Rodents are a common household pest that often lurk in the shadows in the cracks, crevices, and small crawl spaces inside your home. Unlike termites that can be difficult to detect and control on your own, rodent control at home can be easily done by placing mouse traps. These bait stations or traps are one of the most effective and cheap ways to capture and eliminate them from your property. 

So what are the things you need to know about using mouse traps? You have to know first the benefits of using a mouse trap, where to best set up a mouse trap, the best baits to use for trapping mice, what kinds of mouse traps are available, how to properly dispose of mice and clean the trap after. Knowing these things can keep you motivated to set up a sturdy and well-planned mouse trap in your home and even make some necessary tweaks so that you make the most out of your mouse trap.

Read More: How to Stiffen the Spring of a Mouse Trap

5 Things to Know Before Using a Mouse Trap  

The mouse trap that features a rectangular flat base, wire fasteners, and a spring-loaded trap was designed and patented by William C. Hooker. This mouse trap design is the classic house trap that many homeowners are likely using for mouse control. 

The invention of the mouse trap certainly paved the way for the management and control of multiple mice infestation. Here are some of the things and facts you need to know about using mouse traps: 

Benefits of Using Mouse Traps 

One important thing to note about rodents is that they multiply and reproduce at a fast rate. If you don’t place traps at home, the rodent population indoors can grow very quickly and you can have an unwanted multiple mice infestation. Here are the several advantages of using mouse traps for rodent control: 

• Unlike rodenticides, house mouse traps are safe and non-toxic for children and other members of the family since it uses natural food baits. 
• Depending on the type of mouse trap that you’ll use, the captured rodent will either be killed or unable to escape which can prevent further contamination in the area.
• Snap traps are also easier and safer to use in areas where a rodenticide or rat poison cannot be used or placed. 
• Not only are mouse traps easy to use but they are also simple to maintain so you can monitor rodent activity all year round.

Best Baits to Use for Trapping Mice 

Unlike mouse bait stations that use rodent poison or rodenticides, you only need food baits for a mouse trap. Most of these food baits are readily available in your pantry and can be easily restocked so you can regularly put out your live-catch mouse trap. The most common irresistible baits for mice are the following: 

• Peanut butter - this is one of their favorite foods and it has an attractive scent that mice and rats can smell from a distance 
• Cheese - make sure to choose the cheese product that has a strong smell so they can walk right into the trap 
• Chocolate - mice love to nibble on small pieces of chocolate so you can also use them as appropriate baits 
• Oats, meat/beef jerky, and bread - mice also like to feed on carbohydrate-rich and protein foods so they can be placed in the trap 
• Nesting material - mice are also attracted to items such as shredded paper, tissues, and cotton balls which they can take to build their nest

What Kinds of Mouse Traps Are Available

Over time, there have been innovations added to the classic spring-loaded bar trap to make them easier-to-use and more effective at killing and trapping mice and other small animals and pests. There are humane traps whose sole purpose is to capture live mice so they can be later released in the backyard. There are also no-touch traps that can usher mice to their slow death once they are captured. Other specific types of traps for capturing mice are the electric trap, snap trap, live trap, lightweight traps, and glue traps or glue boards. Most mouse trap products today can be bought at hardware stores and even grocery stores. 

Where to Best Set Up a Mouse Trap 

Inspecting your home for areas of high mouse activity is important for setting up spring mouse traps. Like most household pests, mice like to dwell and move around dark places such as behind furniture, appliances, storage cabinets, and the attic. They can also be seen moving and sticking close along wall corners. 

For effective control, a mouse trap should be set up at a decent distance from areas where there’s high activity. It’s ideal to place traps at least 2 to 10 feet away from their location since they have a good sense of smell and may avoid them if they instantly notice them.

How to Dispose of Trapped Mice and Clean The Trap 

Upon successfully trapping a live mouse or seeing dead mice left at the trap, you also have the responsibility of disposing of them to avoid possibly spreading diseases at home. Here are some tips on how you can safely dispose of the captured mice and clean the trap: 

• Before coming into contact with the used mouse trap, make sure to wear gloves, long-sleeved shirts, and a HEPA face mask to protect yourself from other bacteria that may cling to your person 
• Spray a disinfectant solution to the dead rodent, mouse trap, and the surrounding area where they were captured
• Remove the dead mouse and place them in double trash bag before putting in a trash can
• If you don’t want to throw away the mouse trap, you can clean it by properly rinsing and washing the trap with water and soap. Use a sponge to scrub the device and remove any mouse residue and fluids to avoid direct contamination 

Learn More: How to Safely Open a Mouse Trap

What to Look Out for to Know if You Have a Mouse Infestation 

Although mice and rats are small creatures, they can still deal a great amount of damage to your objects and property. The most common house mouse (Mus musculus) is very troublesome and they can contaminate the surfaces they walk and live on with their feces, urine, and mouse droppings. Mice infestation can also compromise your family’s health and safety, or even cause illnesses such as food poisoning, asthma attacks, and leptospirosis. 

Here are the things that may be attracting mice into your home and their common signs of infestations: 

• Mice can enter homes through small holes, gaps, and vents that are accessible from the outside.  
• Similar to any other household pest, rodents primarily enter homes in search of food and shelter. They may also be found infesting areas with unwanted and unorganized clutter such as storage spaces. 
• Mouse droppings and nests in hidden or sheltered areas are a common tell-tale sign of rodent infestation
• Fresh gnawing on furniture or plastic materials or actual mouse sightings in open spaces are also indicative of rodent activity 
• Pets pawing or scratching at walls and cabinets can also indicate that there are mice hiding inside 

House Mouse Control and Prevention Tips 

Enlisting a professional pest control team can help in eliminating rodents and ensuring that your home is mouse-free. But before calling for their assistance, here are some precautionary tips that can help control mouse activity at home: 

• Regularly clean your home and avoid having indoor and outdoor clutters so that these rodents will not have any hiding or living spaces 
• Keep surfaces dry and eliminate water and food sources to prevent mouse contamination 
• Mouse-proof your home by sealing cracks, spaces, pipes, and holes where they can easily enter 
• Store all food supply in tightly-sealed containers and glass jars to avoid attracting mice 
• Be proactive in pest control and rodent inspection to solve and prevent an existing mice problem from getting worse  

Trust The Rodent Control Experts at Positive Pest Management 

While it’s easy to set up rodent traps at home, nothing can bring you better peace of mind than having pest control experts take care of your rodent problem. At Positive Pest Management, we perform safe and effective rodent control and elimination to ensure the safety of your family at home or your business. 

We are proud providers of quality pest control services such as pest inspection, extermination, and prevention measures to keep unwanted pests from infesting your space. Call us today to know more about our rodent control services and get a free estimate for your property.