Mice not taking the bait?

We have had several phone calls recently from customers who have had mice in their gardens & think it is a good idea to bait mice themselves.

This is very worrying, not so much from a pest controllers point of view, but as there are a few things to consider when dealing with so called pest mice.

Firstly mice that live outside are not “house mice” they are either the field/wood mouse. Only a mouse living inside your home is a “house mouse”.

Baiting pest mice yourselves outside can lead to all sorts of problems with other wildlife. Not only could you be killing the wrong type of mouse, but you could end up killing, shrews, voles, hedgehogs etc.

You can also kill the slugs/snails in your garden which also eat bait blocks. However much you like/dislike them, slugs and snails are part of the circle of life and without them hedgehogs, birds & other mammals will decline alongside other animals in the food chain. This is known as secondary poisoning. If small mammals are being poisoned, eg a mouse, then larger birds like Hawks & Owls can also get secondary poisoned in the process.

Our native species & wildlife is reducing by the day and facing numerous problems with lack of food, from hedgerows that have been cut back, or from lack of natural habitat due to new homes being built, extensive farming & more. Further setbacks from Joe Public, who has decided that the odd wild mouse or two in the garden is an issue that needs to be poisoned, with several bait blocks brought from your local hardware store has a devastating effect.

Everybody who as a large enough garden, or who is lucky enough to live near a green area, will have mice at some point going through their garden. They will not chew through your home causing mass destruction, they will not attack your cat, or nibble your toes in the night – you may laugh, but this is what people ask us.

From a Pest Control point of view.

Isca Pest Control spend several hours every year in training, we sit exams for our qualifications and have all the up to-date industry grade poisons if we need to use them.

A final few words of warning.

If it is discovered that these mammals/birds that are killed due to carelessness of doing home baiting and it is reported to the right governing bodies you can face heavy fines (i.e. a dead bat can carry a fine of approx. £3000 per bat). So please do not bait your outside spaces and cause further devastation to our natural wildlife unless you have a serious problem.

Isca Pest Control may be licensed to kill, but we have feelings and respect for mother nature also. If you think you have a mice pest problem with mice in your home then please contact us on 01392 462900 or get in touch online and we will swiftly eradicate the situation with minimal impact on our beautiful natural world.