Best Rat and Mouse Traps and How to Set Them

The best trap for most homes is a snap trap sized for the rodent you have: mouse traps for mice and larger rat traps for rats. Placement and numbers matter more than the brand. Set traps tight against walls where you find droppings, use more than you think you need and check them every day.

NC State Extension notes that mouse snap traps are typically not effective on rats, that glue boards have real drawbacks and that rats avoid new objects at first. This guide covers each trap type, where to put them and the mistakes that slow people down.

Snap traps

Snap traps are cheap, fast and reusable, and they let you see what you caught. That is why most providers rely on them.

For mice, use mouse-size snap traps. Wooden ones are cheap and work well. Plastic ones with a wide trigger plate are easier to set and clean.
For rats, use rat-size snap traps. NC State Extension says mouse snap traps are typically not an effective tool for rats, because they are too light.
Enclosed snap traps sit inside a plastic box with an entry hole. They keep kids, pets and birds away from the trigger and hide the catch.

Bait with a small dab of peanut butter or nut spread pressed into the trigger. For rats, pre-baiting unset traps for a few days helps, since rats are wary of new objects. NC State Extension says it can take up to a week to start catching rats.

Glue boards, live traps and electronic traps

Glue boards: NC State Extension notes that caught mice can take a long time to die and that boards also catch nontarget animals and insects. If you use them, keep them to crawl spaces and basements, away from people and pets.
Live traps: multi-catch live traps are used in commercial monitoring. For homeowners, live traps are a poor fit. NC State Extension notes they do not give caught rats food or water, so the animals die if not checked often, and released house mice and rats usually find their way back into a building.
Electronic traps: battery-powered traps kill with a shock inside a closed chamber. They are clean and easy to empty, and they cost more per trap. Placement still decides whether they work.

Where to put traps

Mice and rats travel along edges. Put traps:

Along walls, perpendicular to the wall with the trigger end touching it, or in pairs facing opposite directions.
Where you find droppings, gnaw marks or nesting.
Behind and beside the refrigerator, range and dishwasher.
Under sinks, near pipe holes.
In the back corners of cabinets and pantries.
In the garage along the walls, near stored seed and pet food.
In the crawl space or basement, along the sill plate and pipe runs.
In the attic, along the edges where droppings are.

A trap a foot out from the wall catches far less than one right against it.

How many traps

More than you think. For mice, a dozen or more traps in a busy kitchen is normal, set a few feet apart along runways. For rats, several traps per active area, placed along the runways and near burrows.

Check them daily. NC State Extension says traps should be checked daily if possible. Move traps that catch nothing for a few days closer to fresh droppings.

Rather have the traps set for you?

Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Asheville and Buncombe County. Describe what you are seeing and ask for the plan and the price in writing before any work starts.

(828) 503-0038Tap to call · Free to call

Handling catches safely

Wear gloves. The CDC says to spray the dead rodent and the trap with disinfectant, put them in a plastic bag, seal it inside a second bag and throw it in a covered trash can. Then wash your gloved hands, take off the gloves and wash your hands with soap and warm water. Disinfect reusable traps before setting them again.

Traps versus bait

Under EPA rules, consumer rodent baits are sold only as ready-to-use bait stations, and the strongest anticoagulants are limited to professional pest control. Inside a home, bait has a downside: a rodent can eat it and die inside a wall or under a floor, leaving a smell. See dead rodent smell.

Traps let you see results and remove the bodies. For most homes, traps inside and sealing outside are the better plan. If bait is used outdoors, it should be in tamper-resistant stations.

Traps alone are half the job

Traps remove the rodents inside. They do not stop new ones coming in. Close the gaps they use: a quarter inch for mice and young rats, and half an inch for adult rats, according to NC State Extension. See how small a hole a mouse can fit through and rodent exclusion. If you want it done for you, see rodent trapping and removal.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best bait for mouse traps?

A small dab of peanut butter or another nut spread pressed into the trigger. Use only a little so the mouse has to work at it.

Can I use mouse traps for rats?

No. NC State Extension says mouse snap traps are typically not effective on rats. Use rat-size traps.

How long before I catch something?

Mice often within a day or two. Rats can take up to a week because they avoid new objects.

Are glue boards humane?

NC State Extension notes caught mice can take a long time to die and that boards catch other animals. Snap traps are the better choice in living areas.

Should I wear gloves to set traps?

It helps. Gloves keep your scent off the trap and protect you when you remove catches, which the CDC says should be sprayed with disinfectant and double bagged.

Get a rodent technician on the phone

Free to call. You are connected with an independent provider serving Asheville and the rest of Buncombe County. Same-day appointments are often available.