# Are Victor traps effective against mice? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 6, 2017, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632 "2017-09-06T11:52:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/21 "2017-09-06T23:23:45Z")
Yeah, any terrier breed will take out mice in seconds. Unlike cats, who tend to want to play “catch and release” games as long as possible. ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [September 6, 2017, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/22 "2017-09-06T23:33:08Z")
Victor makes a live trap, called “The Tin Cat.” Not expensive, and it really does work. I’ve cleared the little boogers out of my apartment more than once. Give 'er a try. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/23 "2017-09-07T00:08:21Z")
Not allowed to have pets here. Any chance my roomate destroying the nest will make them go away? I didn’t see it but from his description it was a good five or six inches high. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 12:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/24 "2017-09-07T00:36:05Z")
I always had much better/faster luck with the glue traps but the snaps have worked for me as well. If using glue, have a pair of pliers handy (to handle the trap with mouse attached) and an empty coffee can or three you can fill with water to quickly dispatch said mouse (insert head down in the can full of water). A .38 behind the head would be faster but ------------ 😉 ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/25 "2017-09-07T00:37:07Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > Any chance my roomate destroying the nest will make them go away? . Almost never. They will just find another place near to build anew. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/26 "2017-09-07T00:40:58Z")
I put about 7 glue traps baited with peanut butter in the kitchen. Hopefully that draws them to it and kills a few. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/27 "2017-09-07T00:42:18Z")
At the very least even if it doesn’t kill a few, I hope it draws them away from my room. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 12:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/28 "2017-09-07T00:49:38Z")
The simple wooden Victor traps are very effective, and cheap too. I’ve used three or four different kinds of traps and that’s what I would recommend. The plastic reusable ones work too, but they stop working after a while, so I prefer the old fashioned cheap ones. I bought a half dozen fancy Tomcat spin traps with the dropper of mouse attractant and have found them to be useless. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/29 "2017-09-07T00:55:30Z")
Once you’ve killed the current infestation, you’ll either need to be constantly vigilant or stop their means of ingress. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/30 "2017-09-07T02:45:30Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > Once you’ve killed the current infestation, you’ll either need to be constantly vigilant or stop their means of ingress. How do I know I’ve stopped it? Also, will the fuckers bother my photo albums (they’re on shelves in my room) or my books? What should I do to safeguard such materials? Can’t put them off-site. ---
**Author:** ![rbell2915](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f6c823/32.png) [@rbell2915](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rbell2915)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/31 "2017-09-07T02:52:29Z")
[Shawn Woods - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/user/historichunter) is a YouTuber that tests different mouse traps, would be educational for you to watch. Sent from my Nexus 6P using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/32 "2017-09-07T02:56:34Z")
Will making noise keep the bugger out of my room? IE stomping feet, music, etc? Until I kill them all, what can I do to keep them afraid of my room? ---
**Author:** ![Evan\_Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@Evan\_Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evan_Drake)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/33 "2017-09-07T03:21:29Z")
Some people believe that high-pitched whining keeps mice at bay, so there’s something like this [https://www.amazon.com/Ultrasonic-Electronic-Adjustable-Restaurant-UP-11K/dp/B00FKPXS7M](https://www.amazon.com/Ultrasonic-Electronic-Adjustable-Restaurant-UP-11K/dp/B00FKPXS7M) \* or make the sound yourself. - [ul] [li] Notice: Commercial Use:May not suitable for use around pets, infants, small children, and anyone with sensitive hearing. For In Door Use, Guarantee works. [/li][/ul] So also keeps infants away. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/34 "2017-09-07T03:24:36Z")
If the wooden snap trap has a metal bait tray such as on Victor traps, the sensitivity can be easily adjusted by bending the part the bar that holds the bail fits into. Also, I have reused this kind of trap repeatedly. Even a bit of mousy blood stain doesn’t deter new catches. ---
**Author:** ![Hopeful\_Crow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/da6949/32.png) [@Hopeful\_Crow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hopeful_Crow)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 5:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/35 "2017-09-07T05:15:41Z")
Since I moved in with my boyfriend at the beginning of the year, I’ve taken over the vermin dispatching duties. (The Big Crow readily admits that he’s a wimp when it comes to this little chore.) I prefer the wooden snap traps and have had very good results with them. The Big Crow bought a couple of the electric traps (Victor brand) at about the time I moved in. One of the things I don’t like about them is how hard it was to insert the batteries. The compartment is so tight it really took a lot of effort to push them in. Makes me wonder if these particular traps were supposed to be shipped to a country that has a battery a tad smaller than a 9 volt. I worry about the pressure causing the batteries to leak. Also, in the eight months we’ve had them, we’ve caught just three roof rats. The snap traps have caught easily five times as many of the rodential buggers. And, consider the cost. You could probably buy a case of wooden traps for the price of a single electric one. ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/36 "2017-09-07T19:24:04Z")
Got two last night on glue traps; last night was the first night of glue traps. One full grown, the other looked like a juvenile. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/37 "2017-09-07T19:44:20Z")
I like [this covered type](https://mobileimages.lowes.com/product/converted/019200/019200000956.jpg). Because it is covered the mouse only has one approach to get to the bait so they go in head-first and the kills seem more reliable. With conventional snap-traps I’ve had too many mice thrashing around caught by their paw or whatnot. I put peanut butter way down in the bait cup on these and just leave them set year-round. The trick is to check them every week or two so you don’t have nothing but mouse juice or petrified mouse left by the time you notice. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [September 7, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/38 "2017-09-07T20:04:36Z")
> [@control-z](#): > > I put peanut butter way down in the bait cup on these and just leave them set year-round. The trick is to check them every week or two so you don’t have nothing but mouse juice or petrified mouse left by the time you notice. Second the need for regular rounds. We have a few perma-set in our attic, and got lazy about checking them. Until the time we finally checked… and one of the traps held just the top half of a mouse. :eek: Something, presumably the Jeffrey Dahmer of mice, had eaten the rest of him. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 1:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/39 "2017-09-08T01:40:56Z")
> [@Reddy\_Mercury](#): > > Got two last night on glue traps; last night was the first night of glue traps. One full grown, the other looked like a juvenile. If either looked like these mice (left and right – that’s a rat in the middle) please send one to me. 🙂 [![](https://64.media.tumblr.com/2b7998cf2bbdcc71f311a8a0d832ce2b/tumblr_mgrxqo5xva1s3zgvko1_500.jpg) ](https://64.media.tumblr.com/2b7998cf2bbdcc71f311a8a0d832ce2b/tumblr_mgrxqo5xva1s3zgvko1_500.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![Reddy\_Mercury](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@Reddy\_Mercury](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reddy_Mercury)\ **Post date:** [September 8, 2017, 2:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632/40 "2017-09-08T02:27:13Z")
So I’ve now deployed the second wave. There are a total of twelve glue traps in the kitchen, each placed a few inches apart. I applied peanut butter to all the new ones, and re-applied peanut butter to the ones from last night. I also have around 4 glue traps with peanut butter on them in the living room not far apart from each other, along the wall. As soon as you enter the apartment, you smell peanut butter. Wave three will be more glue traps + snap traps to fill in every gap. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/are-victor-traps-effective-against-mice/795632.md?page=3)