Mouse Trap Bait

You Probably Have This in Your Pantry

Mouse traps need some kind of attractant to lure the mice close enough to get caught.  Hmm.  What is delicious, smells strongly enough for them to smell it from a distance, and is irresistible?  Oh, and economical too.

The best mouse trap bait is not cheese, like in the cartoons. Cheese tends to attract flies and other critters, but mice seem to be unaffected by it, leaving it to grow green mold, or to start to break down and get oily. It also can smell, but much too strongly.

Dried fruit is a good bait, but it's hard to attach it to the trap so they can't pull it off and get away before the trap closes.  A raisin can be attached with thread, but it's fiddly and hard to do reliably.

So what's the best type of thing to use for bait in a mousetrap?  Peanut butter! 

But not just any kind; the best one is Adams Smooth Peanut Butter.  It has no additives, and it's got a good texture to spread on the  trigger of the trap. 

Not that we care about additives for the health of the mice, but you'll only use a tiny amount for bait, so you might as well get something you like.

Get my all time favorite peanut butter!

The only complaint I have about Adams Peanut Butter is that you have to stir it to mix in the oil, which separates during shipment. Once it's mixed, you can refrigerate it, which prevents it from separating again.

I see that they now offer one type that doesn't require stirring, but I haven't tried that, either for my own use or for baiting a trap, so I don't know if it's the same or not.

Whatever you try, once you have rid yourself of the latest infestation, it's easy to forget what worked the best. Keep it in mind because mice are cyclical and will return if you haven't removed what's attracting them from your home.

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