3 Mistakes To Avoid When Using Mouse Traps

Blog

At first look, mice can be cute little furry guests. Unfortunately, these cute and little rodents can do big damage to your home. Thankfully, you can prevent this damage with the right mouse traps, but knowing how to use these traps to your advantage is key. Here are a few mistakes to avoid when using different types of mouse traps for rodent control.

Touching the Traps Excessively

Mice rely on all their senses to find food. One of these senses is scent, so the mice will hopefully smell the food used in the different mouse traps and baits you are using throughout the home.

However, if you touch the traps/baits excessively, you are leaving behind your own scent, which will mask the scent of the food. Instead of the mice smelling the actual food bait, they will smell your scent, meaning they will avoid the trap entirely.

Your best option is to place the trap and forget it. If possible, wear rubber gloves when placing the trap in an area of the home to mask your initial scent when placing the food on the bait.

Using Cheese as Bait

If you have ever watched cartoons or movies that involve mice, you most likely saw cheese being used as the sole form of bait. While they may be somewhat attracted to the cheese, mice and other rodents prefer nuts and seeds, so cheese is not the only or the most effective option when choosing a bait.

Instead of a piece of cheese, consider placing a glob of peanut butter on the mouse trap. Not only is peanut butter affordable, but it has a strong scent, which will attract mice and other rodents to the trap. If you do not have any peanut butter on hand, consider hazelnut spread, which is also made out of nuts.

Thinking Traditional Traps Are Your Only Option

Another mistake to avoid is thinking you only have one type of trap – the traditional mouse trap. These traps work by baiting the mouse, allowing them to eat the food on the trap, and triggering a piece of metal that kills the mouse instantly. Traditional traps can leave behind big messes.

Fortunately, there are other mouse traps available. Glue traps, for instance, trap the mouse on a pad or plate using glue. Eventually, the mouse will die without any bloody mess.

Electronic baits are also good options. These baits look like actual boxes, allowing the mouse to enter an opening to get the bait and then be shocked without you even seeing the dead mouse.

Share

4 October 2019

how to eliminate pests for good

Do you spend your spring and summer months battling the pests that enter your home? There are many ways to prevent the intrusion of ants, roaches, flies, mosquitoes, mice and other pests in your home. I own several rental properties that I have to be sure do not get infested with all sorts of pests and have learned a lot about preventing the intrusion to begin with. You can learn from my personal experiences and keep the pests from ever becoming a serious issue in your home. With a few minor changes to the home and working with a skilled pest control agent, your home can be pest-free forever!