Termite Inspection Orange County Termite Terry Pest Control

Costa Mesa, Newport Beach, Huntington Beach, South Orange County, Long Beach Area

A Safer Way To Use Baits For Rodent Control

    The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has announced they are moving to ban the sale of most toxic rat and mouse poisons, as well as most loose bait and pelleted products, to residential consumers. They are also requiring that all newly registered rat and mouse poisons be enclosed in bait stations that render the rodenticides inaccessible to children and pets. These actions will also help to protect wildlife from consuming baits or poisoned rodents (Which may lead to secondary poisoning).

    “These changes are essential to reduce the thousands of accidental exposures of children that occur every year from rat and mouse control products and also to protect household pets,” said Steve Owens, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “Today’s action will help keep our children and pets safe from these poisons.”

    The EPA is especially concerned about children being exposed to these poisons because these products are typically placed on floors where they are easily accessible to children. And, some children are known to have placed these rodent bait pellets in their mouths.  According to the American Association of Poison Control Centers, they receive between 12,000 and 15,000 reports of children under the age of six being exposed to these types of products, annually!

    Not all companies that produce rat and mouse poisons have agreed to adopt the new safety measures. The EPA intends to initiate cancellation proceedings under the Federal Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act. These products will be removed from the U.S. market.

    Under the new regulations, manufacturers will be required to place their rodent bait in non-refillable, tamper resistant bait stations. Pelleted formulations will be prohibited.

    Certain formulations will no longer be available for sale to residential consumers because of their toxicity and the secondary hazards to wildlife. These products will only be available for use by professional applicators. Professional applicators will be required to use tamper resistant bait stations for all above ground applications to minimize exposure to children, pets and wildlife.

    “Termite” Terry says that these new regulations are a good thing for everybody. He said, “If a homeowner wants to take care of his or her own rodent control problems, that is fine. However, these owners should insist on using these newly available products and they should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions carefully because the improper use of these products could lead to serious injury. Everyone hates having rats or mice in their homes and businesses. But, you’ve got to be really smart about using rodent baits. It only takes one stupid move and you could really hurt someone or a pet.”

    “Termite” Terry recommends using rodent baits only as a last resort. Here are some control measures you should do before baiting:

  • Start by sealing all holes, inside and outside to prevent entry by rats and mice. Remember, a mouse only needs a hole of ¼ inch to gain access. Rats can crawl through a hole the size of a dime!
  • You really need to clean up potential food sources and nesting sites. If you’ll think about it for a minute, why would one of these rodents eat poisonous bait if there were other tastier foods to choose from, such as foods in your pantry or perhaps pet food left in a pet’s dish?
  • It is really important to clean up rat and mouse droppings. The last thing you want is for these pests to feel comfortable and right at home in your house or business!
  • Check for nesting materials where they might want to “hang out”.  Clean up these areas and throw out stuff like old clothing, rags, scrap carpet and clutter.  Again, your goal is to make your home less attractive to these pests.
  • Look for evidence of gnawing and chewing on food packaging or on your structures. If you see this happening, you’ll know where you really need to focus your attention.

    Once you’ve got all the holes sealed and everything is cleaned up, “Termite” Terry recommends you should use traps to eliminate any of these pests which may be left inside your home or business. It is really important to use the correct type of trap. His favorites are the “wooden” types of traps which are available at most hardware stores. Be careful when placing traps and make sure they are out of reach for children and pets!!

“Termite” Terry’s Hot Tip!

    What kind of bait should you use on your traps? Find out what the rats or mice are eating and use that! In other words, if they are eating pet food, use pet food for bait. If they are trying to build a nest, cotton balls or cloth may be the perfect bait to use. Many others suggest using peanut butter or cheese, but we don’t recommend them. Again, the best choice is what these pests are already used to eating.

    Once you have assured yourself that all rodents have been removed from the interior, you may want to consider using rodent baits on the exterior to help bring down the population of these pests.

    When baiting, always place baits in tamper resistant bait stations. We don’t want for children or pets to have access to the baits. These bait stations have compartments and/or devices to secure baits so rats or mice can’t carry them out. Bait stations should be secured to the ground or buildings because we don’t want children or pets picking these up and playing with them. Last, but not least, all bait stations should be labeled to show your contact information and what products are being used.

    Please note that we don’t recommend using rodent baits on the interior because it is very likely these pests will die inside.  Many homeowners will gladly share stories of how they used poisonous baits on their interiors, only to have these pests die inside of a wall or under a cabinet. They will also tell you how miserable they were for days, if not weeks, because of the horrible stench from dead rodent carcasses.

    Are you having problems with rats or mice and need help? Call our office at (949) 631-7348 or click on order form and we’ll be happy to schedule an appointment at your convenience!