Trying to figure out how to catch a mouse using a trap? There are two parts to this approach that you should pay attention to. One is in the type of trap that you will use to catch them with. The other is the bait that will draw them in.
A trap becomes effective with the right bait in place. In choosing bait, make sure that what you have is something that mice cannot resist. Let us look at the items that work extremely well as bait.
1. Peanut Butter
Among the food items that would draw mice in, peanut butter sits at the top of the list. It has a double-purpose effect when used, being a peanut product. If you want to lure mice into the trap, use this.
What makes them the perfect bait is due to two factors. One, the scent draws them to the peanut butter. But when they grab hold of the peanut butter, the second aspect comes up. That is the stickiness of the peanut butter. Peanut butter is the number one mouse bait on many lists such as this one here.
They don’t simply grab the food and leave. They take their time to eat it. When they take the peanut butter, it is already too late for them to run.
2. Chocolate
Another contender for mouse bait is chocolate. It has similarities with peanut butter in terms of how long mice would eat chocolate. In this case, they take longer in eating chocolate before scurrying away.
For a bait that is comparable to peanut butter, try using chocolate for your mouse traps.
3. Breakfast Cereal
The thing with breakfast cereal is that it comprises usually of grain products. Among which would include corn, wheat, and so on. Mice tend to go for such items. Even more if coated with sugar.
When you have both present, the mice cannot resist it.
4. Seeds (Pumpkin and Sunflower)
Due to the mice preferring cereals and nuts, they also tend to go for seeds as well. Anything that a mouse can nibble on works out fine. You can add these seeds as to draw them closer to the trap.
This way, they can see something that bears the semblance of regular food.
5. Bird Seeds
Speaking of seeds, bird seeds are also easy food items for mice to go for. Due to how birdseed tends to get scattered around, mice would simply scurry and gather them as easy food sources.
When used as a trap, it brings about the same effect and instinct as seeds and grains. What makes this irresistible is the taste and how easy it is for mice to eat them.
6. Sweets
Sweet foods work well as baits. One such example is jelly beans. With the way jelly beans are, it has both sweetness and softness for mice to nibble in.
You can also use gumdrops as bait. These sugary treats also work well in luring mice into the traps.
7. Dried Fruit
Another great option as a bait for mice would be the use of dried fruit. Just like the sweets we mentioned earlier, dried fruit fits as one of the sweet baits that mice enjoy nibbling on.
When used well, it can be pretty irresistible for mice. Great as an alternative option in case you don’t have gumdrops or jelly beans.
8. Cookies
Aside from acting as a gauging method for mice infestation, you can also use this as bait as well. Make sure to put this in as a small bait to ensure the mice do not run away with it with the trap closing on them.
9. Deli Meats
Meats work well as bait items for mice. For instance, use a small piece of preserved deli meat to call them close. Mice also go for meat items as well, aside from going for seeds and sweets.
Make sure that you have deli meats that do not spoil at room temperature. This way, you have a reliable bait that you can use.
10. Bacon
While humans enjoy bacon, mice also love them as well that they cannot resist the smell of it. What makes this also interesting is that you can fry the bacon before having it placed into the trap as bait. This enhances the effect of bacon as a mouse bait.
Aside from cereals and sweets, mice also go for fatty oils and meat. Whether raw or fried, bacon works perfectly well as mouse bait.
11. Dog and Cat Food
With the way mice gravitate towards meat as much as they go for grains and sweets, we see more possible bait items that would lure them effectively. One such instance would be dog and cat food. As these foods contain meat, its scent would attract the mice.
Make sure to use wet dog or cat food for this. It provides better results when compared to dry biscuits.
12. Smelly Soft Cheese
We mentioned earlier that cheese does not work well as a bait for mice. Despite what you see on TV, cheese does not lure any mice at all. But there is an exception to this situation.
Mice draw close towards the stronger smell of soft cheeses. Because of this, items like blue cheese or Brie have a better pull in fetching mice. One good reason aside from the way they smell is also due to how easy it is for mice to eat these soft cheeses.
Otherwise, mice would look for something else to nibble and scratch with.
Pick the Right Bait for Mouse Trapping
Aside from these food-based mouse baits, you can also make baits out of other items as well. In this case, choose soft items that mice can carry. They would use these as materials for building their nests.
Whichever setup you go for, you will need to start opening every possible option before setting your traps. This way, you can ensure that you get them without hassles.
And in case you find this as a tricky endeavor, you can also call for pest control professionals to help. They make sure the mice do not spread in numbers to deal with more damage in your home.
