How to Use Pest Control Products Safely Around Kids & Pets

Your customers may worry about using Victor^® products safely. No one wants to catch the wrong animal, hurt a pet or scare a youngster. Share these guidelines with your customers to help them use Victor^® traps and repellents with confidence.

The Telltale Signs of a Mouse Problem

Customers may notice a mouse infestation in a number of ways, including:

• Tiny paw prints in dusty corners of a building
• Small, black granular-shaped droppings
• Distinct musky odor in certain rooms
• Scurrying noice behind walls and in ceilings
• Occasional glimpses of “something” darting across a floor

How to Create a Mouse-Proof Building

Keeping mice out of places of human habitation is a task unto itself. Here are some concepts for your customers to keep in mind:

• Walk the building perimeter and find any mouse-sized cracks, holes or crevices
• Seal any openings that lead inside
• Make sure garbage cans are properly sealed
• Clean up any garden debris that could be consumed by mice
• Keep your kitchen counters clean, and sweep up crumbs and spilled food.
• Keep open food packages, including pet food packages, in tightly sealed metal containers.

Poisons vs. Snapping Traps

Products containing poisons and chemicals can be extremely effective at getting rid of rodents. Spring-loaded snapping traps can also efficiently catch and kill mice. Neither option is considered a 100% safe pest control method to use around children or pets. The accidental ingestion of mouse poison could potentially harm a child or animal, and curious fingers, paws or snouts could be injured by a snap trap.

Natural Ways to Get Rid of Mice

If poisons and snapping traps aren’t viewed as child- or pet-safe mouse control methods, what options are available? Homemade remedies, which use all-natural alternatives to poisons and traps, are something to suggest. These concoctions typically contain various combinations of pungent substances such as castor oil, Tabasco sauce, garlic cloves and others.

Let your customers know that these can be a hassle to prepare and apply, and the effectiveness of these options is inconsistent at best.

Peppermint Oil Mouse Repellent

Peppermint oil is surprisingly effective at keeping mice away. They are repelled by the strong smell of peppermint and will avoid any areas where the odor is present. Victor^® Scent-Away™ peppermint oil repellents harness this simple repellency method. Advise your customers to place them in areas where signs of rodent activity are apparent.

Scent-Away™ can be used in confined spaces where other rodent repellents may not be as practical. This makes Scent-Away™ a great mouse repellent option for crawl spaces, attics and sheds.

Ultrasonic Emitters

In addition to offering scents that repel rodents, suggest your customers try Victor^® PestChaser^® Ultrasonic Emitters around their property. These devices are safe for use around children and pets when used in accordance with the instructions in the user’s manual. They work by sending out pulses of high-frequency sound that mice find irritating, but humans and pets can’t even hear. To prevent mice from growing accustomed to the noise, PestChasers vary the volume and frequency of their bursts, making the area intolerable to rodents.

How to Get Rid of Mice With Kids in the House

Parents are often concerned about using traps and poisons. They don’t want their children to get injured or sick from their mouse control efforts. For them, suggest the Victor^® Clean-Kill™ Mouse Trap. This trap is a small tunnel-like device that looks like an attractive hiding place to a mouse. When the mouse takes the bait and enters the trap, the specially designed Kill-Gate™ provides a quick, humane kill. Disposing of the dead mouse is easy, and the trap can be reused.

How to Get Rid of Mice When You Have Pets

Pet parents have the same concerns for their pets. How can they get rid of mice without endangering their dogs, cats and other critters. A great option for households with pets is the Victor^® Kill Vault™ Mouse Trap. This trap offers a 100% kill rate, and the kill is fast and humane. The trap also completely seals the dead rodent inside after the kill, preventing contamination from urine, feces and blood.

Rodents are known carriers of disease-carrying parasites, such as fleas and ticks. The trap’s sealing action keeps parasites from finding their way out after the kill and latching onto a cat, dog or other household animal. Pets also won’t be able to get to the mouse while it is caught inside. Even better, your customers can throw away the trap after the kill — there’s no need to see or handle a dead rodent!

How to Catch a Mouse Without Killing It

If a customer just wants to get rid of mice without killing them, let them know that there are traps to do just that.

The Victor^® Catch & Hold Mice Trap does not kill the rodent. As the name implies, it captures and holds the rodent in place for future release. Once a mouse is trapped, transport the trap to a wooded area for easy release.

Tips for Increasing Your Trapping Success

The proper use of mouse traps can significantly increase a customer’s catch rate. Here are a few tips that you can share to enhance their trapping success:

• Place multiple traps around the home — Set several traps instead of just one. Homeowners stand a better chance of ending a rodent problem if multiple traps are present.
• Consider the location — Place traps in areas where there are signs of rodent activity. Mice are creatures of habit that tend to take the same pathways to and from their hiding places.
• Use the right bait — Baiting is essential for luring the rodents into the traps. Victor^® traps are compatible for use with favorite mouse foods — mice are attracted to high-protein food such as peanut butter, chocolate, seeds and oatmeal. Rodents are also attracted by nesting materials such as cotton, dental floss and string, which can also be placed inside your trap. Smokers should avoid touching bait with their bare hands since the nicotine will repel mice.
• Know when to stop trapping — A common trapping mistake is ending the trapping process too soon. Keep traps in place until all signs of rodent activity stop – including finding mouse droppings or tracks.
• Keep pets away from the traps — Victor^® traps can arouse an animal’s curiosity. To avoid temptation, place the trap inside a closed or covered cardboard box and cut a small opening at either end to allow the mouse plenty of room to enter.