I am often asked what is the best bait for mice and rats. Here’s a list of what I’ve used and some tips on how to catch the bait-stealing mice and the last smart rat you’ve been chasing.
MICE
1. The cure for “sneaky mice” is dry cat food. Friskies or meow mix, or anything else shaped like an X or O, or something like that.
You tie the cat food to the trigger of the mousetrap, using sturdy sewing thread or something similar. Then when the mouse reaches out and tries to grab it, it can’t help but pull the trigger.
2. The peanut butter failed, because the mouse was able to lick it gently enough to avoid jumping the trap.
This works, smash 1/2 slice of bacon with some peanut butter. They’ll lick up the peanut butter, but … then they’ll try to bite into the bacon and bite into it.
As it gets cold, they look for a place to hide. Make sure to also place the traps along a wall where your head will be on the bait without having to walk around it.
Did you taste the peanut butter and did they lick it up without tripping over the trap?
3. Tie some string or a piece of cotton swab or ball around the trigger and cut off the ends, then put the peanut butter on the string.
4. Marshmallows, Hubba Bubba gum, cotton ball with a couple of drops of vanilla extract
5. Mice love cotton, put some vanilla extract on the cotton tie with dental floss.
6. Bedding with a drop of vanilla, maple, or chocolate syrup is a good bait, so try a tissue or cotton ball (use a rubber band to anchor it to a trap bait holder fast). Candies, gummies and tootsie rolls (chewed first) are a hit, as are the snickers bars and Slim Jim meat sticks.
Roof rats
Rat bait suggestions, such as walnuts, peanut butter, orange-sliced candy, dried apricots, and muffins (chewed first). Tie the rat bait to a trigger to prevent that deceptive rodent from stealing the bait without activating the trap. For baits that cannot be tied (peanut butter, for example), use only small amounts of bait for best results.
Norwegian rats
Have a rat trap and need to know what the best rat bait options are? Victor® Rat Control recommends the following rat baits to attract Norwegian rats. Thin slice of hot dog, bacon, peanut butter, dried fruit, gummies, chocolate, a Reese’s cup or Tootsie Rolls (chewed first), and nesting materials such as dental floss or cotton
Tying the rat bait to the trigger will prevent the rodent from licking or biting the bait and stealing it without activating the trap. For rat baits that cannot be tied (eg peanut butter), it is best to use small amounts.
Remember, some rats are harder to catch and are neophobic or “more cautious” around new objects that suddenly appear in their environment. For these cases, the rat traps should be placed outside, but left unarmed and baited for a couple of days before setting the traps. This will give the rats a chance to get used to it.