Who wants to share their home and yard with some annoying bug or rodent? No one! Our home is our castle without the moat to ward off unwanted house guests of the buzzing, furry variety. But before you arm yourself with a host of pesticides, baits and traps – remember that humans and family pets have to live healthily in the same environment – and what might have you dancing with joy to see pesky bugs with their legs in the air may also be impacting the health of loyal pets.
Is Fido’s Health at Risk?
Pesticides may be able to wipe-out a colony of ants and stop cluster flies in midflight but these powerful chemicals can also do a number on family pets that are caught in the crossfire. It’s long been discussed that misuse and overuse of pesticides can cause extreme health issues in humans – ranging from nausea and vomiting to neurological disruptions – and these same chemicals can be just as impactful on the health of Fido or Mittens the kitten. Making sure all pets are out of the house during the application of pesticides and until the chemicals have fully dried is essential – cordoning off the area of the home that is being treated is also recommended to ensure that inquisitive pets don’t lick up any pesticide residue.
Baits, Traps and Your Pets
Possibly the greatest threat to your pet is the use of bait and traps around the home and yard. Bait is an obvious attractor to pets as the poison is disguised in food that is appealing to both dogs and cats. Dogs have been known to dig-up bait that has been buried in yards to address lawn pests, chew through containers to get at the deceptively appealing morsels and lick in and around traps in an attempt to access what they consider to be a treat. The attraction to traps full of bait can lead to pet injuries if not placed in an area that is inaccessible to curious cats and mischievous dogs – and actually lead to a bigger pest problem due to bait being eaten and displaced from high critter areas.
