5 Mouse Trap Mistakes You’re Making

You may not jump on a chair at the sight of a mouse in your home but you’re probably not going to feel comfortable. It’s disconcerting to think of them running around while you sleep, but it’s more worrying that they can actually carry an array of diseases.

You may be right to jump on a chair!

Of course, the best option is to call your local exterminator, they can help you to find the source of the problem, eradicate it, and prevent it from happening again.

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But, if you’re determined to solve the mouse issue yourself then the first thing you’re going to want to do is get some traps down. You need to do this right if you don’t have the right knowledge you can easily make one or all of the following 5 common mouse trap mistakes.

1. Get The Position Right

Putting the trap in an open area allows you to see whether a mouse has visited or not. Unfortunately, mice don’t generally like open areas, it’s not safe for them. Instead of putting it where you can see it, put it where the mice are going to go, under countertops and in dark corners.

You’ll dramatically increase your chances of catching a mouse.

2. Putting The Wrong Bait on the Trap

You’ve probably seen the cartoons where cheese is used to capture a mouse. While it’s true that mice will eat most things they are much more attracted to the smell and taste of peanut butter or hazelnuts.

In fact, foods that are high in calories are always a safe bet. You can also wrap the food in cotton wool and wrap some of the fibers around the tripwire. The mice will pull and gnaw, setting the trap off before they even get to the real bait!

3. Using Too Much Bait

The more bait you use the more likely it is that a mouse can take the bait without setting off the mouse trap. Instead, add just a little amount of bait, it will be enough to do the trick.

how to use a mouse trap

4. Touching the bait

It can be easy to touch the bait as you load the trap but in the process, you’ll leave your scent on the bait. As mice have a very good sense of smell they are likely to realize you’ve put the food there, long before they get near it.

In short, they won’t want the bait. You need to make sure you wear gloves.

5. Expecting instant results

Checking the trap every 10 minutes is not going to help you catch a mouse. In fact, mice are wary of anything new and will usually take several days to get accustomed to the trap before they’ll even consider taking the food.

If you’ve kept the bait small and they’ve taken it without setting the trap off, it’s a good sign. Just load it again and you’ll find they are more confident the next time around and will be caught.

Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is an ecopreneur, consultant, advisor, speaker and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection, conservation and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. Salman is the Founder of EcoMENA, a popular voluntary organization based in Qatar. He is also the Founder and CEO of BioEnergy Consult, a reputed consulting firm active in biomass, waste-to-energy and waste management segments.
Salman is a professional environmental writer with more than 350 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass environmental awareness in different parts of the world.
Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com