Best mouse trap baits | Detailed guide
To attract the mouse it is crucial to have the right mouse trap baits. Mice are opportunistic animals. They are quick and clever like human beings. They can understand and adapt to different living conditions.
For proper living they don’t need huge amounts of food, they can survive with very little food and water. Therefore, it becomes so crucial to choose the right bait to lure them into the trap.
There are hundreds of different things you can try as bait. But not all will work as effectively as others. They are attracted to specific types of food items. Also while deciding bait, it is worth understanding what mice don’t like.
In this article, we will take a deep dive to understand what is the best bait for mice, that will increase the chance of catching them.
How Does Mouse Traps Work?
The mousetrap uses the kind of mechanism that gets triggered when the mouse makes some movement on the trap. The most common mouse trap that you will often get to see are :
- Snap Trap : This kind of trap uses a spring-loaded bar, which gets triggered when the mouse tries to eat the bait.
- Glue Trap : This trap uses a sticky surface to restrict the mice movement, when they try to run over it.
- Live Catch trap : This kind of trap is designed to make the mouse enter inside the trap. Once it enters and makes any movement or the bait, It closes the door. This is often used when one wants to just catch the mouse and release them to different place.
The success of the trap is highly dependent on the type of bait you use to attract this animal.
What mice love and hate to eat?
Bait works wel,l if the mouse finds the given bait more appealing. Some of the characteristics that selected bait should have are : scent, taste, and texture.
Food like peanut butter, cheese, seeds and nuts, wet or dry cat or dog food, chocolate, and maple syrup are their favorite foods. This food is high in protein, sugar and fats, which give all the essential nutrients they need to survive.
On the other hand, peppermint, cayenne pepper, cloves, ammonia, chili oil or powder, and mothballs are their disliked foods.
However, it is important to keep in mind that even the favorite food may not work as effectively to attain mouse attention. So, don’t be afraid to experiment with different foods.
Best bait for mouse traps
The best mouse traps bait can be put into below categories. They are Food Bait, Nesting material bait and Special bait :
- Food Bait : This kind of bait is generally the food item they like to eat and enjoy. Food like Peanut butter, cheese, and chocolate are their favorite foods. Apart from that they are also attracted to seeds and nuts, wet or dry cat or dog food, and maple syrup.
- Nesting material bait : This is generally a material that they don’t eat but they take it in order to make their nest. Here cotton and floss are preferred materials. In Addition to this, they are also like other materials such as wool, feathers, and string.
- Special bait : This is often preferred if the food bait and nesting material bait doesnot work well. The special bait includes chemicals like pheromones, which are used by mice to communicate with other mice.
The amount of bait to use highly depends on the type of trap that you are setting for them. For traps like snap traps, you can attach a small amount of bait.
Common mistake
Even if people know what type of bait will work well. Still, some people frequently make the below mistakes. As a result, it reduces the success of catching them. They are :
- Using too much bait : This is the most common mistake where people set traps with too much bait. As a result, mice don’t fall for this traps and only take external food and run away.
- Not experimenting : Each mouse is different. Therefore, it is worth experimenting with the type of bait you use. Try using different types of food, nesting material. Also, use the right amount of bait and avoid using it too much.
- Ruining the bait : Another possible reason, even after following all the measures why mice may avoid your bait are – they may detect your scent on the bait. In this case, use gloves and healthy dishes while preparing the mouse food.
- Not placing the trap in the right place : If you have a mouse at home, it is obvious that you may understand their travel route. But, if you don’t know their possible route, try to investigate it. And then place your trap at the right location.
Are there any safety concerns associated with certain types of bait?
Yes, there are safety concerns associated with certain types of bait used in the mouse trap. According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), edible baits such as chemical products can even affect the health of human beings.
This becomes more concerning, if you prefer to use bait that can be poisonous or harmful to human beings. Even though there is less possibility of getting this bait in contact with the foods and beverages. But it is worth taking proper care, especially if the bait is harmful to human beings or pets.
Also, read the instruction manual properly and also follow the do’s and don’ts properly.
Takeaway :
For catching the mouse, using the right mouse bait is the key. Food such as peanut butter seeds, cheese, floss, and cotton are one of the best baits to try. It is important to keep in mind that the success of the bait is highly dependent on the type of bait used, amount of it, and where you have placed your trap.
Finally, it is also worth remembering that this animal is quick and can adapt to situations very easily. Therefore, if one bait doesn’t work, try experimenting with other things to get a better result.
