Control of mice and rats is much easier than most people think. Preventive maintenance, such as keeping lids on trash cans, eliminating entry points into your home, and most importantly, sanitation, are crucial to controlling these pests. Uneaten pet food and piles of debris inside and outside the home are havens for rodents. Sometimes elements outside of your control, such as having homeless neighbors or new construction in the area, can easily attract rats and mice. So when it’s time to get rid of mice or rats, mousetraps and rat traps are the best way to rid your home of these nasty creatures.
Before implementing a mouse or rat control program, it is always best to know the signs of a rodent infestation. Seeing a mouse or rat running through the trash is an obvious sign, but the most telltale signs that you have a mouse or rat problem are scuff marks on the walls, strong urine odors, chewing and the droppings.
What to use as bait is also key. Most people think cheese is best, but unless you’re trying to catch Jerry, use peanut butter on mousetraps; Fig Newton’s work is also great. Using raw hickory smoked bacon has been shown to work very well for rats.
Below you will find the best traps to kill and get rid of mice and rats. The use of traps, if placed and used correctly, is the best form of mouse and rat control, especially if you have animals or children.
1. Tray Glue and Paper Boards – This is hands down the easiest and safest mouse and rat trap. Especially if you have children and pets. Simply place these traps along a wall or in a corner until a mouse or rat appears.
2. Mouse/Rat Snap Traps: There are many types of snap traps on the market, but the most common are the basic pull and set, and the popular and highly effective extended trigger versions. The wider trigger vane greatly increases the catch rate.
3. Self-Setting Traps – These are great for people who are afraid of setting the standard-setting traps. Quick and easy mechanisms make this trap ideal for the novice mouse catcher.
4. T-Rex Bait Stations – Basically a black box with a trap inside. Mice and rats never see it coming. Protecta manufactures the most popular station trap/bait box combination featuring a T-Rex trap. The bait box acts as a shelter and safe haven for mice and rats, and this style of trap plays a safety role when children and pets are present.
5. Tin Cat – This trap acts as a monitor/mouse trap using the Catchmaster Mouse Sticky Plate. Widely used in used food packaging plants and shops, but can be easily used in your home. Tin jacks are closed, helping you prevent the rodent from sticking to an exposed glue board.
6. Ketch-All wind up: A multi-catch trap that doesn’t kill, at least most of the time. Mice crawl through an opening and are carried by the spinning paddle to a holding cell.
7. Live Trap – Much like the Ketch-All, a live trap is a much smaller version of the standard live cat and dog traps. A Fig Newton or peanut butter on the back behind the trigger plate always works.
8. Bucket Tilt Trap – A bucket trap is a gravity trap with a door at one end. When the mouse enters, the cube tilts and the door closes. The peanut butter in the back of the tube works great.
9. Electric Trap: This trap speaks for itself.
10. Homemade – This is for the guy who wants to make a better mouse/rat trap, or wants to try something different. The most common is the 5 gallon bucket and soda can with wire drawn on top. Don’t forget to place the board on the edge of the bucket (also known as a plank), before sending the local population of mice and rats to their deaths.