When it Comes to Rodent Control, Consider Alternatives to Poison

Rodents are always somewhere.  Maybe in your garage, attic, shed, or yard…you may not see them, but rodents are near you in Lakewood Ranch, FL area.  It’s always a busy time for pest control companies and rodent bait station sales here. Nature can control rodent populations if left alone. In the natural environment, there is a population balance. Every creature is prey to some animals and predator to others. Raptors birds – owls, hawks, falcons, eagles – are rodents’ natural predators.  Our domesticated pets also do an “ok” job of policing the rodent population when they are outside.  Put humans in the middle of nature, rodents make themselves at home, in human homes.  A standard cure that we have come up with is rodent bait stations.  In the modern era, when it comes to rodent control alternatives to poison should be considered.  

The Drawbacks to Using Rodent Poison

Unfortunately, this can lead to secondary poisoning of non-target animals when they eat a poisoned animal.  This has made science look for alternatives for exterior rodent control.  Although not as common as many would lead you to believe, secondary poisoning is real.  Environmental scientists are documenting it, and the numbers are rising.  Many who speak against rodenticides make a compelling argument, “Let the birds of prey naturally remove rodents for you.”

Most raptors use the same nest for many years, and some even pass it from generation to generation. Bald eagles have used the same nest for as long as 35 years. That makes them an excellent long-term control for rodent populations in the immediate area.

During the breeding season, a family of five owls can eat as many as 3,000 rodents!  Poisoned rodents can poison the predators, scavengers, and pets that eat them!

Even though the Florida Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has restricted public access to the most dangerous rodenticides, all rodenticides – including the types still available to consumers – are poisons that can kill wildlife, pets, and children.

Alternatives to Rodent Poison Has Never Been Greater

Rodenticides are sometimes the only option in certain situations, and we use them responsibly when needed.  However, the most effective traditional pest control method for rats and mice does not involve chemicals but sanitation, rodent exclusion, and habitat modification.  

Like most animals, rodents will nest and reproduce where food is available and they feel safe. The easiest way to discourage them is to remove or modify anything that could make them comfortable. 

Sanitation is the first step to controlling rodents. Keep your home and yard neat and clean. Don’t give rats & mice places to hide. Remove objects and plants that rodents can hide under, such as wood piles, debris, construction waste, dense vegetation, and ground-covering vines like ivy.  Pick up fruit fallen from trees as soon as possible and keep the trees trimmed back. Securing your garbage in a tightly sealed metal trash can is another commonly overlooked way customers can help.

Having Rodent Solutions perform a rodent exclusion to prevent rats and mice from gaining access to your home is the most effective way to stop them from entering your home.  

The Newest Alternative to Rodent Poison Is In Rodent Control is… Birth Control for Rats!

You read that correctly.  Science has a new method to help slow the breading cycle of rats so you can ahead of the population’s reproductive cycle.  

Maybe there have been more significant advancements in the last 30 years, but it’s an awesome, effective tool that we have added to our repertoire.  When thinking about rodent control alternatives to poison, it is hopefully a way for us to use fewer rodenticides while accomplishing similar, if not better, results.  Rats have a gestation period of 21-23 days, so stopping their breeding cycle before it gets started only makes sense.  I have plans to write a more in-depth article about Fertility control and will link to it here in the future.  For now, if you want more information, several prominent news organizations like Fox News have written articles about it also.  The critical part to know is that Birth Control for rats is here, it works, we have experience using it, and it does not impact other wildlife if they eat a rat that has consumed it.  We have had massive success with it, from a large commercial rodent control  use case all the way down to a homeowner’s barn.  Using groundbreaking methods and materials while others are stuck in the 1980s way of doing rat control is just another reason why we are genuinely Rodent Specialists and the best rat control company near you.  Our commitment to being on the top of our industry in the Lakewood Ranch, Bradenton, Sarasota, and Parrish areas for all things rat, mouse, and squirrel related is unmatched.   

Contact Rodent Solutions Inc for more information on rodent control alternatives to poison like Birth Control for Rats, and all things rodent extermination related.