By Tony Carrick | Updated 12:26 PM, February 10, 2021

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If you see tiny feces in the cupboard and hear scratches on the walls, you most likely have a rodent problem. Every winter, rats invade approximately 21 million American homes. Rats can sneak into the food supply, build nests in closets, and expose the home to many health risks.

More than one-third of American families reported seeing rodents in their homes at some point, so there are many options to combat this invasion. The manufacturer offers many effective solutions—both deadly and non-lethal—to solve your rodent infestation problem.

Read on to learn more about rodent control methods and don't miss our list to find the best mousetrap on the market that meets your needs.

Below, learn about the four basic types of mousetraps—spring, glue, live animals, and electronic—to determine which type is best for your rodent problem.

This is an old-fashioned mousetrap consisting of a thick metal wire connected to a small piece of wood. Springs and traps allow you to set traps. Put a little bait on a small piece of metal attached to the catch. When the rat was hooked, the hook was released, causing the metal part to get stuck on the rat's head, breaking its neck and killing it immediately. Although these traps are cheap and effective, they are also potentially dangerous. Depending on the size of the trap, the spring trap may hurt or even break your fingers, so it is not suitable for use in families with children.

Safer plastic spring clips will suffocate furry victims. This type of trap uses a mechanism similar to the open mouth of a snake. When a mouse hovered in these plastic jaws and bit the bait, the mouth would close, exerting pressure on the mouse and suffocating it. This type of mousetrap is more suitable for families with children, because the closing mechanism is not as strong as traditional wire mousetraps and will not hurt fingers or toes. These traps are reusable, but more expensive than standard traps.

Glue traps are one of the most effective and controversial methods of catching mice. The glue trap consists of a flat plastic plate covered with extremely sticky glue on one side. You place the circuit board in the area where the mouse moves. When the mouse jumps on the board, it gets stuck in the adhesive, making the animal unable to move. The more it struggles, the more it gets stuck.

This type of trap is not a recommended solution because most people think they are inhumane. The trap will not kill the animal, leading to slow death due to dehydration or starvation. Glue traps will also collect dust, dirt, and even insects, eventually rendering them useless. They cannot be reused either.

This non-lethal trap is the most humane way to deal with the rat problem. The live animal trap consists of a small cage. When the mouse is lured into the cage by the bait, it will step on a pressure-sensitive trip board, triggering a spring mechanism, causing the cage's door to suddenly close, trapping the mouse. Then you need to relocate the animal to an area far enough so that it will not return, which usually involves car travel. Live animal traps are larger and more expensive than other trap types. You may also inadvertently trap other small animals.

This more humane form of lethal mousetrap involves high-voltage electric shocks. This tunnel-shaped trap includes a bait area along its back wall to lure rats in. The inside of the tunnel consists of metal plates on the floor. Once the tablet senses pressure, it provides a charge of 7,000 volts, killing the mouse immediately. The trap uses four C batteries, roughly the same amount of charge in many battery-powered children's toys. The electric shock is not strong enough to harm children or larger pets such as dogs and cats.

Before buying the best mousetrap for you, it is important to consider several factors, including where you intend to use it, the number of rodents you are dealing with, and whether you wish to catch or kill these four-legged invaders .

Some glue collectors are designed for indoor or outdoor use. Due to its wooden structure, traditional spring clips are not suitable for outdoor use. The wood will deform, destroying the trigger sensitivity of the trap. Since they are easy to collect dirt and debris, glue collectors are only suitable for indoor use. Electronic traps are not weather resistant. Exposure to rain may cause them to short-circuit or malfunction.

Cage traps are usually made of galvanized steel and are suitable for outdoor use. Keep in mind that you may inadvertently affect wild animals and nearby pets by using outdoor traps. Newer plastic spring clips can withstand outdoor weathering, making them a good choice for use outside the home.

The decision to use kill or capture and release traps depends on your perception of rats. Do you think these creatures are misguided furry critters or are they threatening to carry diseases?

If you think that killing these rodents is inhumane, you may need to choose the capture and release option. Keep in mind that capturing and releasing the trap requires additional steps to transport the animal to another location so that it does not return to your property. You may inadvertently put that mouse in someone else's house, which will bring another moral dilemma. If you have conflicts, remember that some traps provide a more humane way to kill than others.

Eliminating mice or rats in your home can be a frustrating process. Although many of these traps have existed for decades, they are not always effective. One problem may be the number of traps you use. The pest company recommends three traps for each type of rodent you own. If you have 5 rats in your home, this means you need to set up 15 traps to end the infection.

Multi-mouse traps, such as the famous Kness Ketch mousetrap, invented 100 years ago, can catch up to 15 mice in one setting-which means you only need to set this trap once to catch multiple mice. You will find that these traps are mainly located in commercial establishments where the rat and rat problem is more serious. If you have a large number of rodents in your home, these non-lethal traps are very effective. Remember, once you are trapped, you will need to deal with these live animals. For larger infections, you can also consider hiring a professional.

A single trap can handle small problems with fewer than 10 rats. Keep in mind that most experts recommend using three traps per rodent to eliminate rodents.

It is understandable that the handling of rat carcasses is unpleasant. For example, if you want to reuse the trap, the classic trap requires you to manually remove the corpse by hand. Glue traps make handling easier-just pick up the entire trap and throw it away. However, this one-time design requires you to replace the mousetrap with a new mousetrap after each kill, which can lead to high costs if you have a large number of rats.

Some newer designs allow users to handle mice without having to touch dead rodents or even looking at the carcass. These traps kill rats in enclosed spaces and use external indicators to let you know when the rats are full. To dispose of the dead body, simply dump the trap on the garbage. If you are squeamish, you can even avoid your eyes while resting the rodent. For the faint-hearted, this is a more attractive option and still allows you to reclaim the trap.

When it comes to mousetraps, safe operation is a key issue. If used improperly, the classic snap trap is dangerous. The smaller ones will break the fingers, and the larger ones will break the bones. Some people use poison bait to kill mice, which is poisonous to humans and pets. Glue traps, electric shock traps and non-toxic baits provide safer alternatives. If you have children or pets at home, safety is especially important when buying a mousetrap.

Some traps are easier to set up and use than others. The classic snap trap requires a certain skill to set up correctly and make sure you don't get stuck. The design of plastic clips and electric clips make them easier to set up, while the glue clips only need you to remove the protective cover to use.

Our list of top products uses lethal and non-lethal methods to solve your rodent problems, including traps from some of the most well-known brands in the pest control industry.

Avoid the painful finger snaps of classic wood-based mousetraps and upgrade to these durable plastic mousetraps from Authenzo. This reusable mousetrap has a unique design: just put the bait into the built-in cup, and then press the end of the mousetrap while ensuring that your fingers are not hurt. The trap will be activated under a pressure of 15 grams to achieve a powerful killing without causing pain to the mouse.

Unlike wooden spring clips, which can absorb odors and stains, this splint uses a hygienic and easy-to-clean polystyrene substrate. It is designed so that you do not have to touch it when removing the rodent from the trap. A pack of six Authenzo mousetraps allows you to maximize coverage at home. Each trap is about 5 inches long and 3 inches wide.

If you set up a trap outdoors, you are likely to look for something bigger than a mouse. You need to bring a big gun. This quick mousetrap from the mousetrap expert Tomcat has an easy-to-set and safe indoor/outdoor mousetrap that can catch and kill mice. This Tomcat trap is 4.25 inches wide, 6 inches long, and 2 inches high, enough to handle larger rodents. This trap uses a new snap style and has the appearance of a set of open jaws. As soon as the mouse starts to eat the bait on the pressure plate, the jaw closes sharply, and a strong spring suffocates the mouse. 

Unlike traditional traps, Tomcat Rat Snap Trap can be set safely with your hands or feet without putting your fingers in danger. The trap uses plastic and anti-rust metal, which is easier to clean than the traditional wooden version.

The mouse does not know what hit the mouse and rodent classic. This tunnel-shaped trap is 4.3 inches high, 3.5 inches wide, and 12 inches long-ample space for larger rodents. When an aggressive rodent enters the tunnel and steps on the metal plate in this trap, it completes a circuit and sends a high-voltage electric shock through its body to end it quickly and humanely.

This trap requires four AA batteries to provide enough power to kill 20 rats. A handy LED light flashes red to let you know when it has a victim and a killing room, allowing you to dump mice without touching or even looking, making the treatment less daunting. This trap is only suitable for indoor use.

Use this trap from Gingbau to catch live mice and relocate them humanely. This model uses a strong galvanized steel structure, which is very suitable for outdoor use. It is easy to set up and contains detailed instructions for setting up traps. The trap is 10.5 inches deep, 5.5 inches wide, and 4.5 inches high. It is ideal for catching smaller animals such as rats and mice, and ensures that you will not accidentally catch larger animals such as your neighbor's cat.

The cage includes a bait hook at the back of the cage, and a pressure-sensitive pedal underneath. When a rodent puts weight on the pedal, it activates an arm lever, which causes the door to close and lock, trapping the animal. This reusable mousetrap weighs less than a pound, making it easy to transport rodents.

When you are infested with rats, a standard mousetrap that can only catch one rodent at a time will not work. Larger traps like Ratinator may be more suitable for dealing with multiple pests. This cage-type mousetrap is 15 inches wide, 27 inches long, and 7 inches high. It has ample space and can catch up to 21 mice in one environment.

This non-lethal animal trap allows you to relocate the captive of the eyeball to a place away from your home. Or, for those who are not too sympathetic to the plight of mice, Ratinator is equipped with an airtight plastic container that fits the entire cage perfectly. The Ratinator weighs more than 9 pounds, excluding prisoners.

If you have young children or pets, using poison bait to solve your rat problem is not a safe option. This non-toxic bait from EcoClear provides a safe choice. Although it is safe for people, pets and wild animals, it uses the unique digestive system of mice.

Once they eat the bait, they lose their instinct to drink water, causing them to die of dehydration within two to four days. This mouse bait is granular and you can add it to the bait tray. A 3-pound bag is enough to deal with moderate rat problems. Because this bait is non-toxic to all animals except mice and rats, it is safe to use indoors.

If you still have tricky questions about rodents, please read the following to get answers to the most common questions about rats.

Since rats and mice are not particularly hygienic creatures, there are many signs that you are infected:

Mice spend most of their lives looking for the next meal, and humans are an important source of food. The first thing they will detect is your rubbish. From there, they will transfer to other food odors from your home. By preventing mice from entering your trash, you can kill things in their buds. Make sure your trash can is tightly closed.

Rats are naturally suspicious creatures. This is a survival mechanism that has evolved in rodents. They will avoid objects that are unfamiliar to the environment until enough time has passed for them to become familiar. This is why the trap you just set may take some time to start to take effect.

Many people think that poison will quickly kill rodents. Poison is one of the slowest ways to kill rats, because once ingested, it takes at least three days to kill rodents. The trap will break the neck of the mouse, and the electric trap that causes a fatal electric shock to the rodent will kill the mouse immediately.

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