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Mouse traps are a simple and effective way to eliminate rodents that are in your home. One mouse can often lead to several entering your home and causing an infestation, so it’s important to set traps as soon as evidence of a mouse appears. To help you select the trap that’s right for you, the This Old House Reviews Team researched the best mouse traps on Amazon. Here are our top five recommendations.
Top 5 Mouse Traps
- Best Glue Trap: Catchmaster Baited Rat, Mouse, and Snake Glue Traps
- Best Pack: JT Eaton 409BULK Jawz Plastic Mouse Trap
- Best Jaws: Tomcat Press ‘N Set Mouse Trap
- Best For Small Mice: Acmind Mouse Trap
- Best Catch-and-Release Trap: Catcha Two-Piece Humane Smart Mouse Trap
Best Glue Trap: Catchmaster Baited Rat, Mouse, and Snake Glue Traps
If you’re looking for a trap that’s easy to set and safe for homes with pets and children, this glue model is the one for you. This trap uses non-toxic glue to eliminate mice, rats, and snakes. It’s also available in multiple pack sizes to match your level of infestation.
Key Features
- Comes with 12 glue traps
- Also available in six-, eight-, and 10-packs
- Made of plastic
- Has a disposable design
What Customers Are Saying
Those who were pleased with this product said that its strong adhesion prevented animals from escaping and that its setup required minimal effort. However, those who weren’t happy with this trap complained that it wasn’t as effective on rats. Other dissatisfied customers received fewer traps than they ordered.
Best Pack: JT Eaton 409BULK Jawz Plastic Mouse Trap
This snap trap is a great option for those who want a quick way to eliminate a mouse in the home. This trap has a high-tension spring that’s settable by hand or foot. Plus, it comes in a pack of 24 to cover every infested area of your home.
Key Features
- Comes with 24 snap traps
- Uses your bait of choice
- Made of plastic
- Has a reusable design
What Customers Are Saying
Positive reviews of this product said that it killed mice quickly, worked with other small animals, and allowed for disposal without touching the rodent. However, negative reviews said that the mouse trap’s trigger wasn’t sensitive enough and that the manufacturer sometimes didn’t ship as many traps as advertised.
Best Jaws: Tomcat Press ‘N Set Mouse Trap
This trap is guaranteed to kill mice with its plastic jaw that has several teeth to grip onto rodents. With a grab tab, this trap allows for disposal without physical contact with the animal. Additionally, it has a small cup that can be filled with Tomcat’s gel bait or another bait of your choosing.
Key Features
- Comes with two snap traps
- Also available in a 14-pack
- Uses your bait of choice
- Made of plastic
- Has a reusable design
What Customers Are Saying
Satisfied customers said that this product was effective at instantly catching and killing mice once it was set up. Many others liked that it made a loud snapping noise to indicate when a mouse had been caught. However, dissatisfied customers complained that these mouse traps broke easily and that they didn’t always snap once the bait was taken.
Best For Small Mice: Acmind Mouse Trap
This trap triggers once it senses a weight that’s as little as 0.3 pounds, making it a great choice for those who are looking to kill small mice in their home. The trap has a sawtooth design, ensuring a quick kill of any mouse that gets caught.
Key Features
- Comes with six snap traps
- Uses your bait of choice
- Made of plastic
- Has a reusable design
What Customers Are Saying
Those who were happy with this trap said that it was easy to set and clean and allowed for simple removal of dead mice. However, negative reviews said that mice were sometimes able to get the bait without the trap triggering. They also said that the trap didn’t always kill the mice quickly once they were caught.
Best Catch-and-Release Trap: Catcha Two-Piece Humane Smart Mouse Trap
This trap humanely holds rats and mice without killing them. It features a spring door that closes automatically after a rodent enters it. Once a mouse has been trapped, you can bring it outdoors and release it back into the wild.
Key Features
- Comes with two catch-and-release traps
- Uses your bait of choice
- Made of plastic
- Has a reusable design
What Customers Are Saying
Customers who liked this trap said that it allowed for easy release of mice and that it lured a large quantity of rodents in a short period of time. However, other customers complained that the mice were able to break the contraption by scratching and chewing at its sides. They also said that it sometimes killed mice by suffocating or starving them.
Buyer’s Guide
When deciding on a mouse trap to purchase, here are some of the most important factors to consider.
Type
There are several types of traps on the market that get rid of mice. Here are some of the most common.
Snap
Snap mouse traps use a metal bar or serrated teeth to clamp down on a mouse when it takes the bait set in the trap. These traps are typically inexpensive, but they don’t always kill the animal instantly.
Electric
Electric traps kill mice instantly with a surge of electricity once the animal enters the trap. This makes them one of the most humane kill traps. However, they can be expensive and difficult to maintain.
Glue
Glue traps immobilize mice when they step onto the glue surface. While they’re inexpensive and easy to set up, these traps are largely considered the least humane option because the animals typically take a long time to die from stress or starvation.
Catch-and-Release
For those who are looking for a way to catch mice without killing them, catch-and-release traps are the way to go. These traps typically have a door that traps the mice inside of a small plastic container. The downside of catch-and-release traps is that they need to be consistently monitored, as mice can die from suffocation or starvation if they’re enclosed for too long before being released.
Open vs. Closed
In addition to determining which type of trap you prefer, you’ll also need to decide if you want to purchase an open or closed trap. Open traps are easier to monitor, allowing for simple disposal once the rodent gets caught. However, they may not be the best for squeamish customers who don’t want to look at the animals or households with small pets or children who could get injured. Closed traps allow for disposal without seeing the dead animal, but they may require more attention to see when a mouse has been caught.
Ease of Use
Some mouse traps are more difficult to use than others. For example, a glue trap that doesn’t require bait is easier to set than a snap trap that does. Additionally, a trap that allows you to dispose of the mouse without touching it is more pleasant to use. It’s important to look through the capture and disposal methods of each trap before purchasing one to decide what the best option is for you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where are the best places to put mouse traps?
Some of the best spots for traps include:
- Along the wall
- Behind furniture
- Under the kitchen sink
- In dark rooms
- In other damp or moist locations
- Wherever you see droppings or mouse activity
What type of bait is best for mouse traps?
Peanut butter, jelly, and chocolate sauce are good bait options because mice can’t easily grab them and leave the trap. This extends the amount of time the mice have to sit on the trap to get the food, increasing your chances of trapping them.
Are mouse traps dangerous for pets?
No-kill traps are typically safe for pets. Some electric traps and snap traps may also be safe, as they may be too small for a cat or dog to get stuck in. However, it’s important to read the trap’s instructions carefully before setting it up to make sure that it won’t harm your pet.
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This Old House has empowered homeowners for more than four decades with top-notch home improvement content in the form of television programs, print media, and digital content on its website and social media platforms. The This Old House Reviews Team focuses on creating in-depth product and service review content to help inform your purchasing decision for just about any item or resource that you might need for your home. The This Old House Reviews Team has written over 1,000 reviews on products in the home space, from cordless drills to kitchen trash cans, lawn mowers, and dining room decorations.
We recommend products in each review using an intensive research process, spending hours combing through the best available models on Amazon. For a product to make our list of top picks, it must hold a solid sales record on Amazon, have consistently positive customer reviews, and offer unique features, among other factors. After narrowing down our list of recommendations, we conduct additional research and sometimes in-person testing to ensure that the products meet our standards. Once we conclude the research phase, we craft a well-rounded, user-friendly article that includes our recommended products and additional information to help homeowners like you make the right purchase.
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