INDIANAPOLIS, (WISH) – Indianapolis was recently named one of Orkin’s Top 20 Rattiest Cities in America again this year, but if you’ve seen rats in your neighborhood, you mustn’t take matters into your own hands. Rat poison is dangerous for local wildlife, who can eat the poison and get sick or die.

So what is the ethical way to handle these common critters? “Life.Style.Live!” host Cody Adams spoke with Janelle Iaccino, “The Bug Girl” from Franklin Pest Solutions, and Nicole Harmon, Director of Wildlife Rehabilitation and Education at Humane Indiana, to learn about why its important to avoid using destructive poisons.

Joining Iaccino and Harmon were two special guests: Casper, an endangered barn owl, and Twig, a curious Virginia opossum!

“Taking care of rats and mice is not always a DIY situation,” Iaccino said.

“It happens this time of year as things get colder. They’re trying to get inside. They’re looking for a cozy spot, just like us. There are things that people can do to prevent that in the first place. But doing it on your own can often cause harm to other creatures.”

Misused pest controls can even have a dire impact on endangered species, like Casper, the barn owl. Harmon explained the harm rat poison has had on Indiana’s barn owl population, “We want to make sure we’re doing everything we can to protect our native wildlife, and barn owls like Casper are endangered here partly because of the use of poisons.”

Iaccino expressed that there are ways to keep rats and mice out of your home without harming wildlife, such as Casper and Twig. “There are things you can do, like if there’s a gap around your windows or door, like even the size of a dime or bigger, they can get in. So getting something like weather stripping on your doors is a good fix.”

Harmon also explains that cleaning up the outside of your house goes a long way with prevention. According to Harmon, simple solutions like not leaving the trash out and ensuring dumpsters have lids on them are both effective measures to reduce animals seeking shelter in or near your home.

But what do you do if you encounter an animal needing rescue this winter? Iaccino shared the following steps you should take if you encounter a sick or injured animal:

• Try to contain the animal in a dark, quiet location. You can use a pet kennel or even a box. 
• Use thick gloves and towels or blankets that can be put between yourself and the animal for everyone’s safety. 
• Do not feed or provide water for the animal in case the animal is injured and does not have good balance/ambulate well, which would put it at risk of drowning. For young wildlife, it can be harmful to introduce food sources that the animal’s body is not ready for or provide a formula that does not match the digestive needs of their species. 
• Get the animal to a veterinary clinic or wildlife rehabilitator center as soon as possible.

For more information on what do to if you find a wild animal in need of emergency care, visit HumaneIndiana.org. To learn more about environmentally friendly ways to reduce pest presence in your home, visit FranklinPestSolutions.com.