Killing Mice for a Living

Mice can do much economic damage not because they consume farm goods and produce but because they can contaminate great magnitudes of goods and produce by simply crawling through them. They can make food unsafe for consumption through their urine or through their droppings. Moreover, their bodies (their hair and wet noses most especially) can carry so much disease-causing viruses and bacteria that a short contact with it can already make food and other goods threats to the human health.

However, as much as mice can cause damage and waste earnings, the many cases of mice infestations around the world have also made so many people rich. By establishing pest control companies that specializes on mouse extermination, many mouse-busters have become millionaires. Indeed, these people have made a living through killing mice. You can be one of these successful mouse exterminators. Of course, you can't just dive into the business as you are right not, you have to learn so stuff first before you can establish for yourself a pest control company. This article is written to show you how. While this article does not promise to tell you everything that you need, it is be sufficient to give you a good idea as to how you are going to start your future business right. I hope you will find this article helpful.

Feasibility Study

You don't have to own a master's degree in Business Administration in order to conduct a fairly good feasibility study. All you need to do is to ask around your place about the needs of the people there with respect to mouse infestation. Make a simple checklist and questionnaire which you can give to everyone in the neighborhood. The questionnaire might include some questions like these:

1. Do you have pest mouse problems at home?


2. What have you done to solve the problem?


3. Have you ever hired a professional mouse exterminator in the past?


4. Do you think a pest exterminator in the neighbourhood can help you?

The list can go on and on, add questions which you feel will help you understand how the people in your neighborhood think about for-hire pest extermination. Do not just conduct the survey in one place, you can scout some other locations as well and try to conduct a survey there. Give your respondents some incentives for participating in your survey, incentives often encourage people to be more cooperative. You may try giving away stuff that is related to the business you are making a feasibility study of. For example, since you are making a feasibility study for mice extermination, you might want to give away free mouse traps or rodenticides to your respondents. You have to invest a little in your feasibility study; anyway, if you have started doing business in a place where you will not be a hit, you definitely waste a lot of money.

Educate Yourself

If you are starting a small-scale pest control business, then it is in your best interest to keep a close look in your business. It is not wise to dive into a business which you have no knowledge of. It is also too risky for you to hire someone else to administer your business especially when you are still starting, so it is always better if you educate yourself about your business and then run it yourself.

You might want to enrol to a pest control vocation class first. You can also learn online through reading a lot of materials but learning pest control in a school is much better because you get to learn by experience and you get to be taught by exterminators who have been in the job for so long. Another good thing about learning extermination from a school is the fact that schools confer diplomas and certificates. You can use these documents to make your pest control company more legit and more credible in the sight of your future clients. If possible, join a lot of seminars and conferences about pest control in order to fully equip yourself with the knowledge that you need. You don’t have to be the exterminator yourself because you can hire exterminators to work for you; however, in order to administer your exterminators better, you have to know how they do their stuff.

Follow the Set of Rules and Guidelines

The government and its licensing department are also very strict when it comes to giving pest control companies licenses to operate. This level of strictness is primarily due to the fact that pest control companies are usually given the privilege to use rodenticides and other mice poisons which are not to be sold to common homeowners. These chemicals need to be handled properly so the government asks pest control companies to join seminars and conferences. Do not bend the rules and pay yourself out of it. There is a good reason why the government is strict and you have to understand the rationale behind these reasons.

If you are required to have certain documents before you are allowed to operate or to use a certain kind of mouse poison, then you have to follow the requirement. It is very important for you to establish a name first before you start "thinking for the company's welfare". Since you are still starting as a neighborhood pest control agent, you have to win the approval of the people around you and one way of doing this is by showing them that you follow the rules and that you care about the service that you give, not just the money that your get out of the service.

Winning Clients' Approval

In most cases, it is always a good business strategy to make your clients think that they are very important. There are many ways to make your client feel so; one very simple way is to give them give discounts and extra services simply for opting to hire you. You have to be careful though, you don't want to make your business look cheap by hinting your clients that you are so desperate to win their approval that's why you are giving away unbelievable discounts. Be creative in sending the message that your company will take care of them and their homes. It is also very helpful if you train your employees to be always pleasant to your clients.

It is very normal for people to like servicemen who are pleasant to them. Make your employees look presentable; being an exterminator does not mean that your employee has to look like a killer or a vampire or something. While it is ridiculous to put your exterminators in coats and ties, it is always a good idea to put them in a clean and "trustworthy" uniform. Always remember that in business, the packaging is always very important. But that does not mean that you concentrate on the packaging alone. You should also make sure that your employees are well equipped with the skills and knowledge that is needed for them to properly do their job and to give your clients a good experience with your company. Quality service will definitely result to an increase in the number of clients.

Yes, killing mice a.k.a mice extermination can be done for a living!

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Mice Extermination Methods to Avoid

Mice are undeniably destructive vermin that has to be dealt with right away. They gnaw on almost everything and they carry levels of diseases and sometimes some of them would prove to be very fatal. They can kill a person and even kill an entire population just like what happened in the bubonic plague where almost the entire population of Europe was reduced. As of today, it still continues to kill people but in more minute scale. Another bothersome result of having these pest mice around is the gnawing damages that will most likely to take place every other day. They will keep gnawing their way on not only to your food, but as well as your appliance's wirings, until your appliances will cease to function. This is a likely scenario when you are having a pest mice infestation inside your household. In a nutshell, these are the reasons why you should get rid of the pest mice right away from your house.

Getting rid of mice is not just throwing them away outside your house or killing a mouse per day basis. Dealing with the pest mice problem would entail the employment of more serious and severe means and definitely not for the squeamish. It might get bloody and messy every after catches but it something you would have to risk in order to safeguard your household members from the potential fatal attacks of the vermin. If you are truly squeamish and could not handle the idea of mice blood spattered all around when they're killed or the idea of having dead mice carcass littered everywhere itself grosses you out, then you either hire an exterminator to handle the job or ask someone who is as determined but less squeamish than you (probably your husband or boyfriend and vice versa) to take care of the mice hunting job. I wouldn't suggest taking the former suggestion right away as it should be a last resort. Considering how much spending you will have to incur when hiring professional exterminators, it is just natural that you take them as your last option when everything else fails. But if you are well-able to hire their services on a whim, then there's nothing wrong with it.

However, it you are someone who merely earns averagely, it would be wise for you to fully optimize the usage of other conventional means to deal with the mice problem. Cost efficiency is important to underscore when employing methods and devices that rid of mice and being cost efficient simply means getting the desired results with less expense as possible. And that would entail a lot preponderance and scrutiny with the device or method that is going to be used with a clear picture of expenditure figure in your head. Budget allocation is also important to become cost efficient. This is crucial because it enables you to limit your expenses and curtail it according to your decided amount of investment. From your allocated budget you can spawn expenses scheme and itemizations as which devices will you buy and which ones to buy first as well as which ones can be condoned.

There are actually many devices and methods one would be able to employ in a limited budget. Contrary to popular belief that the more you spend the more effective your means could get, being able to get an efficient device without having to spend too much is way even better. Also, expense and efficiency's direct proportionality isn't always true. It may be true to purchasing computer units or mobile phones, but when it comes to pest mice dealings, you can be as less spending as you want but still effectively deal with your infestation. Now the devices you can avail of may not be very expensive however, their efficiency solely depends on how you apply them. In short, you maneuver these devices to your advantage. This means you have to use your analytical skills in finding the right location for the devices, or the exact opportunity to apply a particular method, or making use of the right accessory to a technique; these are all very important considerations in pest mice control.

However, there is hierarchy among the devices and methods to be used in dealing with pest mice. Some even are not even worth considering anymore. And these are the list of devices and methods that you should consider less using as they are not as efficient or dysfunctional to begin with.

1. Rodenticides

Although they are highly effective in killing mice as they can go all genocide to ever mice inhabitant in the household they are also very unsafe to use. Rodenticides as you already know are poisons that kill mice. You may place them on the right locations; however, you can't expect accidents to have admonitions first before happening. So no matter where you effectively conceal them from plain sight, there is still the risk of finding their way to the wrong hands, especially your kids or your mindless dogs who would probably take it as dog food. A single pellet ingestion of this poison can prove to be quite fatal to other critters, as well as humans. If you are to use a rodenticide, just make sure that you place them as your last resort antecedent to hiring professional exterminators.

2. Zappers

A Zapper is device that produces electrical charges to electrocute and shock the mice when it comes in contact with it. They cost around $25 dollars each and by far that is the problem - they are not cost efficient at all. Think about it, you would purchase $25 worth device to catch a mouse? And if you have a whole family of mice or more in your house, should you purchase more of it proportionate to the number of the mice inhabitants? It's just impractical, not to mention that these devices eat batteries like crazy, so you don't only spend too much for purchasing the device, the batteries will also kill you afterward.

3. Ultrasonic Devices

At some time, these devices were becoming very popular to households across the states even across the globe. An ultrasonic gadget is a device that apparently emits high frequency electronic waves or sometimes sound waves that jams the vermin's sense of hearing and allegedly deters them from ever inhabiting your house. However, it wasn't only until later that it was found out that the devices don't work with rodents or mice at all. They may work effectively with insect pests as they are more sensitive to sound waves, but not with mice. When the whole world found out about it, the government immediately made implementations to ban them and take them out from market circulation. If you haven't heard of this news yet, now you know. Avoid purchasing ultrasonic devices anymore as they may not work to your advantage at all. Not to mention that such devices would cost around 30 USD. Would you invest as much as that for something that doesn't work?

4. Towel Trap

By far the most ridiculous method of trapping and getting rid of mice ever innovated. What the method actually makes you do is that you will throw a towel on the mice to temporarily maim its movements. Then you will place an inverted container deep and big enough for the mice to fall into. Then tuck the towel inside the container then place a large piece of cardboard under the towel and basket. The question then is "And then what?" you have just spent a painstaking 3 minute process in your life just to catch a single mouse? Then I suppose you will throw that a mile away from your place? Think about it.

So this is basically what you should know about mice extermination and the mice extermination methods that you should avoid!

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Two Separate Views of Mice: Pets and Pests

The similarity of how pets and pests are spelled out is very cunning, especially when the pest or pet in question are mice. While in many parts of the world mice are considered to be one of the most dreaded pests capable of causing damages that can amount to millions of dollars, in some households, mice are also considered as lovable pets, equal to dogs and cats, and even to little children. It is quite difficult to imagine how the liking of these people towards mice has come to being, but the fact alone that most pet shops all around the world already include pet mice in their display means that many pet lovers are not considering mice as animals worthy of love and care.

White Mice Popularity

By examining the mice displayed in most pet shops, one would quickly realize that the mice sold are mostly white. Of course, there are other rodents sold in these pet shops too (hamsters and guinea pigs are popular examples) and these rodents come in different colors: white, brown, gray, or a combination thereof. However, in the case of pet mice, pet shops only sell white ones. Why is this so?

According to a research conducted to examine the behaviour of pet lovers towards mice, it was found out that black mice (or gray mice) are mostly related to the idea of being a "pest", thus, pet shops selling black or gray mice are most likely to end up not attracting buyers into their store. On top of this, many people have the tendency to appreciate white mice because of their "cotton ball" appearance. As a conclusion, pet mice sold in pet shops are mostly white because of the buyers' tendency to discriminate black or gray mice.

Laboratory mice are also mostly white. While the same reason still holds, researchers also realize that while mice are easier to work on with because of their almost translucent fur color. Since laboratory mice are usually used for testing drugs that are intended for human consumption, it is always better if the change in the physical appearance of the mouse being tested can easily be detected. Gray and black mice are not popular choices because their physical appearance hinders experts to easily study them.

Pet Mouse's Pest Tendencies

In general, even though pet mice are treated as "pets" and are given food for nourishment instead of bait, these rodents are still very much alike house pest mice. They also nibble around, that is why it is almost impossible to keep a pet mouse and not cage it (Stuart Little is of course an exception to this). Like pest mice, pet mice also scurry here and there that's why their cages are supposed to be always equipped with wheels which they can use to run endlessly. These wheels are also used in cages where hamsters and guinea pigs are kept. Moreover, like pests, pet mice also do not consume their food right away. They like to nibble every now and then too, that's why pet mice cages are supposed to have a food container inside it where pet food is supposed to be constantly present.

In the event that pet mice are taken out of their cages, they will always have the tendency to nibble on almost anything, just like a plain pest mouse. They would still bite electrical wires, nibble socks and documents. In short, pet mice and pest mice are similar; the only clear difference between them is how they are viewed by the people who live with them under the same roof.

Having said so, this means that even the litters of pest mice found in your house can also be taken cared of like pets, although this idea is not really very palatable to most people. The simple rationale is: if the supposed "pet mouse lover" is perfectly fine to treat a mouse nicely, then definitely, he or she should be able to do the same to a mouse that happens to be not tagged with a price by some random pet shop. Nonetheless, it has been found out that most of these pet owners would not equate themselves to people who tolerate the presence of pest mice in their house. Simply put that although most of these pet owners are well aware about the lack of difference between a pet mouse and a pest mouse, they still do not look at pest mouse as an equal to a pet mouse.

Why Mice Become Pests?

If the place in question is a farm or a barn, there is no question why mice become pests. For obvious reasons, field mice feed on farm produce and of course, no farmer can perfectly enclose a farm so as not to permit the entry of at least a couple of mice. By definition, the term pest is referred to insects or animals that jeopardise the overall economic gain of certain individuals or groups. For example, ants are considered pests if have become too many that a sugar factory has to dispose of some products because the damage they have done. Termites are also considered as pests when they are already compromising the structure of a certain building or establishment. In the case of field mice, they have been classified as the "super pests" because of their tendency to come in a huge group. As an example, there was a very popular photo taken in Argentina in 1970s of a "mouse hunt" conducted for three days where farmers are able to kill 70,000 adult mice!

Bringing the subject into the very boundaries of our home, mice are considered pests mostly because of their capability to transmit diseases and their endless need to nibble around. Many homeowners have awoken into the nightmare of seeing their cereal boxes and other food stuff nibbled and contaminated by mice. Some homeowners have also faced terrible accidents like electrical malfunctions due to electrical wires cut and nibbled by mice. Moreover, the long list of diseases that mice carry in their bodies have been the main reason why many people panic at the very thought that mice are already infesting in their homes.

The End of Pestering

However, if homeowners only realize that pest mice are so much like pet mice, they would realize that these mice will not be able to do them any harm if in the first place they will not allow them to enter their houses, in the same way that pet owner are so careful about keeping their pet mice inside their cages. Pet mice will become "pest mice" the moment they get out of their cages, in the same way; house mice only become pests in your house if you allow them to get inside.

There are so many ways to mouse proof a house. In fact, there are so many books and blogs too that are written to help homeowners do this on their own. In the end, no matter how you view mice, whether as pets or pests, some things remain the same: (1) mice are very inquisitive in nature, this often always make them exposed to different disease-causing viruses and germs and (2) mice will always like to nibble, their front teeth are designed for that purpose and (3) if you let a mouse free to roam around your house, whether they are pets or pests, you will definitely put yourself into the same trouble.

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Pest Mice Considerations

What Animal Rights Groups Have to Say About Exterminating Mice?

Someone who concedes that mice are indeed pests and then say that the animal rights of these rodents should still be considered might sound like a hypocrite to most people. However, many animal rights activists are actually very vocal about their concern about how pest mice are being eradicated these days. They have complains about the kinds of devices and methods employed to control mice infestation. Nonetheless, don't think that their efforts are futile because after years of lobbying, they are able to slowly condition the minds of many people to be more humane to mice.

Attacks on Glue Traps

Glue traps have become very popular amongst many homeowners since the late 1990s because of how easy these traps can be used. Many homeowners are delighted about the fact that they don't have to worry much about the proper placement of mechanical traps that have triggers before they snap. Glue traps can be positioned anyway the user wants and still, there is a very big chance that the trap would catch mice. The popularity of glue traps even rose higher when manufacturers started to make the glue smell and taste like bait food. With this innovation, users no longer need to put bait food around the trap because mice are lured into the trap by the glue itself.

However, the dark side about glue traps which many animal right advocates complain about is the way it kills mice. It has been a long-standing practice of many glue trap users to just let mice die out of starvation and dehydration after they are caught by the glue. In some instances, mice even decapitate themselves just to be free from the glue, without realizing that this act would still lead to their own demise – bleeding to death.

It has been the resounding battle cry of many animal right activists to change the way people look at mice. For them, since mice are indeed pests, it is not wrong to hunt them down and kill them. What's wrong is when you prolong the suffering of an animal although you could have done something to end their suffering as soon as possible.

Through their efforts many homeowners who use glue traps are not encouraged to be more humane to mice. Even the manufacturers of these glue traps include in their packaging instructions that aims to teach the user how to dispose of the mice right after they are caught.

Problems with Rodenticides

Many animal right advocates are against the use of Rodenticides primarily because it can also harm the other pets that live in the same house where the poison is placed. There have been so many instances when dogs and cats "accidentally" lick or eat the food bait mixed with Rodenticides and many animal rights advocates do not wish to expose these pets to such kind of risk. However, a portion of these advocates detests the use of Rodenticides because of how it kills the rodents.

Anticoagulant Rodenticides for example, kill mice by inhibiting their bodies to produce white blood cells. Without white blood cells, these animals will not be able to heal by themselves and their wounds will never close, killing the mice by draining it of its blood. Anticoagulant Rodenticides are also mixed with corroding agents that can wound the internal organs of the mouse (primarily the stomach) leading to severe internal bleeding. Many animal rights advocates believe that the use of such kinds of Rodenticides brutally kills the rodent because they have to be given in multiple dosages in order to entice mouse to nibble it every now and then. Animal rights advocates believe that the more humane way to kill mice is to poison them with something that would kill them instantly without causing them so much pain.

A Better Idea

For animal rights advocates who believe that mice still deserve to be treated humanely although they are to be rid of are vocal about their appreciation of the electric traps. The idea of mice electrocution has been around since the late '80s but it has become a hit in the market only recently. Animal rights advocates find electrocution as more humane that the other methods used to kill mice because mice do not necessarily suffer for a long period of time before they die. In a split of a second, a mouse can die inside an electrocution mouse trap.

Moreover, animal right advocates also think that the use of non-invasive methods to scare mice away are always more better. Using catnip or peppermint oil for example, does not kill mice, but they are sufficient to send mice away and keep them out of your property.

Case Study: Why is there a need to be humane to mice?

It might be difficult to digest why there is a need to be "kind" to pests like mice since they are the ones causing the trouble. However, for animal rights advocates, animals, whether pests or not, do not have to suffer before they die. For example, pigs, cows and chickens do not have to be tortured before they are slaughtered because it is no longer necessary. In fact, the Bureau of Food and Drugs has released a guideline as to how these animals should be killed in order to reduce their sufferings.

The same idea is also true with animal duelling. Many animal rights advocates have exhausted so much effort in putting an end to bull and horse wrestling. In some places around the world, humans use these animals as "actors" in an entertainment arena where they gamble and enjoy the sight of animals killing each other to death. The efforts of animal rights organizations like PETA have been fruitful over the years and many states and countries have not banned the use of animals in "blood sport entertainments".

Now, it might be difficult to see the relationship of plain pest mice to the lives of the other poor animals dying brutally in the hands of man, however, for animal rights advocates the relationship is clear and simple: these rodents have lives too and they can feel pain too. While it is not easy for a non-animal lover to understand why some people are so concerned about the "feelings" of animals, for animal-lovers and for animal rights advocates, their mission is to make sure that animals are well protected and in the event that they have to die to benefit mankind, they have to die humanely. In the end, it is their utmost believe that the best way to make sure that society will no longer go back to its once barbaric state, it has to do away with violence, which of course includes inhumane animal slaughter (that includes mice).

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Pest Mice and Plague (Part II)

The Black Death (part II): A Historical Account Of the Pest's Virulence

Disappearance of the Black Death

It wasn't until the later part of 1530's that the plague began to dissipate in Europe. The last strike of the plague in England was around 1665 and in Western Europe, the last traces were sometime 1722, about almost a century later. The gradual disappearance of The Black Death has spawned many theories and hypothesis as to what caused the exodus. One of the most argued and heated theories was that the black rats whom have been believed to be the primary carrier of the plague has been naturally replaced by brown rats that doesn't carry the plague infection. Whether due to migration of species or just the natural balance of things they can't figure out what exactly it was that lead to the replacement. Another theory suggests that the long term exposure among rodents to the disease made them develop an immunity system against the disease, thus, making them unviable for the disease's communication or probably the disease itself has undergone evolutionary changes that it became less fatal and eventually broke the centuries of contagion cycle. Amongst the theories that were formulated to explain the departure of the plague that garnered most approval from scientists at present was the concept of human intervention. Even though it wasn't until the early 19th century that doctors have found out how the bacteria and viruses in germs could lead to the disease, the fact along that Europeans were able to discover already in the 16th century that the plague's contagiousness and its parasitic characteristics, moving from one place to another probably dawned the beginning of the end of the plague.


Up to present times, scientists are still studying some areas around Europe were there was an account of historical concentration of the plague to uncover clues and certain evidences that would support any of the theories and finally find the ultimate answer as to what caused the plague at the first place and how it ended. However, conclusions are still remotely perceivable and angles of possible causes are still in consideration. Another debacle of the scientists that are onto finding the truth about the Black Death is the fact that the disease has indeed evolved to different forms over the years, making its origins remotely traceable. It is now hard to identify the characteristics of the disease's former state during the plague.

Effects of the Plague

Numerous consequences followed after the passing of The Black Death and all the other epidemics of the bubonic plague. One of the most horrendous accounts of the aftermaths of the plague was the series of horrifying vicious attacks on the Jews, outsiders and lepers whom were accused of deliberately imbuing poison into the air and water that caused the pestilence. The assaults have originated from the south of France, but were increasingly dramatic in the parts of Germany and Switzerland –the areas that have rich historical accounts of Jewish discrimination and attacks on their community. There were massacres even in Bern as a natural scenario that followed after. For weeks of formidable tension, Jews were wounded up together and burned or drowned in the marshes. There were also accounts of attacks on Jews even if there were no plagues. Slaughtering them was an accepted scenario as most of the other communities hated the Jews, in their conviction that they were the ones that caused the plague. The Pope, the highest leader of the Catholic Church deplored and condemned these killings that took place all around the Europe and had put forth efforts in discouraging the people from doing the heinous deeds. However, the face of mass's fury, these efforts were proven futile and the Jew killings continued on until the plague's manifestations have totally lifted up. That was the only time when the persecutions ended. There were accounts of persecution that took place after the plague, but confrontations were not with violence as it was during 1348 and 1351.

Contemporary Writers and Chroniclers have often labeled the plague as "a horrible and cruel thing".  Town during the time after the plague seemed to have been desolated and deserted.  The overall population of Europe was reduced drastically up to 50 percent or even more. In places like Bremen and Germany, casualties have reached to 7,000 to 12,000 inhabitants. Florence suffered even more casualties of the plague; deaths ranging from 40,000 to 90,000 of its inhabitants were wiped out during after the plague. Near Siena, two-thirds of the population in the urban areas were annihilated. 50,000 to 180,000 were recorded dead due to the plague in Paris, the largest city in the Northern Alps. Major cities in Europe were compelled to dig mass graves to dispose and burry the multitude of cadavers after the plague. There were even cases that an entire village's population, particular the smaller scale places, was annihilated due to the plague. And some time, villages have disappeared altogether. Larger towns were economically maimed due to drastic reduction of manpower, having their workforce and merchants either fled or died from the plague. The recovery of the population would have been easily done, however the newer epidemics that came after that plague prevented the reinstatement. European high populations were not reinstated only until last decades of the 1400's.

Economic changes can be evidently recognized after the plague as wealth became more concentrated on certain strata of the society. The deaths of thousands of people have lead to the unequal distribution of resources, leaving the survivors as benefactors of the resources left by the departed. Moreover, workers that have survived the plague were paid 5 times more for handling more than one person's job, having all other workers die from the plague, landlords and business owners are compelled to compensate more. The corresponding rise in per capita was inevitable and natural considering the deaths of many people. The drop in population has resulted to the natural economic affluence of the place. Extravagant spending in the different towns that followed were well documented. Merchants and landlords however, are getting poor by having to compensate more than regular and getting less return of investment.

The plague brought a few changes to religion and to medicine. Devotees continued to visit shrines as they normally do before and during the plague, still praying for the saints like St. Roch to protect them from any other plagues that might come. Pilgrimages to shrines were even made more popular. Other saints like St. Roch were even depicted in portraits of them protecting individuals from pestilence of anything depictive and symbolical of that sort. Although, many Europeans complained of the little help contributed by the contemporary physicians, old practices of alternative medicine and traditional medical practices were still being patronized. It remained unchanged even until the time when cholera struck up to 1830s.

Editor's Remarks

This article is largely educational in nature. In the light of knowing more about the pests and their effects of inhabiting the household, it would be wise to grasp some outsource knowledge regarding their nature, in the hope that having been able to know more about them would enable you to defend yourself from them and the harms they provide. Pest mice control is a mean towards an end. But such mean would require you to have sufficient knowledge first in what you are dealing with. I hope you will find this article both educational and motivating.

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Rodenticide Poisoning in Pets

Rodenticides or pesticides designed to kill and control mice can also kill unsuspecting pets at home. Dogs and cats are very prone to rodenticide poisoning because of their inquisitive nature -- dogs like to sniff stuff while cats are fond of licking. While it is not advised for homeowners who own pets to use rodenticides, there are instances when the use of rodenticides is inevitable. If this is the case, the homeowner should take extra caution is handling the poison and should educate himself or herself about the measures that should be done in case accidental poisoning does happen.

This article is written to guide homeowners when accidents as such happen.

It is good to note that most rodenticides sold in the market nowadays are classified as anticoagulants. Meaning, these rodenticides kill mice by inhibiting their bodies to clot. Rodents are most likely to die due to internal bleeding or if external wounds are present, the rodent will most likely bleed to death. Pets that happen to ingest rodenticides too will have the same problem, although the effects of the poison does not appear as fast as when it is with rodents. This disparity in the length of time before the effects of the poison appears is primarily because of the size of the pets relative to the rodents. In the same way, the effects of rodenticides to humans are also relative to the amount of poison ingested.

Nonetheless, even though pets do not immediately die after rodenticide poisoning, if left untreated, these pets could also die. Thus, it is very important for pet owners to know how to detect rodenticide poisoning in pets. Here is a short list of the symptoms which the pets might show:

1. Lethargy or weakness - If you notice an obvious change in the behavior of your pet, especially when it is related to their lack of energy to do the activities which they are supposed to be fond of, i.e. running to and fro water sprinklers, chasing you everywhere and the like, then your pet might have ingested rodent poison.

2. Cold Limbs - The most obvious symptom of bleeding which is common to all warm-blooded animals is having cold limbs. Hold your pets limbs and if you observe that they are unusually cold, then your pet has probably ingested rodenticides.

3. Pale Gums - The loss of blood can also lead to the paling of the gums, the lips and the eye area. Check your pet's physical condition in order to make sure.

You don't have to wait for these symptoms to appear if you have actually seen your pet ingesting rodenticide. Do not assume that the rodenticides taken in by your pet may be too small in amount to result to any complication. The key into saving your pet's life is by acting fast. Any delay might cost you your pet's life. Here are some other advices which you might find useful:

1. Call veterinarian

If you happen to notice torn rodenticide packages or rodenticide scattered somewhere they are not supposed to be, you should call your veterinarian immediately. Your veterinarian will instruct you what to do. Your veterinarian will definitely ask you about the kind of rodenticide that your pet has ingested so keep the box or packet of rodenticide at hand so you can answer quickly. Remember, the faster you act, the better it is for your pet.

2. Induce Vomiting

Your veterinarian will most likely advise you to make your pet vomit, but in the event when you can't contact your veterinarian yet, you can use your initiative and help you pet vomit. However, you should know that if the rodenticide that you have at home is known to have corrosive substances, then it is not advisable for you to make your pet vomit. The same is true when your pet is unconscious. The best that you can do is to bring your pet to the nearest veterinary as soon as possible.

3. Use Activated Charcoal

After vomiting, your pet will be given activated carbon by the veterinarian. Pets do not like the taste of activated carbon so it is very common for veterinarians to force feed the pet with charcoal. It usually comes in the form of a liquid or a paste for easy dispersion. Activated charcoal is very effective in absorbing toxins.

4. Vitamin K

Rodenticide poisoning treatment is not complete without a vitamin k prescription. Since the most commonly used rodenticides are anticoagulants, vitamin k plays a very significant role in the healing process of your pets because of it can restore the ability of your pet's body to clot. Vitamin K is often injected for a couple of times to your pet, after which the pest is prescribed with vitamin k capsules for a couple of weeks. Humans poisoned with rodenticide are also given vitamin k capsules.

5. Hydrogen Peroxide

Sometimes it is very difficult to drive pets into vomiting. Hydrogen peroxide is given to pets in order to induce vomiting. A teaspoon of a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution is already sufficient to pets weighing 10 pounds or less. The solution is simply squirted into the throat of the pet. In less than five minutes, if the pet has not vomited yet, another shot of hydrogen peroxide should be given. If you are inducing the vomiting yourself and you can't find a 3% hydrogen peroxide solution, you can use solutions of higher concentrations diluted with water.

Although there are means to save your pets from dying whenever they ingest rodenticides, still, the best advice that you can get about keeping your pets safe is to store your rodenticides in places where they cannot be located by pets (or children). You should also put food baits mixed with rodenticide in places where they are only accessible to pests and not to pets. If you can, make sure that your pets do not wander away from your sight when you know that you have rodenticides scattered somewhere in your house.

Nonetheless, if you have pets or children at home, it is still in your best interest to avoid using rodenticides. There are other methods you can use to control mice, methods that do not have to be dangerous to your pets or to your children. You can use peppermint oils and other natural scents to scare mice away. You can also use mechanical traps or glue traps. Learn more about the methods that you can use to control mice by reading through the other articles in this site.

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Pest Mice and Plague (Part I)

The Black Death (part I): A Historical Account Of the Pest's Virulence

The Black Death is basically the term given to the outbreak of the bubonic plague in Europe and in Mediterranean in the early 14th century, somewhere around 1347 through 1351. Actually it was the first of the many cycles of epidemic plagues that struck entire Europe until the 17th century and sparingly followed in the next centuries afterward. The occurrence of the last known plague was sometime around 1722 in Marseilles. It was also considered as the last known major outbreak. All the plagues that followed after that were minor plagues that quickly disappeared in a relatively short span of time. In fact these plagues' predecessors started way back during the ancient plagues that took place sometime the 6th and 8th century A.D. Following that, were more modern versions of the epidemic plagues and were also less deadly. They have began starting from the 19th century and somehow followed through until the early 20th century. The chronic epidemic that struck Europe wasn't called "The Black Death" at first until much later. Contemporaries often call the centuries' long epidemic phenomenon as "The Great Mortality" or "The Pestilence".

The Plague were series of bacterial infection which could take more than just one state or form in the host. High fever and certain amounts of swellings in the armpit or in the groin are just some of the symptoms commonly manifested from a victim of the bubonic plague. Back then, modern antibiotics that can deal with the infections were still not invented and 60 percent of the infected populace will inevitably die within the first 5 days of the infection. Pneumonic and Septicemic plagues were also amongst the other forms of the plague and are proven to be quite as deadly as well. It was though that the disease was carried through critter hosts such as rodents, prairie dogs, and marmots etc. The disease is then transmuted to human hosts through fleas that just fed on infected rodent blood that would then attach themselves to human host. Other means of disease communication is through rodent feces and urine which should be naturally infected as well.

The Origins

Until now, scientists and historians are still uncertain of the exact origins of The Black Death. Medieval chroniclers and early European historians theorized that the disease originated in China because the land's association with magical orientations. According to Chroniclers, the plague came with earthquakes, vermin plagues, and fire falling from the sky. However, this was associated with folklore and myths and the hypothetical interpretations with life outside of Europe. According to more recent researches, the disease has most likely migrated from the Middle-East to southern Russia and the areas somewhere in between the Black Sea and Caspian Sea. The plague then spread out through west along the trade routes. Epidemics were already then proliferating among the Tartars in the Southern parts of Russia around 1346. Merchants have then probably carried the disease along the access trade routes and thus the plague has reached the Italians residing in the towns near the Black Sea. In the same manner, merchants originating from that place have relocated the disease to Alexandria, Egypt sometime 1347; moving to Libya and Damascus in 1348 and then Upper Egypt in the following year. Genoese and Venetian sailors are believed to have extended the plague to Europe.

From then the plague quickly accessed places in Europe via trade routes. Beginning its arrival on 1348 in Pisa, the disease traveled across to Florence then Rome and Bologna; then starting from Venice, it then again moved to Germany and Austria, then to Genoa and eventually to Spain. By June of 1348 it has reached France and finally the contagion has reached England in beginning of summer 1349.

Causes of the Plague

The contemporary doctors and theologians have all agreed that the plague were both religious and medical in nature. One of their beliefs was the disease was brought down as the wrath of God in order to punish the sinfulness of humans. Another belief was it was caused by the lack of balance in the body fluids. The accounts of earthquakes, floods and tongues of fire falling from the sky preceding the plague, were indications that the illness was a call to repentance according to early Christians. As a reply to that calling, some of those Christians have formed groups they would later come to name as Flagellants and they then began to ritually lash and beat themselves as penance for their sins and as well for others. Their existence sometime around the 10th century did not mitigate the outbreak of the plague. Instead the contagion exponentially increased throughout Europe.

Contemporary medieval physicians derived their medical ideas from the early Greeks and Romans whom have believed that the cause of the plague were the disruption of the body system's balance, particularly the fluids within the body. Imbalances can be caused by sudden emotional outbursts or inequitable distribution of diet and other external factors that could potentially invade and disrupt the natural balance in the body. Writers on the other hand theorized that the plague was celestially associated. As stars and planets have beset influence to the earth thus causing earthquakes which would then result to the emission of noxious gasses out from the earth's surface. They believed that these gases primarily caused the disease to spawn.  Physicians then immediately promulgated protocols to avoid anything that would potentially disrupt the body's delicate natural balance. The government as well regulated the trade and production of dangerous odors or any matter that is potentially corrupted.

Preventive Measures

There occurrences of epidemics somewhere around the late 14th and 15th centuries, however, they were less virulent as its predecessors. The contemporaries have begun to see through the patterns of the plague and sense what they could possible do to counteract and mitigate the gravity of the plague. They discovered after some time observing, that the disease is most likely to spawn in the summer or early fall. Furthermore, they have also noticed that the plague is highly concentrated in the most urban poorest areas. Mostly in areas where there is a highly congested population with tightly closed neighborhood is where the plague's concentration's at peak. An Italian, Girolamo Fracastoro, explained that it was the poor who were spreading out the disease. His assumptions have lead to the avoidance of people from any poor or sick person encounter as it was the only best defense against contagion. Those who were capable of relocating transferred themselves to distant areas far from the poor neighborhood or villages, thus, far from the contagion.

There were also quarantines implemented as a counteractive measure against the plague, however, with the multitude of the infected people and the widespread contagion it was almost impossible to quarantine and contain the affected population.

At the onset of the late 17th century, governments have begun implement medical boundaries or cordon sanitaire between Europe and the eastern parts where the disease has been said to have come from. Ships coming from those areas were forced to cease to implement specialized quarantine procedures before anyone or anything is unloaded from the ship. Quarantines were so strictly implemented that anyone who would try to avoid by running away from implementing personnel were shot.

Here's Pest Mice and Plague (Part II).

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Types of Rodenticides

Everything a Beginner Needs to Know about the Classification of Rodenticides

Pesticides used to control rodents are known as rodenticides. In instances when the presence of mice in a certain area is already causing both economic and health damages, the use of rodenticides can be considered as to most practical way to get rid of the mice. Products that are intended to poison and kill mice are already widely marketed nowadays. These products are classified according to their toxicity levels. Moreover, rodenticides do not poison pest mice alone. Rodenticides can also poison humans through repeated ingestion or through direct injection. The effects of rodenticides to both vermin and humans are almost very similar. In both cases, the poison targets the internal organs. Smaller animals receive the most damage from rodenticide ingestion primarily because of their size. This is also the reason why rodenticides cannot harm humans as fast as it can harm rodents.

There are three levels of rodenticides toxicity: High, Moderate and Low

High Toxicity

There are six types of compounds which are legal to us of high-level rodenticide, these are: Arsenic, Sodium Monoflouroacetate, Strychine, Thallium, Yellow phosphorus and Zinc Phosphide. Rodenticides having these types of compounds that are formulated to have a dosage that reaches up to 50 milligram per kilogram of the body weight of the target pest are regarded as very strong rodenticides and are usually not advisable for use because of its very lethal effects to the human body in case of accidental or incidental ingestion.

1. Arsenic

Arsenic can cause death through damaging the circulatory system of the body. It usually causes severe muscle cramps, vomiting and convulsions. High dosage of arsenic can cause bloody diarrhea and dysphasia, both of which are the early symptoms of a damaged circulatory system. Arsenic comes in the form of a white crystalline powder, close to the appearance of a very refined table sugar.

2. Sodium Monoflouroacetate

This compound is extremely toxic when ingested or absorbed by the body through open wounds and cuts. Sometimes, sodium monofluoroacetate gets mixed with dust and is accidentally inhaled by unsuspecting targets. The possible effects of sodium monoflouroacetate to humans have been studied by experts by testing it on primates. The researchers concluded that the compound can cause cardiac arrhythmias to humans, a heart condition which can possibly lead to comatose. Humans are also expected to experience seizures and respiratory failures after ingestion. Other possible effects to humans are bronchopneumonia and ventricular tachycardia. To pests like mice, a little amount of sodium monoflouroacetate can already lead to an instant death. Sodium monoflouroacetate looks like flour. It is white, tasteless and does not produce any odor. Sodium monoflouroacetate is simply a water-soluble salt compound.

3. Strychnine

This compound is used to stimulate the central nervous system of anyone (pest or human) who has ingested it. Through stimulation, Strychnine is able to cause recurrent motor seizures that are usually very painful. Pest usually end up dead after taking in this compound, on the other hand, humans will experience blurred vision and nausea. Eventually, a person who has ingested this compound will feel severe muscle spasms and diaphoresis.

4. Thallium

Thallium is probably the most dangerous high-toxic rodenticide compound known to mankind. No antidote for thallium has ever been developed ever since and experts are still in a constant search for solution to thallium ingestion. So far, thallium has already been strictly banned in all countries worldwide because of this harm. In small dosages, thallium can cause complete hair loss, bronchopneumonia, severe abdominal pains, parenthesias and pulmonary oedema. The effects of thallium are long-lasting that pests that died due to it can still carry the compound in their carcass. Other pests coming across these carcasses can also die because of second hand exposure to thallium. This compound is tasteless and odorless too just like sodium monoflouraoacetate, but unlike other compounds, thallium can penetrate through unbroken skins, making it very dangerous to humans.

5. Yellow Phosphorus

This compound is usually mixed with sticky food bait when used as a rodenticide. Its effects to the body are usually seen in the gastrointestinal tract and liver because these are the parts of the body where phosphorus is mostly stored. After ingestion, the rodent will experience vomiting. The vomit is usually glistening and smells like garlic, after which, the pest (or the human or pet) will be in a coma or die because of heart failure.

6. Zinc Phosphide

By nature, zinc phosphide is not a very dangerous compound, but when mixed with water, it releases a deadly gas called phosphine which is highly toxic. Poisoned rodents and people poisoned by accident usually experience vomiting, renal damage and circulatory collapse. Other effects of the phosphine gas released by zinc phosphide are convulsion and comatose. In other instances, it can also lead to leukopenia and death in as short as a week or two. In general, zinc phosphide is not attractive to pests because of its appearance and its "rotten fish" odor. This is the reason why it is usually mixed with food baits.

Moderate Toxicity

There are so many different compounds which can be used to develop moderately toxic rodenticides. In fact, any pesticide with alpha naphthyl thiourea (ANTU) ingredients that are formulated in a 500 milligram per kilogram of target's body weight can be classified as a moderately toxic rodenticide already. DDT is also very common is such kinds of rodenticides. The effects of ANTU to the body are not as harmful as those that are caused by high toxic rodenticides but these health effects still merit sufficient caution. While pests would definitely die after a few intakes of such kind of rodenticides, humans will experience hypothermia and pulmonary problems when exposed to these rodenticides. In many cases, those with suicidal tendencies can deliberately use this rodenticide and still achieve his or her desired result with a couple of doses.

Low Toxicity

Rodenticides with low toxicity levels are often advised for general usage. In fact, all of the rodenticides readily available to homeowners are of low toxicity. There are three kinds of low toxic rodenticides: Anticoagulant, Norbomide and Red Squill. Low toxic rodenticides are usually formulated to contain LD50 that amounts to 500 or 5000 milligram per kilogram of its target's body weight.

1. Anticoagulant

By restricting the production of white blood cells, anticoagulant rodenticides can cause severe damage to the pest mouse by making its body unable to clot whenever it is wounded. Internal bleeding is very possible and the in a couple of days, the mouse will suffer from de-coagulation and then die.

2. Norbomide

This compound is found to be the safest to use at home because it does not have any bad effects to humans. It is simply a smooth muscle constrictor, and since mice and rats have norbomide receptors embedded in its smooth muscles, they are directly affected by the compound. Its effect in a rodent's body is strong enough to lead to ishaemic necrosis and death.

3. Red Squill

This compound has very strong emetic properties causing excessive vomiting in pest mice. They would have difficulty in absorbing nutrients through their intestines and thus they end up starving or malnourished. In some cases, mice die because of severe damage to their internal organs caused by the vomiting.

If you are worried about using these toxic substances in places where your pets live, read this "Rodenticide Poisoning in Pets" right now!

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Pest Mice Control Methods - Pros, Cons

A Review on the Pros and Cons of Pest Mice Control Methods

In the previous articles we have had discussions about how to train yourself to become an effective mice hunter or exterminator (or whichever you may prefer to be entitled). Now in this article we will be discussing further about an essential fundamentals that one should consider in order to become an effective pest exterminator. This article is basically a review on the pros and cons of every known method that can be used to exterminate mice. You may use this review article as a support to your stock knowledge and a supplement to your incumbent skills in mice hunting. It is important to important to underscore the crucial pros and cons of a method before it can be applied into real terms to ensure that you will acquire the desired output of your quest. So take your time to read right through this article and carefully integrate the things that you will learn from this. I assure you that you will find all the knowledge you will acquire here in your pest riddance endeavor. Just make sure to underscore the importance of implementation as well. If you are just going to read this and never apply it anyway, it won't be worth the time reading to begin with.

Now, most of us would think that if once you have purchased a particular mice exterminating or catching item, you are already assured that you will get right into the problem's solution. However, that is not necessarily so. There are some considerations that you have to comprehend first so that you will be able to effectively implement any method. One of them is the one discussed in the previous article, which are tips on how to effectively hone your instinctive and intuitive nature to adapt into mice MO's and the other is the full assessment of the methods being used. The underscoring of the certain advantages and disadvantages of a device or method to know whether you can be fully entrusting to it or if you can really utilize it at a given time.

Moreover, the knowledge on a device or method's pros and cons will thoroughly help you in assessing situations wherein you will be able to know which method or device to apply at the moment. One should understand that while it may be true that each device or method can be potentially effective in dealing with the pest mice problem, however, there are still limitations and extents to their functionality. Knowing these boundaries of functionality will warrant you the ability to optimize what you already have. Remember, that in order for this methods and devices to work effectively, you first have to be an effective user or executor yourself. Hence, knowing thoroughly your device will help you to become one.

Another advantage of being able to know the limitations of your method or device being used is that you will then be able to know the exact time when you will have to employ other methods when all the other previous methods have failed. Or you will know what method or device you will use to compound the effectiveness of the ones previously employed. Although, sometimes they may take some time to get around to but you can always back on the chances that you will be able use it immediately depending on how critical your analysis can get. But then, that's not always the case so therefore, take your time learning and applying the methods in a trial and error manner. Over time, you will become adept in their applications and by then you will become an effective mice exterminator. The learning curve for this will only take you about 2-4 weeks (according to my personal experience), so you must not worry about having to undergo longer periods of time learning.

Here are the certain pros and cons of the most prominent methods being used to catch or exterminate mice:

1. MOUSE TRAPS

Pros

Mice traps are perhaps the most commonly used counter pest mice mechanism of them all probably because its efficiency and effectiveness have been proven over the years making them reliable instruments of mice destruction. Apart from that, they are also very cost efficient as one mice trap would actually only cost around less than a dollar each. You can practically purchase a dozen of them without worrying much on how much you would have already spent and reassured of the plausible positive results granting that you can now cover every possible mice waypoint with a trap. On top of that, they are not as messy as having rodenticides which would kill mice in remotely secluded areas. You can easily dispose of your catch right away to your convenience.

Cons

Despite its proven effectiveness it also has its own disadvantages. Mice traps wouldn’t work as efficiently as it should when you’re only using one. Even if you are using a multiple mice trap (one that catches more than just one mouse in a single trap), it is still not as effective as having a dozen or relatively more. This is because if you have bought only one trap, it wouldn’t be able to effectively cover the entire foraging area and way points of the inhabiting mice in your house. Especially if you have a serious mice infestation going on, you would really have to purchase probably even more than a dozen mouse traps. Accumulated would make you worry a little about the expenses. But that's not really the inconvenient part. It is when you would have to place them all around the house to ensure the catch. Having them around may endanger young toddlers who would mistake the traps as toys. Plus of course they're messy to look at in different parts of the house. Another disadvantage of mice traps is that you would have to monitor them as much as daily if possible to ensure that trapped mouse won't die in the traps. Otherwise, dead mouse stench will hover dreadfully after and you have a bit of a concern at hand.

2. RODENTICIDES

Pros

Undoubtedly, they are effective vermin slayers. A single pellet or grain dose of these poisons will lead to certain death to any bothersome pest mice. If placed on a susceptible location, no mice will be able to resist the allure of their last meal.

Cons

Well they are poisonous. You can already imagine what dangers it can cause to anyone or anything that would accidentally ingest it. Using rodenticides around the house will have to entail extra precautionary measures to make sure that it won't find its way to the wrong hands or in this case, the wrong stomach. Another problem with rodenticides is that unless if the kill works instantly as soon as the pellet poison are ingested, the chances of mice dying in remotely secluded areas after ingesting the poison is high. That means, you may not be able to locate the pests death place as easily. There's a chance that the poisoned mouse will be able to back to their hiding places first and then die there leaving the mess a bit inaccessible for you.

3. PETS

Pros

They are very cute and cuddly to have around, that's one advantage of having pets as a pest mice control method. They are also likely un-messy methods of taking care of the vermin as the pest would probably find their eternal rest on your pet's stomach. Barn Owls, Cats and even Dogs are certain predators of mice and the chances of munching those pests down to their tracts are quite high.

Cons

The problem is when your pets are full. If they are full because you have just made them eat their regular pet food, they wouldn't find roaming pest mice that appetizing as they are when your pet's hungry. Chances they may either just leave the pest be or toy with them to death but leaving their carcass littered anywhere. Of course pets are a bit mindless about your sanitary concerns unless if they are trained to do so. But that would entail quite some time for your pets to finally get around. Another issue when it comes to pets is the consistent sustenance and maintenance you would have to come by. Which should be, additional expenditures.

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS

Mouse Glue (Adhesive) Traps - Glueboards

Mouse glue traps have become very popular amongst many households nowadays because of how incredibly easy these traps can be used. The principle used in a glue trap is actually very simple: making the surface where mice usually move around sticky will immobilize mice thus making it easier for the homeowner to dispose the stuck mice outside the house. Glue traps are simply sheets of boards or trays with one face covered with a very sticky substance. The substance is strong enough to hold mice feet resulting to complete immobility.

Pest control shops usually sell glue traps for difference purposes. Some glue traps are designed to catch mosquitoes and flies only so they are usually of small surface areas and of weaker holding strength. However, glue traps that are intended for catching mice are sold in different lengths and sizes depending on the area where the trap will be placed. Since mice are more capable of freeing themselves from being stuck, mouse glue traps use very strong adhesives. Mouse glue traps are usually made from shallow trays filled with non-hardening glue. The glue inside the tray is deep enough to hold the paws of the mouse.

Luring Mice into the Traps

Of course, because of the very inquisitive nature of mice, without the use of proper baits it will be very difficult to lure mice into the glue traps. The best mouse bait that can be used for this purpose is peanut butter, not cheese like what some children's cartoon show tells you (mice do not love cheese). Peanut butter is the perfect bait because it is sticky, so mice have to lick it from where it is placed, making their stay in that place longer. Putting peanut butter around the periphery of the mouse glue traps will make the mouse unmindful about the trap, eventually leading it to step on the trap and thus, getting stuck. Other food baits that are rich in fats and proteins are also good baits. Mice also like cereals and sweets so you might as well choose baits that fall under this category. Nonetheless, there are mouse glue traps that are already pre-scented to make the glue itself to smell like food. These traps are usually more expensive as compared to other unscented glue traps but for homeowners who do not want to worry about placing baits, it is the more viable option.

Mice Disposal

Mice stuck in glue traps usually end up dying because of dehydration or starvation because of their immobility to look for food. But of course, there is always a more humane way to deal with mice. In this case for example, it is always a better option to simply not prolong the suffering of the mouse and then dispose the soiled trap.

As a general rule, mouse glue traps should be checked every after six hours, but if you happen to hear a house struggling somewhere the trap has been placed, it is always a good idea to come and check it immediately. Truthfully, mice caught in mouse glue traps would definitely suffer because of their condition, some mice would even willingly decapitate themselves just to be free from the glue. Thus, the most humane thing for you to do once you see a mouse caught in the glue trap is to end their misery right away. Some people might not be capable of killing mice on the spot, so the more feasible option is to drown the mice. You can do this by simply submerging the glue trap into a basin or pail filled with water. If you can't stand the sight, go ahead and watch the television and surely, the moment you are done, the mice are already dead. Then all that you have to do is to dispose them.

In disposing mice, be always mindful that the carcass of an infected mice can still carry the diseases that the living mouse can carry. So always wear protective gloves and sanitize yourself after doing the deed. After removing the mouse from the water, put it immediately in a plastic bag and then drain the water in the pail or basin. Use a sanitizing agent to clean the basin or pail too. A tablespoon of bleach may be sufficient to disinfect the basin. If possible, reserve this container as your "mouse-drowner" and not use it for some other purposes in order to be sure.

Optional... (for those who want to develop their pest control instincts and become a mice exterminator):

However, in the event that you can't find a suitable container (a basin or pail) to serve the same purpose, you can also drown the mouse in the toilet, just make sure that you don't flush the mouse into the toilet too. If you can't stand this, try suffocating the mouse inside an airtight bag or container.

Removing Glue for Accidental Trapping

Since mouse glue traps use a very strong adhesive to make mice immobile, it is already given that the glue used in glue traps is not easy to remove. Nonetheless, there would always be instances when unintended targets end up being stuck in the glue tray. Pets and children are usually very curious and this curiosity can eventually lead to possible accidents. So, if you happen to own a pet or have children in your house, you might as well want to learn how to remove glue from fur, skin, hair, clothes, among other surfaces.

The most effective lubricant used to weaken the effect of the glue is peanut oil. You just have to dab peanut oil unto the fur or hair area where the glue is stuck and the glue will slowly wear off. If the entire glue trap is stuck unto the surface, all you have to do is to put peanut oil in between the surface and the glue and slowly unattached the board or tray from where it is stuck. You can use your fingers to put the oil in between them. For people who are allergic to peanut, mineral oil is also an effective substitute.

To remove the oil from the surface, just use soap and water. Wet a piece of cloth with the soap and water solution and then scrub the surface with the cloth. Oil will wash away with soap so you won't have any problems whatsoever. Removing the oil is very important when you are cleaning special surfaces like carpets or sensitive wooden furniture. If left un-removed, the oil might seep into the carpet or furniture ruining its colour and appearance.

After washing with soap and water, use another cloth to dry the surface. Make sure that you do not leave any moisture in the area because moisture can damage carpets and furniture too. However, if you are removing glue from pets and children, after applying peanut oil and removing the glue, you can simply bathe your pet or child and you are done.

There are still many things that might interest you about mouse glue traps. While this article does not cover all of these, the things discussed in here are sufficient to give you a clear head’s up as to how you are going to handle the use of mouse glue traps. Just remember that for you to use any mouse control device, you have keep yourself informed.

All the best,

Sergiu Zburatoru

How to Get Rid of Mice FOR BEGINNERS