A Guide To Mouse Extermination, When You Have Actual Pets of Your Own
![Kori Williams - Author](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/0MA6x52L9/200x200/kori-williams-headshot-1-1644691047626.jpg)
Published May 20 2022, 2:42 p.m. ET
![A Mouse with a Mouse Trap](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/2bn11_MCO/480x251/mouse-extermination-1653064495226.jpg 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/2bn11_MCO/640x335/mouse-extermination-1653064495226.jpg 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/2bn11_MCO/768x402/mouse-extermination-1653064495226.jpg 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/2bn11_MCO/1024x536/mouse-extermination-1653064495226.jpg 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/2bn11_MCO/1280x670/mouse-extermination-1653064495226.jpg 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/2bn11_MCO/1440x753/mouse-extermination-1653064495226.jpg 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/2bn11_MCO/1600x837/mouse-extermination-1653064495226.jpg 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/2bn11_MCO/2160x1130/mouse-extermination-1653064495226.jpg 2160w)
Being a homeowner can come with a number of different challenges — one of them is dealing with an infestation of mice all on your own. While it may be easy enough to call any exterminator to help you deal with the issue. But you have to be that much more to worry about, if you're exterminating your house of mice with dogs in the house.
To get rid of mice, there are typically various chemicals used to kill them on the spot. But how can that be safe for your pets? Unsurprisingly, it's not, and using these methods can be harmful to your four-legged friends.
Here are some pet-friendly methods that will keep everyone in your household safe.
![A Dog](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Aw78xKvKF/480x252/a-dog-1653064971774.jpg 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Aw78xKvKF/640x335/a-dog-1653064971774.jpg 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Aw78xKvKF/768x402/a-dog-1653064971774.jpg 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Aw78xKvKF/1024x536/a-dog-1653064971774.jpg 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Aw78xKvKF/1280x670/a-dog-1653064971774.jpg 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Aw78xKvKF/1440x754/a-dog-1653064971774.jpg 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Aw78xKvKF/1600x838/a-dog-1653064971774.jpg 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/Aw78xKvKF/2160x1131/a-dog-1653064971774.jpg 2160w)
Start off with traps.
Catch and release traps lure mice inside of them, and a door closes behind them. Once they go inside, a door closes to keep them in there. These traps are too small for any size dog and it means that you don't have to touch the mice. Then you can set them free outdoors — just make sure it isn't anywhere near your house, in case they decide to re-enter.
Try ultrasonic repellent.
Although it sounds hi-tech, ultrasonic repellent is pretty common and not too expensive. According to The Family Handy Man. you can use ultrasonic pest repellers to get rid of mice. They use certain sound frequencies to keep pests from your home, and they don't bring any harm to your pups.
If an exterminator comes, make sure to put your pup in day care that day.
If these kinds of options aren't available to you, Terminix suggests keeping dog away from the home while it's being treated by an exterminator. This will give time for everything to dry. With that, it's also crucial to store anything your pets use so they don't come into contact with anything the exterminators use.
![A dog](https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/ChWjTwRVM/480x252/dog-1653064866301.jpg 480w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/ChWjTwRVM/640x335/dog-1653064866301.jpg 640w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/ChWjTwRVM/768x402/dog-1653064866301.jpg 768w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/ChWjTwRVM/1024x536/dog-1653064866301.jpg 1024w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/ChWjTwRVM/1280x670/dog-1653064866301.jpg 1280w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/ChWjTwRVM/1440x754/dog-1653064866301.jpg 1440w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/ChWjTwRVM/1600x838/dog-1653064866301.jpg 1600w, https://media.greenmatters.com/brand-img/ChWjTwRVM/2160x1131/dog-1653064866301.jpg 2160w)
Any beds, water or food bowls, toys, and more your dog uses are things you should store away from areas you want to be treated in your home. Then, let those areas dry before the items are placed back. If anything, be sure to talk to the technician about any concerns you have with your dogs being in the space and specific questions you have about keeping everyone safe.
Are dogs effective with exterminating mice?
We know that cats are stereotypically the ultimate mouse killers. But can dogs be just as effective at hunting them down? According to various sources, dogs aren't the best when it comes to catching mice. Even though they can occasionally get one or two, it's not a guarantee that dogs will be able to get all of them and make sure your property stays mouse-free.
If you are planning to use a dog for extermination, it would be for something like bedbugs or other kinds of insects. According to Bell Environmental which is known for hiring Roscoe the Bed Bug Dog, dogs can be trained to sniff the bugs out so that exterminators know which areas to treat.