Think about your feline when fighting off summer pests
Today, I would like to start a discussion on a common-sense approach to insect and rodent control in our homes that will keep in mind the safety of our felines.
Pesticides that can poison felines include: Rodenticides, herbicides applied to your lawn, and insecticides for flea control. If we take some simple, preventive measures in the war of pest control, we may never have to determine what the least toxic measure of elimination might be.
Let's face it, most pests like mice, ants and other insects enter our dwellings in search of food or shelter. The first line of prevention is to tidy up your home in areas you consume and store food.
That means that your vacuum and dust pan have become your new best friend in the prevention of keeping unwanted vermin and critters out of your home. By vacuuming up crumbs, you are eliminating a food source for pests.
Certain human, pet and bird food also need to be stored in airtight containers to prevent attraction and access to unwanted visitors.
Paper recycle bins need to be relocated to the garage to prevent nesting. If you have a shed, that is a better place for the paper bins because it is further removed from the home.
Next, do an internal and external exam of the home to view weaknesses that can be seen as access points for pests to enter. Keep in mind that a mouse can wiggle into the smallest of openings and can chew through plastic, siding and wood to make any opening larger.
Repair or replace any screens that are damaged and allow access.
Next, seal any cracks by caulking, especially in the kitchen and areas close to cooking and food storage. This is especially a good preventive measure if any of your kitchen cabinets are on an outside wall.
If your preventive measures have not been a total success, some less toxic steps may be the application of boric acid, gel baits or essential oils applied in the crevices not reachable by your feline. Even if the product is labeled "organic," call your veterinarian with a list of all the ingredients before you use it.
Since by instinct, most indoor felines are natural mousers, they may be at risk of toxic poisoning from catching and consuming a poisoned mouse, event if you have not used a toxic pesticide. This is known as secondary poisoning.
The signs of secondary poisoning may not appear at first contact. If your feline gets more than one dose of poison, the accumulated poison may take weeks to detect. Common signs of pesticide poisoning include vomiting, drooling, diarrhea, tremors and, ultimately, seizures.
Even if you don't use chemicals on your lawn, your neighbor may. Felines sharing a home with a dog are more at risk. Know where you walk your dog. If your pets get close, your feline can absorb pesticides through the nose, eyes, mouth and skin. Let's not forget our felines are fastidious groomers, so they can easily ingest poisons from the skin.
With all that being said, good luck on the war against pests without pesticides!
• The Buddy Foundation, 65 W. Seegers Road, Arlington Heights, is an all-volunteer, nonprofit organization with all funds directly assisting its animals. Call (847) 290-5806 or visit thebuddyfoundation.org.