If you are like many homeowners dealing with a mice infestation, you may want to handle the problem with mouse traps. But do they work? Sometimes, traps can be useful, but they usually do not work. and you will often require pest control services to effectively eliminate a rat infestation.
When Traps Can Work
Mouse traps can sometimes work if you are just dealing with a mouse or two. They can work as long as they are positioned and baited correctly. But you must act fast, especially if you think mice are creating a nest inside your house.
Mouse traps need to be used correctly. Put them in a place mice tend to visit frequently such as along the route from their nest to their source of food. Also, you must bait the trap correctly. Mice love peanut butter over cheese. Ensure you put just enough bait. Too much bait lets the pest get the food while avoiding the trap.
When Mouse Traps are Not Effective
Mouse traps won’t work if you have a mouse infestation. Keep in mind that mice reproduce fast, so you could be dealing with a huge population in no time. They can breed from eight weeks old and female mice can deliver up to 10 pups every litter. Plus, gestation takes just three weeks and a single mouse can have 10 litters every year. Therefore, you could be dealing with fifty mice in just three weeks. And even if trapping mice can work, the rate of reproduction is higher than the number of mice you can trap. For each mouse you trap, another mouse could be giving birth to ten pups.
Mice Can Avoid Traps
Eventually, mouse traps stop working because they can learn to avoid them. Mice travel only in places they are familiar with. This helps them avoid traps and stay alive. Also, they have a good sense of smell that also helps them avoid traps. A human scent on the trap is enough to scare them away. Also, when mice smell dead mice in the trap, they understand the dangers in this area.
Mice are always alert. They do not relax even while eating. Thus, they can react instantly when traps spring while they are eating.
If you are seeing even two mice in your home, do not wait for mouse traps to work. You could be dealing with tens of them in a matter of weeks. Contact a pest control technician who can handle the issue efficiently.
