How To Stop Mice from Stealing The Bait

It’s disappointing to set a trap that loses the bait but doesn’t catch the mouse. So, how do you make sure that it doesn’t happen again?

You stop mice from stealing bait by using effective mouse traps. Humane mouse traps are the best kind of traps as they ensure the mouse enters the trap to have access to the bait. Unlike snap traps, these traps don’t give the mice a chance to escape with the bait.

Most people pick mouse traps based on the cost, as well as their effectiveness. Depending on the population of the mice, it is necessary to pick a mousetrap that is effective and works well for your rodent situation.

Snap Traps vs. Humane Mousetraps

Despite being the most common mouse traps, snap traps are not as effective as humane mouse traps in catching mice.

Snap Traps

These traps are manufactured to use a trigger system that not only catches but also kills the mice and prevents them from stealing bait. Even though the traps require a lot of effort to set up, clam and bar snap traps are cost-effective, especially since they may be reused.

Different types of snap traps include:

Clam snap traps

This trap, like the name suggests, resembles a real-life clam. Once the mouse collects the bait, the “teeth” of the clam trap are released, trapping both the mouse and the bait. This kind of trap works automatically once the rodent interferes with the bait.

Bar snap traps

Bar snap traps are categorized as one of the most common traps used to get rid of mice. After placing the bait on the trap, the spring-loaded bars will be activated and triggered once the mouse touches the bait.

Hidden kill traps

Hidden kill traps are more effective than clam and bar snap traps, despite killing mice using similar techniques. As the mouse attempts to pick the bait inside the trap, it is quickly killed, without leaving any trace of the mouse. Unlike bar and clam traps, hidden kill traps are not reusable.

Humane Mouse Traps

With humane mouse traps, it’s difficult for the mouse to escape because the bait is placed inside the trap. They also ensure that other animals, such as dogs, aren’t accessible to the mice bait.

The Catcha 2 Piece Humane Smart Mouse Trap has a door that shuts itself once the mouse enters to collect the bait. It’s made in a way that the door always remains closed unless you open it.

Due to its reusability, it is more cost-effective than hidden kill traps that are disposed of completely with the mouse inside.

As long as the bait remains inaccessible to the mice, the humane mouse traps are more effective than snap traps in trapping the mice — and preventing them from stealing bait.

I have a list of humane mousetraps in case you need recommendations.

Pests and Animals that Steal Mice Bait

To find lasting solutions for mice stealing bait, it’s important to be aware of other pests and animals in your compound. At times, it may not even be the mice stealing the mice bait.

Once you find out that other animals and pests are stealing the mice bait, finding solutions to keep away the other animals assists in ensuring that none of the mice bait is stolen.

Apart from the mice, the following animals and pests are culprits of stealing mice bait:

Rats

These are the much bigger rodents capable of maneuvering around any of the traps set for mice. Due to their larger mass and weight, it’s easier for them to steal the bait without being caught.

Insects

Unlike bigger animals, it’s much easier for insects to find their way into a mousetrap. Their small and minute sizes allow them to steal mice bait without triggering or activating the trap. 

Dogs and Cats

Being a much bigger animal than mice, it’s quite possible for dogs to steal mice bait and get away without being trapped.

The best way to deal with these bigger animals would be by placing the traps away from their reach. For example, positioning the mousetrap along the corner of a kitchen counter would be out of reach for any dogs.

Like mice, cats are notorious and capable of stealing bait set aside for catching mice. If you have a cat, it’s important to position the mouse trap far away from its feeding area.

This way, therefore, it becomes much easier to avoid any miraculous disappearance of mice bait.

Getting rid of the above-mentioned animals and pests is one of the most effective ways of stopping the thievery of mice bait. 

In cases where the mice aren’t stealing bait, working solutions to the root issue play a significant role in preventing theft of mice bait.

Effective Tips for Baiting Mice

Mice may be stealing bait due to ineffective baiting. Due to their cunning and intelligent nature, mice may steal bait without being caught in the trap.

It is necessary, therefore, to ensure that effective measures are put in place to bait these rodents.

Effective baiting includes:

Picking the right type of trap

If you pick a wrong mousetrap, you risk the rodent stealing the bait each time a trap is set up.

For example, since a rat is bigger than a mouse, you shouldn’t use traps made for rats to catch mice.

Carrying out adequate research is necessary to avoid picking the wrong trap. As mentioned above, humane mouse traps are preferred to snap traps due to their surety of trapping the mice.

In case you’re conflicted, it’s best to settle on humane mouse traps, which are, in fact, reusable.

Using Peanut Butter or Hazelnut Spread

Nutty spreads are more effective than cheese in baiting mice.

Apart from being attracted to the aroma of nuts, the sweetness, and stickiness of these spreads make it difficult for the mice to escape, making them effective mice bait.

Using enough bait

Placing excess mice bait means that the mice may have enough to eat without getting close to the trap.

With little amounts of bait, however, you force these rodents to reach further into the trap that eventually catches them.

Properly positioning the trap

When traps are placed in closed spaces, it’s much easier to trap them. Setting them up in an open area may lead to bait loss, as the mice will steal the mice bait and run away without being caught in the trap.

For snap traps, ensure that the mousetrap is placed in a way that the trap faces the wall. With this method, it becomes difficult for the mice to steal the bait as there will be no room for running away.

Regardless of the type of trap you’re using, it is important to place the trap in its right position to prevent the mice from stealing the bait.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is Peanut Butter a much better bait than cheese?

Unlike Cheese, Peanut Butter has a sticky form that makes it much better for use as mice bait.

It is quite easy for a mouse to grab the cheese and quickly run away without being caught in the trap.

How do you catch a mouse stealing bait?

If you’ve been using a method that hasn’t worked for you, it’s time to look for other options. Humane Mouse Traps are the best since they don’t kill the mice like the Hidden Kill Trap does.

Other cheaper methods may include:

• Trapping the mouse in a bucket
• Using the bucket and toilet roll methods.

Conclusion

Catching and trapping mice has proven to be a menace for a long time. Having such rodents in our houses is not a pleasant sight. Hence, this article offers ways of getting rid of mice by delving into the tips of preventing them from stealing bait.

If you handle the issue of stolen mice bait, you’re much closer to a mice-free home or space. The intelligence of mice makes it difficult to catch all of them with just one trap. As a result, setting up even more effective traps works to solve this issue.

For reusable mouse traps such as snap traps, it’s important to wash and clean them thoroughly to avoid transmission of any diseases that may affect your health.

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