Imagine this scenario: You open up a cabinet to look for a quick snack, only to find a pantry full of boxes and bags with holes in them. You do some more investigating, and horror of horrors, you find little pointed pellets of poop scattered across countertops and cupboard walls. It’s time to learn about mouse trap bait!
Oh no! You were chosen as the unfortunate landlord by some very unwanted furry guests!
Mice are a common problem in the US. As many as one-third of American familiesreport having a mouse infestation in their house.
Luckily, there are many solutions for rodent infestations on the market today, ranging from rat poison to high-tech shock traps. Many traps on the market can provide a quick effective way to get rid of mice.
If you have purchased your trap of choice, now’s the time to pick the bait. After all, the traps won’t be effective if the mice aren’t interested in the bait that you are using! Here are some tried-and-true ideas for the best mouse trap bait you can buy
The Best Mouse Trap Bait: Peanut Butter
Did you know that mice have poor eyesight?
Since they’re as good as blind, they rely on their incredible sense of smell to guide their way when searching for food. Mice may not even know they are entering the trap. No matter what type of trap you are using, peanut butter is a proven way to attract mice to it. This is thanks to its strong scent.
Also, peanut butter is sticky and hard for small animals to carry. This makes it difficult for mice to hoard it away for later.
If you’re afraid that the mouse is ambitious enough to hoard it, you can also spread the peanut butter over a wider area of the trap. This prevents mice from stealing the yummy morsel and escaping your trap’s grip.
Pet Food Is a Huge Feast for Mice
Mice love pet food, plain and simple. Because of the high fat and protein content in most pet foods, mice find it to be an ideal feast that they can store in their nest.
Want to test if mice are sharing your home? Drop a few kibbles in the bait tray of your spring loaded trap, snap trap, or glue trap and inspect it regularly to see if it has caught any furry intruders.
If you want your experiment to be even more effective, use wet pet food. It’s one of the best mouse trap baits available aside from products that are specifically made for traps. Both dog and cat food that is wet and canned has an extremely strong odor that will draw the mice to the source.
Just make sure to store all other pet food in tight, locking rodent-proof containers. Your traps will be useless if the mice can easily access a bigger stash of pet food somewhere else!
Soft and Warm Nesting Materials As Mouse Trap Bait
Mice, unlike other creatures, do not hibernate for the winter. Instead, they migrate indoors in search of food and shelter to escape the cold temperatures. This is why mice infestations are more common in the fall and winter seasons.
As mice find warm places with easy access to a food source, they begin to mate and produce young.
A female mouse can begin breeding at around four to five days. She can produce as many as 4 litters of 12 mice in a year!
To build cozy nests in your house, mice look for soft materials such as cotton, rags, steel wool or even shredded paper. Therefore, you can even use these materials as baits for your trap.
That’s right; don’t just associate bait with food. Using various nesting materials to lure mice to the trap is also very effective. Place small strips of cotton balls, dental floss, and other shreds of anything soft into the bait stations. Then, wait for the mice to get caught!
Mice Have a Sweet Tooth
Did you know that mice love anything sweet?
While chocolate is deadly to other mammals, it’s perfect mouse trap bait. Other sweet treats like maple syrup, honey, and soft candies like gumdrops also work well.
Tips to Make Your Mouse Trap Bait Even More Effective
Remember to check the bait stations every 4-6 hours to see if a mouse has been caught. Depending on the trap, mice could still escape if given enough time.
Also, change out your bait often. Old bait can go bad or lose its strong smell. Once the smell fades, mice will not be as attracted to it.
Use as little bait as possible. Mice are crafty. If you use too much bait at once, they can grab a little piece and scamper off to their nest, leaving the mouse traps empty!
Switch up the type of bait you use. If you notice that your bait loses its effectiveness or doesn’t work at all, try something else. While common household food makes good bait, you may need to buy specific mouse bait from a home-improvement store.
What to Do When the Mouse Is Still Being a Nuisance
Even with these best mouse trap bait ideas and your persistent hard work, sometimes these furry pests do not want to leave. In that case, it might be time to consider calling the professionals. After all, according to the CDC, rodents carry many deadly diseases. Rodents aren’t worth putting your family’s safety on the line.
We are here to help. With years of experience and five-star testimonials from residential and commercial clients, we have the expertise to get the job done. Contact us today, and we will gladly send your unwanted guests on their merry way!
Check out our recent blog post on rodent control here.
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