Dear Dot: How Can I Get Rid of Rodents in a Humane Way?

Dear Dot,

Is there a non-toxic, humane way to rid a plague of chipmunks and rats?

— Karleen

The Short Answer: Conflicts with wildlife are best dealt with individually: What is the animal doing that’s bothering you, why is it doing it, and how do we get it to stop? For the most part, that means pest-proofing your home and outbuildings. Clean up fruit and nuts that fall from trees to the ground; tidy up bird seed spilled from feeders; store seed in rodent-proof containers; ensure that garbage cans, compost piles, and green bins are secured; and check your home, sheds, decks, and porches for any entry points. 

Dear Karleen,

Dot was recently sitting around with a few neighbors, chatting about our community’s robust population of skunks. Living on an island mostly without predators is skunk nirvana, and they have responded by procreating with abandon. Consequently, many of us humans who have invaded this tiny island are frustrated with the unsurprising and unwelcome aroma of our adorable little pals — including my neighbors, who were trading stories about their “pest-control guy” who addresses the issue with a shotgun.

I reacted with horror. While I am no fan of de-skunking my dogs, who seem determined to relearn a stinky lesson, I am also no fan of violence or cruelty to small (or large) critters. I’m with you, Karleen. We come to evict in peace.

But … how exactly? What does “humane” even mean? What qualifies as “non-toxic”? How might we rid ourselves of these troublesome, sometimes house-destroying rodents while maintaining the scaffolding of our principles? Are there times when health or safety concerns trump ethics?

A few years ago, Dot responded to a similar question from a reader concerned about mice taking up residence in their stored vehicle. I have also responded to a reader wondering about discouraging gophers and groundhogs.

Which brings us to rats and chipmunks. And to your “plague.” Also, really, Karleen? A “plague”? Dot is envisioning something of Biblical proportions and yet … you were able to dash off an email, so forgive me if I suspect hyperbole. That said, the National Pest Management Association reports that 21 million homes in the United States experience rodent infestations each winter. So your concerns are clearly warranted. Rodents, including those adorable cartoonish chipmunks, can spread disease and wreak havoc on your home. Chipmunks’ underground burrows can extend for 30 feet and descend several feet into the ground. They can damage patios and walkways, and chipmunks’ sharp teeth and love of chewing can damage wires and siding. Rats, similarly, can cause a lot of damage with their teeth. In short, they are not just annoying but can create fire hazards.

There is no official definition of “humane” as it pertains to ridding ourselves of meddlesome pests. The term refers to methods that don’t kill the animals or insects. Or at least … not outright. The Toronto Wildlife Centre notes that trapping and relocating, a typical method of “humane” pest control companies, simply delays the death of the animals, often by less than a month. For one, they tell us, animals have adapted to their particular territory, even if that territory is your garden shed. For another, most human-wildlife conflicts occur in spring and early summer when there are, likely, babies that are well hidden and will often be left behind. Relocating often just replaces one problem with another. After all, nature abhors a vacuum. When one animal (or species) is removed, another will step into the void. And Mother Nature’s math often means that animals that produce multiple offspring and find a void due to the relocation of other animals (while there’s still plenty of food and shelter) can produce more offspring, according to research.

Plenty of pest-control companies tout “non-toxic” approaches to pest control. Non-toxic, again, has no official, regulatory meaning but broadly means no poison. The Toronto Wildlife Centre states that “Conflicts with wildlife are best dealt with individually: What is the animal doing that’s bothering you, why is it doing it, and how do we get it to stop?” (Curious what it’s like to work with urban wildlife? Read Bluedot’s My Green Job column with a Toronto Wildlife Centre rescue team manager.) 

So what works that is both non-lethal and poison-free?

A year ago, Dot enlisted the good folks at Skedaddle to evict some attic mice after my feline residents did absolutely nothing to discourage these pint-sized marauders. (More proficient mousers do exist, but it was my luck to have pacifist kitties. While feline pest control isn’t “humane” in the strictest sense, it’s typically pretty quick.) Skedaddle isn’t cheap, but it has been effective. They essentially install a one-way path out of your home. In my case, mice leave to get food and then find that they can’t re-enter. In the meantime, Skedaddle staff scoured my home to seal any entry points that might have allowed mice to find their way into my home in the first place. 

A lifetime guarantee helped soften the sticker shock and, to date, there have been no signs of a murine return. Where did I find these humane pest controllers? Google. So, Karleen, I’d start there (and read reviews!).

I assume you share my philosophy that we cannot, nor do we want to, eliminate wildlife. We do want to eliminate, or reduce, any problems created by them. The key, my Skedaddle contact said, is to stop the problems before they occur — in other words, to make your home pest-proof, to the best of your ability. So let’s get started: 

• Clean up fruit and nuts that fall from trees to the ground. 
• Keep your bird feeders tidy: Spilled birdseed also attracts non-birds. 
• Store grass-seed, bird seed, or anything else likely to be considered food in rodent-proof containers in your garage or shed. 
• Ensure that garbage cans, compost piles, green bins, and so on are secured with no cracks or entry points. 
• Check sheds, decks, and porches for any entry points. Remember that mice can slip into holes about the size of a dime. You can try non-toxic deterrents to those entry points — peppermint oil, cloves or clove oil. But better, say the Skedaddlers, to close up entry points entirely (after ensuring the inhabitants are out) using steel wool and caulking or metal mesh to seal them. Don’t forget the spaces around doors, windows, vents, and utility pipes.

But Karleen, I appeal to you and to all my readers to do our best to live alongside the wildlife around us, to appreciate it, and to recognize that, unlike my neighborhood skunks, the situation isn’t black and white. 

Humanely,

Dot

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