The Pet Food/Pest Connection

Editor’s Note: The following article was adapted from Techletter, with permission from Pinto & Associates.

Americans have more pets than ever before. According to the Forbes Advisor, 65.1 million U.S. households own a dog, while 46.5 million households own a cat, not to mention birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, and ferrets. Pet ownership has important implications for pest control. For example, cat owners commonly leave dry food out 24 hours a day for Tabby to nibble on as she pleases

• Feed pets only as much as they'll eat at one time. Remove any leftovers. Don't leave food out overnight when cockroaches and mice are foraging.
• Store pet chow and bird seed in containers with tight-fitting lids. Rodents can chew through a plastic container so a galvanized metal garbage can is a better choice. If stored outside, use some method to keep animals from prying off the lid. Squirrels and some larger animals can chew through a shock cord, so you may have to resort to wiring the lid shut or weighing it down.
• Use a bird feeder with an attached tray to catch seed. Place feeders away from the house.
• Each day, clean up spilled pet food and bird seed. Pick up dog feces and scoop out cat litter boxes.

The authors are co-owners of Pinto & Associates.