Since mice enjoy eating, nuts, peanut butter is an effective bait because of its aroma. Bird seed also works well. When setting bait, consider using something that occupies the mouse's attention, so they linger, and give the trap more time to work. While the design is simple yet effective, keep in mind that this mouse trap doesn’t have a bait cover like more elaborate traps do. If you have pets or young children in your home who may be tempted by the bait, you may want to opt for the Victor M070-6SR Easy and Safe-Set Power Kill Mouse Trap instead.

To set, simply lift the red kill bar up. When the trap is triggered, the bar will release and kill the mouse instantly. While some traps hide the body of the mouse, keep in mind that this one isn’t covered, so you will see the mouse after it’s been killed. It is the only mouse trap on our list that requires batteries, but it can kill up to 100 mice on one set of fully charged batteries. Disposal is also hassle-free with this option—after the trap kills a mouse, simply turn off the device and remove the kill chamber. Then, open the lid over a trash can or plastic bag to dispose of the mouse. People opt for mouse traps as they are easy to set up and a cost-effective solution to get rid of mice. Certified wildlife biologist Dr. Paul Curtis says that mice seek the shelter of our homes for a few different reasons. “Mice are attracted to homes because they provide food sources and safe habitat to avoid bad weather and predators,” he says. He also explains that mice frequently use insulation as nesting material, and they can chew through cardboard boxes in pantries or cabinets to steal food. We look at how to create an effective mouse trap strategy, where to place them, and what bait is the best.

Rid your home of a mouse infestation with our roundup of the top-rated traps for unwanted rodents

Mice love to run alongside walls. Due to this fact, it’s important to set your mouse trap perpendicular to your wall. This way, it doesn’t matter which direction the mouse is moving – it’ll trigger the trap. Numbers game There’s nothing quite like the panic of seeing a small, gray blur scurry along your baseboards when you’re making dinner or getting ready for bed in the evening. Unfortunately, mice can cause major problems for homeowners, and it’s important to trap them as soon as possible. This humane trap option from Iiwey is ruggedly built, features a long 32cm cage to allow your mouse plenty of movement, and uses a pressure plate to trigger door closure, ensuring the mouse is deep enough inside the trap to avoid clipping its tail. Easy to clean afterwards with just water, it is ready to be used again instantly.

Experts recommend a strategy based on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), which posits that there's no single cure-all solution to pest control. "Multiple things must be done to prevent pests from entering the home and to make the home a less desirable habitat if they do enter," noted the Building Performance Institute. Here are the key best practices. Deny mice a food supply. Mice search for a warm and comfortable source of food (especially in colder temperatures). Make sure to keep your kitchen area extra clean. Wiping the table and counters and sweeping the floor after meals to ensure there’s no tempting crumbs or spills left behind is a good practice. It's also smart to store all unsealed food — including pet food — in airtight plastic, glass or metal containers. If you have children or pets in your household, consider a mouse trap that is designed to be kid- and pet-friendly, like the Victor M070-6SR Easy and Safe-Set Power Kill Mouse Trap. How often should you replace your mouse traps?

Many professionals use this type of multi-capture kill trap, but it is a bit expensive for homeowners,” Dr. Curtis says. Yes, they can be, and especially so if you insist on using old-school basic snap traps. If you want to go down the lethal trap route, then we’d advise using one of the more advanced modern options which are guaranteed to kill a mouse outright rather than causing a cruel injury – they guarantee a more humane kill. Which one is the best for you depends on a number of factors, including where your mouse or mice are active, whether there might be a risk to children or pets, and how confident you are handling either the remains of a mouse or, indeed, a live mouse. When most people think of a mouse trap, the snap mouse trap is what they’ll imagine. Snap traps have been around for decades. They are simple, cost-effective, and work straight away with little setup. A straight forward method to get rid of rodents without using chemicals or poison. Snap mouse traps include a spring loaded platform combined with an arm bar which is set off once a mouse puts his weight on the bait. Catch and Release Mouse Trap (Humane method) Because the trap is made of durable plastic, it can either be reused or thrown away. If you do reuse the trap, be sure to clean it thoroughly and use gloves while handling it.

The good news is that finding evidence of one mouse does not necessarily mean you have an actual infestation on your hands. But, if you don’t take immediate action to rid yourself of the pest you do have, an infestation is likely to follow.We tested the Victor Electronic Mouse Trap at one of our homes and found it to be one of the easiest traps to set compared with spring-loaded traps we’ve used in the past; no fears of accidentally snapping our fingers in a tension bar, as can easily happen with snap traps. For best results, place the set trap against a wall in an area where you've noted rodent activity. Because the trigger plate and bait cup are entirely enclosed within the trap chamber, your pets or kids won't be able to touch them, making this a much safer option than snap traps if you have curious little ones in your home.