Do mousetraps work? Snap traps vs. sound repellers

Our pick

Buy the Victor M150 metal pedal wood snap trap and skip the high frequency electronic devices. Snap traps work well, and trapping works for most mouse problems. High frequency electronic devices aren't effective (UC IPM).

Trapping is the preferred method when you have only a few mice. You also get to throw the mouse out, so you avoid the dead mouse odors that can follow poisoning (UC IPM).

Why electronic devices fall short

The pitch makes sense at first. House mice scare easily at noises they don't know, but they quickly get used to sounds they hear over and over (UC IPM).

Ultrasonic sound also has limits in a real home. It travels in one direction, it can't reach behind objects, and it fades fast with distance. That leaves it with very little use in rodent control (UC IPM).

There is little evidence that devices like these drive mice out of buildings. So the box on the shelf may promise more than it can do (UC IPM).

How to set snap traps

House mice seldom go more than 30 feet from their nest, so space Victor M150 traps no more than 10 feet apart (UC IPM).

Set two Victor M150 traps in pairs, 1 to 2 inches apart. Peanut butter draws house mice, but it can pose allergy risks (UC IPM).

Seal the gaps too

Pair your traps with exclusion, which means sealing mice out. It is the most successful and permanent form of control (UC IPM).

Mice can get in through openings as small as 1/4 inch. They can't chew through wire screen or coarse steel wool, so plug gaps with those. Steel wool scouring pads may rust over time, and plastic, rubber, vinyl, foam, and wood don't work for plugging holes (UC IPM).

What traps can't do alone

No simple, easy fix controls house mice. Good sanitation alone seldom controls them fully, but poor sanitation draws mice and lets them thrive (UC IPM).

So set out Victor M150 traps and seal the gaps. Leave the high frequency electronic devices on the store shelf.