hypercalcemia
A complex poison that kills rodents using insane levels of vitamins. Absorption of calcium through food is tripled. The more food the mouse ingests, the higher the calcium levels are raised to the point that it starts damaging organs. The mouse dies within a week of ingestion.
Once you have selected your poison (pun intended), you’ll need to learn how to store it safely, how to use the poison in what amounts and cleaning up after the job is done. Precautionary measures must also be taken so the poison is not consumed by pets or infants.
Storing Mouse Poison When Your Not Using It
It is crucial that mouse poison be stored away safely as it is highly dangerous to both humans and animals. Even though storage methods and how to use safely are given at the back of most products, common human carelessness can put your family members at risk of accessing the poison.
By properly storing:
- Poisons of all types must be out of reach of children (especially infants) and pets.
- They should be locked away in a high cupboard or store.
- Children or pets must not have ease of access to baits and traps.
- Poison should never be stored in the kitchen or near food and water sources.
Benefits of Using a Mouse Bait Station
It is not recommended that the poison be placed in corners out in the open. Although the concept of a bait station is relatively new, it is beneficial and can make the poison ingestion process more effective.
- Protection against exposure to poison.
- Preserving the bait for longer by keeping it dust and moisture free. Exposure to open air for extended periods reduces the effectiveness of the bait.
- Avoid spillage.
- Makes placing and securing the bait in hard to reach house locations easier.
- User can easily and constantly check the station to see whether the bait has been fed on.
- Bait transfer without touching it.
Safely Setting Mouse Bait Stations
Bait stations are set in place carefully and safely so that no one other than the pesky mouse reaches it. An ideal location is somewhere the mouse can easily reach and access it. Normally people prefer setting the station in attics and crawl spaces. These two areas are the breeding grounds for mice.
The station options vary depending on your house and rodent situation. So sometimes you will prefer to select a very hard to reach area but where the mouse can still go.
- Behind stoves and ovens.
- Behind refrigerators.
- Underneath kitchen sinks.
- Behind toilets.
WARNING: UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCE should the bait be used on its own. The poison must always be placed in a mouse bait station that is specially designed for holding bait in and keeping pets out. These small techniques help prevent access and accidental ingestion but precautions are still necessary.
Minimizing Risks of Mouse Poison to Children and Pets
The most common reason why pets or children get poisoned by mouse bait is due to the lack of a proper bait station. Invest in a good bait station as it doesn’t cost a lot and is a small fee to pay for the wellbeing of your family.
Because the mouse becomes weak after ingesting poison, it is likely that the house cat or dog will eat it up, therefore eating the poison along with the rodent. Immediate action must be taken.
In case of ingestion of anticoagulants by a pet, a Vitamin K treatment will cancel out the effects and chances of recovery are more.
Metal Phosphides are comparatively safer, but that doesn’t mean that it can be safely ingested by larger animals or children in large quantities with no damage.
As mentioned before, keep the bait stations in an area where the mice are prone to visit but the animals and infants stay away from.
In the event that the poison is ingested by a member of the family, keep the necessary counter medicine for it or any agent or solution that will slow down the poison from spreading. Do your research and learn about home remedies and medicine that you should have on hand in such an emergency.
Just by these simple safety measures, the risk of anyone coming in contact with the poison is greatly reduced.
What to Do if Your Pet Eats a Poisoned Mouse
In the situation that your pet eats a weakened mouse or worse, a dead mouse, here is what to do:
- Immediately contact your local veterinarian.
- If your pet is violently throwing up or having seizures.
In such situations, the faster you act, the better chances your animal will have of surviving. Even if you are having doubts, contact your vet anyway. Some animals like cats, show symptoms of poison ingestion sooner than certain breeds of dogs. So even if you are not sure, it’s better to act fast.
Children are unlikely to eat a mouse. But if your child has touched the rodent or played with it, wash the area that came in contact with the mouse thoroughly and immediately. In case of poison ingestion, take your child to the emergency room at the hospital as soon as possible.
The following tips are provided by the New York Health Department to remove and dispose of the dead mouse safely.
Safely Disposing of Dead Mice
- Wear rubber gloves and a mask to avoid smelling the stench.
- Create a disinfectant solution by mixing 1 ½ cups of bleach with some detergent for every gallon of water.
- Transfer the solution to a spray bottle and generously spray dead rodents, their droppings, traps, and any other areas where they have been.
- Do not vacuum or sweep the mouse feces inside your house until all the affected areas are wet and treated with bleach, detergent, and water solution. If the place is vacuumed or swept, unknown viruses might transfer into the air through dust particles.
- Gently lift the dead rodent using your gloved hand or tool and place it along with its droppings in a plastic bag, then seal it. Place the bag into a second bag, and dump it in the trash.
- Remove any remaining traces of the mouse.
- Dispose of the gloves and clean all the tools used for the procedure thoroughly with a strong disinfectant.
