How to Get Rid of Rodents

There are many kinds of rodent control available and they fall roughly into the following three groups: snap traps, which use spring-loaded bars to kill mice or rats; cage traps that tunnel the rodent in and then capture it; and poison bait, which will kill the rodent after it eats it. Snap traps are commonly used to kill mice and rats within homes. For best results these traps should be set flush to walls, with the trigger plates facing the wall. Rodents generally travel with their bodies against the wall for protection. Cage traps capture live prey and are used when the homeowner does not want to harm the rodent. To avoid re-infestation, mice may be freed 500 metres from the house, but rats must be released at least 3,000 metres away so they do not find their way home. Poison traps, pellets and bait should not be used within the house because the rodent may eat the poison and then die in wall cavities or under floor boards, creating unpleasant odours. The control devices picture

If you have selected a snap or cage trap, you will need to set it up correctly for best results. Mice are quite curious and will approach a new trap and easily get caught. Rats however are more cautious and will not approach anything new. Consequently, rat traps should be left without any bait for at least a couple of days until the rats are fully familiar with the trap. Then the trap is baited and the rat will be caught. The best baits for use in rat traps are peanut butter, bacon, fruit, vegetables, cereals or meats. The best baits for use in mouse traps are peanut butter, chocolate, oats or nesting materials such as cotton and string.