Having mice around the house is kind of like having a bad roommate for life. They’re constantly eating all your food, roaming around the house (especially at night), they always create a mess wherever they go and they both just refuse to leave! Of course, with mice, it is only a lot worse because they bite all your clothes, spread diseases and may even kill you. But let’s leave all the gory details for another time eh?
Today, we will be talking about something that most homemakers are familiar with. A mice problem is the bane of our existence. These tiny creatures are so destructive yet so elusive it is almost impossible to get a hold of them. We’ve tried all the possible mouse traps and DIY mice killing kits out there in vain. These pesky pests escape every single time. We will try to decode the reasons why these traps don’t work;
Need for Mousetraps
No one likes living with pests around the house. Not only are they super annoying and dirty, but they also carry infections, contaminate your food and water and leave their poop all around. Now, some people might not want to kill these animals but simply capture them and send them away. And then there are others who would want them dead and buried six feet under. Luckily there are mouse traps for both these cases. The humane approach has been the popular alternative though according to some studies and surveys.
Rat traps are available in stores and can also be built at home using everyday items like cardboard boxes and plastic bottles. However, the process is not that simple and requires a lot of meticulous planning and patience.
Why Don’t the Traps Work?
Are you irritated by the scurrying of mice every night? Have you tried all sorts of DIY traps and tricks up your sleeve, but to no avail? Getting rid of the mice in the house can be a huge problem. And hiring professional pest control services may not always be an option for some people.
Simply setting up mice traps and waiting for the mice to get the bait is not enough. These creatures have become a lot smarter, adapting to the situation every time. Also, there is a possibility that you might not be designing or implementing your rat traps properly. The slightest glitch in the plan can ruin the entire setup.
Common Mistakes in Rat Traps
When you find yourself facing a rodent problem around the house you need to act fast. The situation can get out of hand pretty fast and in a few days, you will find your house infested with these pests. Rats breed quite rapidly and are constantly looking for warm and cozy breeding areas to expand their population. That attic space up your bedroom or the storeroom are some of the ideal locations that they target.
Getting rid of mice without having to spend a fortune is a tedious task. You need to come up with ingenious and effective traps to catch them or kill them. However, engineering these traps is a trial and error process. You will make mistakes, but that is totally fine- that’s how you learn. Here are some of the top 10 common errors that people usually make when it comes to DIY rat traps:
Not having enough traps
The first and most basic mistake that most people make when it comes to rat traps is not having enough traps to catch the rats. Your job doesn’t end with setting up a single rat trap. Contrary to popular belief, simply putting a few snaps and attaching them with glue will not solve the problem.
The rat problem usually starts with a single mouse or rodent which soon grows in numbers. It is difficult to keep track of their breeding because they tend to do it quickly and in secret. If you spot a couple of mice around the house, chances are there are a lot more hiding away somewhere in some corner or crevice.
Ruining the Bait
Another common mistake regarding rat traps that people make is touching the bait. Rodents are extremely sensitive creatures with a heightened sense of smell that can detect the most minute of changes in the environment. If they sense traces of human touch on the bait or the trap then they are immediately wary of it.
A smart way to prevent this problem will be to use rubber gloves when you are placing the bait on the traps. Wearing gloves removes any traces of scent that you might have unintentionally left behind. Also, gloves ensure that your hands stay safe and protected
Wrong Placement of Traps
You can have the most perfect and effective rat trap, but it goes to waste if you don’t place it in the right place. You need to read the everyday routine and movement of the mice around the house. What are the spots and corners they prefer? Which part of the house do they scurry about the most? Have you seen any rat dropping lately around the kitchen or pantry? These are probably some of the most frequented places.
Rats usually fear open spaces and try to stay close to the corners and the walls. Place your traps in these unguarded areas of the house. Also, prefer to keep the traps in the hidden or trapped spaces like cabinets and cupboards that provide lesser escape routes.
Using the Wrong Bait
Not everything that is edible can be used as rat bait. Rats are usually strongly attracted to peanut butter and cheese. Even chocolate or crackers work in some cases. There are also special baits available online or in any store that you can try out.
Mice prefer the warmth of the house more during the winters when it is chilly outside. Also, the colder months are usually the breeding season for the rats, and they look for materials to build their nests. Leaving some strong, dental floss, cotton balls and yarn on the traps might also work.
Using the Wrong Amount
The traps work best when you know the right amount of food that would attract the rat to the trap. Some homeowners make the mistake of putting only a small amount of the bait food on the trap. By the time the system activates, the mice have already eaten the tiny treat and escaped.
Similarly, leaving a huge chunk of food on the trap might discourage the rat to actually get on the apparatus. You need to use just the right amount of bait that attracts the mouse and yet keeps it occupied enough for the trap to work properly.
Not Being Patient Enough
Do not expect a miracle when you are using mouse traps. You won’t be able to catch all the mice in the house in one single stroke. Mice are inherently wary and suspicious creatures that can sense danger a mile away. They are very uncomfortable around new objects and give your trap a wide berth the first few days.
You need to be patient and give the mice some time to be comfortable and curious enough around the bait. Keep the traps in strategic locations but keep them deactivated for the first few days. This dispels any sense of danger for the mice and they will now freely frequent the trap in search of the bait.
Not Checking the Traps
Oftentimes, homeowners keep the traps in the strategic areas of the house but fail to check it frequently. Once the rat is trapped, you need to immediately make plans to get rid of it. Leaving the trap unattended for a few days might give the rat a chance to escape, especially if it a no-kill humane rat trap. Ensure that you keep a series of rat traps at close distances in the areas that they frequent.
One of the best ways to tackle the issue is to keep little alarms or bells around the traps that would alert you when mice get trapped. You can even have surveillance cameras installed around the house to keep an eye on their activity.
Starting Slow and Complacent
Another common mistake that people make is to be laid-back and complacent in the initial days. You have the element of surprise to your advantage in the first few days. Keeping a number of traps installed around the house might even increase the chances of the mice being caught for good.
There are also studies revealing how mouse traps have a greater success rate the first night than on any other subsequent night that would follow. Leave no stone unturned when it comes to setting up traps and adding baits to lure these pests. You can even consult professionals to help you with the issue in case of a serious infestation.
Using the same trap
You need to be a bit creative and imaginative when it comes to baiting trapping or killing rats in the house. Having the same kind of traps in the same areas might make the mouse wary of the route. Ensure that you keep changing the position of the traps according to their movements. Also, adding a bit of variety to the traps is a good way to keep these rodents on their toes.
An effective way to rectify this error is to keep experimenting and exploring the different rat traps out there and the ways in which you can utilize them. There is a lot of research being done on the different eco-friendly ways in which you can get rid of mice without killing them or harming the environment.
Leaving Loopholes
The traps that you build at home watching those DIY tutorials might not be perfect from the get-go. You need to follow the instructions given to the T. Also the materials and measurements used for the traps may be tweaked depending on the size and breed of the mice that have infested your property.
The Bottom Line- Alternative Options for Mice problem
DIY traps and pest control sprays work only when you want to trap a couple of mice in the house. In case you have a bigger mice problem, don’t hesitate to call in the professional pest control services that will get rid of the problem effectively.