Question

I’m forced to admit it. We have mice. Are glue traps a good way to capture them? How do I use the traps?

Answer

Glue traps (also called glue boards or sticky traps) will capture mice and have their advantages and disadvantages. They are convenient, the whole thing is disposed of, mouse and all. They are nontoxic and so are especially useful in situations where small children or pets could get into poison bait or could get “snapped” in regular mouse traps.

Some people have problems using glue traps because, unlike a snap trap, it’s not always a quick death for the mouse. When a mouse touches a glue trap, it becomes stuck and further entangles itself as it struggles to get free. Usually the mouse dies of suffocation but this can be a slow and noisy process. If you find a trapped mouse still alive on a glue trap, you should drown it or somehow humanely kill it before you dispose of it in the trash.

You should place mouse traps of any kind along mouse travel routes and that usually means next to walls or against objects. Also place traps where you see mouse droppings, nest material, or gnawing damage. But don’t place glue traps where children or pets could reach them. Placing the trap inside a tamper-resistant rodent bait station will keep it away from children and pets and will shield the trap from view.

If a child or pet should get stuck on a glue trap, don’t panic. Try to keep them from struggling; they’ll just get stuck tighter. Then dribble cooking oil onto the glue; it will dissolve the glue and free the victim. Any kind of oil works: corn oil, olive oil, mineral oil, baby oil, even peanut butter. To remove the glue from clothing, place it in the freezer and just peel it off once frozen.

Professional Intervention is Still the Best Idea

If you have multiple mice in your home, and especially if this has been going on for any length of time, I strongly recommend that you contact a professional pest control company. Pros have all kinds of options for controlling mice and know what to use where. Having a professional get rid of your mice will save you time and trauma in the long run. You won’t have to deal with dead or dying mice or removing glue from pet hair. The best part is that our rodent control work is guaranteed so you don’t have to worry about setting traps all over again in a couple of weeks when that one mouse that escaped the traps gives birth! Give Colonial a call today.

Photo credit: ^Sandra^ / Foter / CC BY-NC-ND