How To Rid Of Mice Without An Exterminator

Info About The Best Mouse Traps:

You’ve heard the expression: ‘Build A Better Mouse Trap’. Well many have tried and as a result, their are several different types of mouse traps on the market. They basically fall into 7 categories: snap traps, electronic mouse traps, live-catch traps, glue traps, multiple-catch traps, bucket traps and enclosed snap traps. So, what’s the best mouse trap?

Snap Traps

I’ve tried most any sort of mouse trap imaginable in my 40 years in the Pest Control Industry, but honestly – I prefer the good ‘ol Victor Snap Trap in most situations. They are my preferred tool when I need to get rid of mice.

Victor Mouse Snap Traps are inexpensive, easy to use, can be used over and over again, and are extremely effective. The older style has a curled, metallic bait tab while the newer ones have a flat, yellow plastic tab with holes in it. Either of these work great, though I personally prefer the curled bait tab. I’ve set about a million or so mouse traps and have had better overall results with the curled bait tab.

There are a few important tips that will help you get rid of mice and have a successful mouse trapping program:

1. NEVER handle the snap trap on the bait end. One reason is that you can contaminate the bait tab area, making it less attractive to the mice. That said, mice usually aren’t all that picky.
2. The more important reason is so the trap doesn’t go off and break your fingers. Just make it a habit to never handle the traps on the bait end and your fingers will thank you:)

NOTE: One problem I’ve had with the newer flat plastic bait tabs is that the bait can stick to the wood underneath the bait tab. That can cause the trap to malfunction and allow the mouse to get a free meal and just move on. It doesn’t happen often, but it does happen.

The best bait to use is simply peanut butter. Make sure you use a butter knife and push it down into the curl or holes in the bait tab. The goal is to make sure the mouse has to sit there and lick the peanut butter off of the trap. If he can grab it and run, you probably won’t catch him. Pro Tip: I’ve had better results with name brand peanut butter than with the generic versions. Weird, but it’s been proven over and over again for me.

So, where should I place mouse traps? When you get the trap set, always place it along a wall. Mice – as with most critters – have a condition called thigmotaxis. This condition makes mice prefer to travel along walls as opposed to being out in the open. Since they will spend the majority of their traveling time close to walls, it makes sense to place your traps there.

When setting the trap, always place it perpendicular to the wall with the bait tab next to the wall. The result is that regardless of which direction the mouse is traveling, he runs into the bait tab instead of the back end of the trap. Your catch rate will go way up by following this simple strategy.

It’s important that you draw a map or make a list of where you placed your traps. You should check your traps every morning as mice tend to be more active at night. If you forget where you placed a trap or don’t check them as regularly as you should, any dead mice become harder to remove from the trap and will begin to stink and draw other unwanted critters such as ants, coyotes, etc.

Once you have caught a mouse, use the same butter knife you used for the peanut butter to pry the kill bar open so the dead mouse can fall into a trash can or bag. Don’t worry about cleaning the trap – again, mice aren’t too picky. If there is still peanut butter on the bait tab, simply reset the trap and replace it in the same location. If the peanut butter is gone, re-bait and replace the trap in the same location.

I recommend placing dead mice in an exterior trash can to avoid unpleasant odors in your home or business. Always place the trap(s) back in the same location if you caught a mouse. If a trap has not been tripped for a few days, move it to another location. Continue your program until you have no catches for 2 weeks. Every structure/property is different, but a good rule of thumb is 5 snap traps per 1000 square feet of indoor space and 5 snap traps per 1/4 acre of outdoor space.

Another advantage to using snap traps for mouse control is that you know exactly what you caught, how many you caught and where you caught them. This info can be invaluable for long term mouse control. Keeping a log isn’t a bad idea so you have good info for the next time you need to get rid of mice.

I hope this article makes it easier for you to get rid of mice your self and save some serious cash. Happy Hunting!