Best mouse trap bait

In My Humble Opinion
41

I’ve had 10 Victor rat traps sprung lately, and yet to catch a rat with it using peanut butter. I have caught some with it before though. Having this problem right now with my log cabin project in CO. Mice are easier to get, rats are my main problem. Not dealing with just any rat either, but the bushy tail pack rat. Gosh they are both smart and destructive!

Peanut butter does taste good to them, but it’s main problem on the typical mouse or rat traps is often you’ll come back to find the trap has been licked clean. Second problem is, even if it does work, you have to reload each and every time, so if you have a bunch of them, as I do, it’s going to take awhile before they are all cleared out.

I’ve tried the rat blocks and nailing them down, or else they run off with it. All they do, is take a few nibbles, and back off. They now know, to stay away from it.

If no other animals around, you might consider trays of anti-freeze. Not just any anti-freeze though, some of that now has a taste that is bitter to animals, and they won’t touch it. If you can still find the green ethylene glycol, that should still work. My problem is compounded with my particular rat though, they can get all of their water needs through food.

If you’re going to use the typical mouse or rat trap–after many you-tube videos–I like the guy that glues the food down in the form of either, dog or cat food, or even Cherios. No more licking clean and getting a free meal out of it, he states that this is about 99% effective.

I hated to do this, but went this route instead b/c I have a massive amount I’m dealing with. I had to rig up the 5 gallon bucket with water, along with wire and spinning bottle which is loaded with peanut butter. Have caught plenty of mice with this. I’ve yet to catch a rat in the 5 gallon bucket though.

I’m going to a much larger bucket for the rats (great for mice too), along with having them walk the plank. You-tube it. It’s by far the most effective method and efficient method I have found thus far. Basically, they walk a plank, and as they get near the end of it where the peanut butter is, the weight of the mouse or rat releases the tension of the magnet, and drops them in the water. Or, if you have a heart, and want to release them, don’t fill with water. Let them become your neighbor’s problem. I kid. But keep in mind, mice can actually jump out of a dry 5 gallon bucket, just takes them awhile, so be sure and get something deeper.

The planks are easy to make or you can buy them on-line at e-bay, Amazon and I believe Walmart too. It will be two months before I can try the plank out, but feel like it is going to finally solve my problem.

42

In scientific studies of small mammals, the standard bait used is peanut butter mixed with rolled oats.

43

I don’t know why, but I find this gut-busting funny. :smiley:

44

I’ve had excellent results with dog food, and none with peanut butter. If you have a reusable trap its easier to clean as well. Never tried gluing it down, seems like a good idea for disposable traps.

45

Peanut butter laced with rat poison. Belt and suspenders.

46

After having peanut butter licked out of several mousetraps I came up with a brainstorm- I’d attach a sunflower seed to the metal bait lever with a little dab of superglue. Works great.

47

Get these

and you don’t need any bait.

And in my experience, they work great!

48

Fifth, although, I think a lot of others have also suggested it before me.

49

I always go with peanut butter. But tie a piece of string around the bait tray first. This prevents the licking clean thing. A second choice, if available, is a piece of chewing gum that hasn’t quite lost its flavor. Mold it around the bait tray and once it’s dry it ain’t coming off for nothing.

50

update: using PB bait w/2 traps set yesterday = 1 kill in 1 day. Reset today

51

Congrats and good hunting.

I’ve had cats most of my adult life, only one was a good mouser. She did a great job of catching them. My favorite cat never caught one and the current one is great at killing and eating cave crickets but mostly swings and misses at mice. We had one other kitty, she was abby-normal to be generous, but in her dotage we found a drowned mouse in her water dish in her cage. I’ve never understood that one.

52

I use whole, in-shell peanuts. I select ones with skinny “waists” and wire them onto traditional Victor traps. When a rat or mouse tries to grab it off, they meet their untimely end. Works quite well.

Occasionally, a critter will nibble through the shell without setting off the trap but most of them seem to prefer the Dash-and-Dine method. Only they never get a chance to dine.

I like this better than peanut butter or candy bars because it’s not messy and the whole peanuts are easy to replace when they get too stale to appeal to the discerning rodent.

53

Set up cameras. You might get an unexpected bonus.

54

Day 3 score = 2 mice.

I wonder how long we’re going to continue to catch mice?

55

Great post - username combination.

Mouse necrophilia: yet another thing I never thought I’d see on the Dope.

56

Am surprised no one has mentioned cream cheese. That’s what I use.