Rodent Bait, Pets and Kids: What San Antonio Families Should Know

This is one of the first things parents and pet owners ask. It's a fair worry. Rodent bait is poison, and a curious dog or a toddler doesn't know that. The good news is that a careful provider can handle most rodent problems with very little bait, and the bait they do use can be locked away where only a rodent fits.

Here's how it should be done, and what to ask before anyone sets anything out at your house.

Where Bait Belongs

Bait should be in locked, tamper-resistant stations. These are sturdy plastic or metal boxes that lock, with a small opening a rat can use but a hand or a paw can't. They should be anchored to the ground, a wall or a paver so a dog can't carry one off. They usually go outside along the foundation or a fence line, not in the living space.

Loose pellets tossed behind the stove or into the attic are a bad idea. A pet can find them. A poisoned rat can die inside a wall, and then you have a dead rodent smell to deal with too.

• Ask the tech where every station is going
• Ask what product is in them and keep the label info
• Tell them about dogs that dig, cats that roam and kids who play outside

Doing It Without Poison

Lots of rodent jobs don't need bait inside at all. Snap traps set in the attic, the garage and behind appliances do the indoor work. Set them where kids and pets can't reach, or put them inside a covered box. Then comes sealing the entry points, which keeps new rodents from coming in. That combination is about as old-fashioned as pest control gets, and it works.

If you'd like to avoid poison entirely, say so when you're connected. Plenty of providers will build the job around traps and sealing.

If You Think a Pet Ate Bait

Call your vet right away, or a pet poison hotline, and have the product name ready. That's another reason to keep the label information from any bait used at your house. Don't wait for symptoms.

Cleaning Up Around Kids

Rodent droppings and urine can carry germs. Keep kids out of the area while you clean. Wear gloves, spray the droppings with disinfectant until wet, wait a few minutes, then wipe up and bag everything. Wash toys and bedding the rodents got into with hot water. For a big mess in the attic, see attic cleanup.

Related jobs: Mouse Control, Sealing and Exclusion, Dead Rodent Odor Removal