The statement "If you give a mouse a cookie..." has become a common place quotation in many homes.  The saying generally refers to those who take advantage of kindness, however, in the pest control field we like to look at this statement for exactly what it says.  Rodents, insects, etc. are referred to as pests for a reason, they can cause environmental, sanitation, and health concerns, and will take advantage of every opportunity they are presented with.  

When dealing with infestations of anything, the availability of food, water, and housing, will continue to bring pests back into your home looking for more, not to mention it will encourage them to invite their friends and family to their new home.  As the saying implies, if you give a pest something to eat, they will indeed want something to drink.  If both of these items can be found, the pests will be likely to set up a comfortable home right where they first found the food, in your home!


In order to prevent such problems, be sure to keep all food handling areas clean, and avoid the availability of water resources (fix leaky sinks, etc.). When it comes to most pests, cleanliness is vital, though it is crucial for extermination of any sort.  Make your home as unwelcoming to unwanted pests as possible, and leave the cookies safe in the cookie jar!

While watching some movies with my daughter the other night, I got to thinking.  I have seen posts in the past about how many cartoon versions of mice and other pests there are, but I was quite surprised when I saw how many cartoon and animated fleas there are! I suppose it makes sense, since so many cartoons are based on cats and/or dogs! Perhaps the Pink Panther, or one of our other friends but here are some of the cartoon fleas I have found, let me know if you can think of any others:

P.T. Flea – Pixar’s A Bug’s Life

The Pink Flea – The Pink Panther

Ferocious Flea – Atom Ant

Strong Flea – Pixie and Dixie

Toot Suite Flea & Giselle Flea – Snooper and Blabber