Top 5 Reasons to Choose Humane Pest Control Solutions

Written by Jessica Rodriguez, Bird-X Blogger

So you’ve got a pest problem. Mice in the pantry? Bats in the attic? Raccoons in the backyard? Pigeons on the balcony? Whatever it is – you have some tough decisions to make about how to get rid of your pests.

To help you narrow down your options, I’ve compiled this list of the Top 5 reasons why you should always choose humane pest solutions over traps or pesticides (even if you don’t have qualms with cruelty when it comes to pest animals).

1. You Love Animals

Okay, maybe you don’t love all animals, but I do! Okay, maybe I don’t love the spider who decided to build its home in my shower (even though he’s doing me a solid by eating other bugs). And I guess I don’t love the raccoons that tipped over my garbage can. But I do love my friend Brittany’s cats, Voldemort and Gandalf the Gray, who epically battle one another so adorably all over the living room. And I love every dog I ever pass by on the sidewalk. I love the rabbits scurrying past in my neighborhood and songbirds that let you know spring is here. And, though I can’t bring myself to personally love them, I appreciate the love my friend Cassie has for her two pet rats.

While humans can easily make the distinction between pesky pests and the creatures we adore, traps and pesticides can’t. Humane pest solutions can target the pest animals and drive them away without any risk of harming the animals you love.

Electronic units like the Bird X Peller Pro use natural and species-specific predator sounds and distress calls to scare away specific types of pests.

2. Keep Your Pets and Children (and Yourself) Safe

Any pest control option that is dangerous for the pest animals is dangerous for you and your loved ones, too. Pesticides contain harsh chemicals that are harmful if touched or swallowed. You may know to be careful around areas that have been sprayed, but do you really want to risk your loved ones coming into contact with these things?

My first apartment in Chicago had a problem with ants coming in through a crack in the doorway. My roommate had a cat, Penny, who enjoyed eating the ants and, on occasion, just licked the floor for the fun of it. We ultimately decided that there was just nothing we could do about the ant problem because everything we found seemed unsafe for Penny. We thought about keeping her out of that room, but it was the main space of the apartment and the room where she spent the most time. It’s too bad we didn’t know about the Transonic Bugchaser, a device that uses sound waves to drive away bugs. While there would have been a chance that Penny would be bothered by the sound waves, there was no chance at all of her being harmed.

One of the most common questions we receive about Bird-X products is “Is it safe for [insert loved one here]?” People ask about their pets, their children or grandchildren, pregnant women, you name it. With humane solutions, the answer is always yes. If it won’t harm the pest, it won’t harm you or your loved ones. Isn’t that a comforting thought?

3. Better for the Environment

The green movement is bigger than ever right now, and the reason is obvious: we aren’t going to let future generations pay for our mistakes anymore. Our planet’s resources are precious and limited and more and more people are starting to realize that our actions have long-term consequences. Humane solutions don’t pollute the environment like toxic pesticides.

Humane solutions from Bird-X take it a step further: some Bird-X electronic products can be powered with solar panels.

4. It Can Save You Money and Time

Pest control can be very expensive. There is no doubt that calling in professionals can cost hundreds of dollars but DIY pest control can be just as costly. Fatal snap traps can usually only be used once, and pesticides need to be re-applied. The repeated treatments end up costing you money and time. Many humane solutions involve one installation that remains effective for several years with very little maintenance required.

Pigeon infestations, for example, are sometimes treated with bird baiting processes that have to be repeated every month. Humane electronic devices, or physical barriers like spikes or netting only need to be installed once and they remain effective for years. Visual scares are inexpensive and can be effective long-term solutions as well. Just keep in mind that a combination of these devices will be more effective than just one.

5. You Don’t Have to Clean Up the Mess

I will never forget the time I was at a friend’s apartment and a horrible smell distracted me the entire time. I finally got up the courage to mention it and he apologized profusely and swore he wasn’t a slob. He went to investigate and determined that the smell was coming from a storage area adjacent to his back door. In the storage area he found a rat trap, and I bet you can guess what was caught in it. He called the landlady and she instructed him not to touch it, letting him know that there were special precautions to be made when disposing of it and that she would take care of it as soon as possible.

With humane pest solutions, you will never have any dead (or worse – nearly dead) animals to dispose of.

Some humane solutions do involve trapping and releasing live animals, but I prefer the ones that drive them away with fear or irritation.

Maybe you’re passionate about treating animals humanely. Maybe you aren’t. Maybe you will do whatever it takes to get rid of the bugs, mice, and other pest animals because you just can’t take it anymore. Whatever the case, there are clear advantages to choosing humane solutions.