WHY MOUSE TRAPS DON’T SOLVE RODENT ISSUES

True or False – when you see a mouse, you should set a mouse trap.

Like most, you probably thought True.

Yes, a mouse trap (also called a snap trap) can instantly kill a rodent if one happens to come across the snap trap and find the cheese or peanut butter bait appetizing enough to eat, but this is not always the outcome, nor an effective solution for a rodent infestation.

Mouse traps are often just a mechanism for feeding mice and other rodents. By providing an ongoing food source for them to survive, they will never go away. Plus, if you seek out professional pest control service and continue to use mouse traps along with their rodent control program, the rodents may not eat the professional grade bait as there is another food source readily available to them. By not eating the rodent control bait or only eating it sometimes, the mouse (or rat) problem will not go away at all, or it could take much longer than it should to resolve and become more costly to you.

There are times when a single rodent can enter a home or business and putting out mouse traps where you discover droppings could solve the issue in one loud snap. In this case, you would not spot the live mouse or rat during the day and would only confirm its existence once it was caught, and there was no more activity after that. If you discover a rodent indoors, especially during the day, it is usually a red flag that there are other rodents inside. Often the only reason this single mouse or rat was discovered in broad daylight was because their nest was disturbed or has gotten too small, and they are looking for the best place indoors to build a new nest and for more food.

If you discover a rodent in your home or business, call a licensed pest control company like York Pest Control for help. An expert in mice and rat pest control will implement a rodent bait program. Getting rid of mice or rats is not a quick process and takes up to 4 weeks for all rodent activity to stop. The reason is that mice and rats reproduce quickly, and an infestation will include rodents at various levels of maturity (baby to adult). To really get rid of mice or get rid of rats in your home or business, they all need to consume the bait. This means that time is needed for any infant rodents to mature to the point where they leave the nest to feed - ideally on the bait, which would be the only available food source for them. Rats can also be very picky eaters and bait may need to be changed up. Depending on where you live, you may need a one-time rodent control program to get rid of mice or rats or a monthly rodent program, especially if you live in the country when mice can be an ongoing issue.

Need help solving a mouse infestation or a rat infestation? Contact us for a free quote or to book an appointment with one of our local licensed pest control professionals.