Do Mouse Traps and Poisons Work?

When most people spot a mouse in their home, their first step is usually to go the shops or go online to buy some mouse traps or poison.

Unfortunately, such DIY methods are highly ineffective at controlling mice populations, and often they don’t seem to work at all. It’s such frustrations that lead people to us to sort out their mouse problem once and for all.

So, why do mouse keep coming back, no matter how many traps or poisons you lay down?

Unlike rats, mice aren’t neophobic, meaning they won’t avoid treat new objects with suspicion, making mouse traps much more effective than rat traps.

However, there’s still limited effectiveness to shop-bought traps and poisons, and families of mice can often breed so rapidly that they can outpace the rate at which you can kill them, which is why you can end up killing an endless stream of mice for months on end.

It’s important to note that the professional-grade desiccating poisons we use are safer and more effective than those that can be bought over the counter, and we don’t recommend amateur use of poisons as they can cause harm to children, pets and wildlife. If you’re doing DIY mouse control, please only use traps.

So, to answer the question, traps and poisons might work if you’re patient, and if all you want to do is kill the mice. But, as you may have realised, this usually isn’t enough to get rid of them.

If you don’t block these paths that mice have discovered or gnawed themselves, they’ll be rediscovered again and again by mice looking for a warm home and a free meal – which they’re especially desperate for in winter.

This is because once mice find their way into your home once, they’ll almost certainly get in again. Mice mark their entrances and exits with urine and grease (leaving visible dark streaks known as smearing) which guide their super sensitive noses in and out.

Because mice can climb vertical surfaces with ease, squeeze through holes the width of a Biro and gnaw through wood and plaster, these holes often go undiscovered for years, with mice seeming to appear out of thin air.

Mouse proofing is the difference between pest controllers and exterminators. It doesn’t take much to kill a mouse, but keeping them out your home for good requires experience, a keen eye, the right equipment, professional-grade materials and expert knowledge on mouse behaviour – which is exactly what our BPCA-certified pest controllers are renowned for.

If you’re struggling to keep mice under control, why not get a no obligation survey of your home? Then you’ll know exactly how the mice are getting in, what they’re feeding on and much it would cost to get rid of them – for good.

1. Mice breed very rapidly, even if you trap them, if you don’t control the population they’ll keep coming back.
2. Shop-bought poisons leave carcasses that can become infested with flies, we don’t recommend them.
3. Mice mark their trails with urine, showing future mice the way into your home, leading to reinfestation.
4. Mouse-proofing a home or business and maintaining preventative measures is the only long-term solution.

Call us now or request your call back to book your mouse-proofing survey.