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Types Of Rodent Traps

Rodents are one of the most common types of household pests, and as a direct result, there are a number of different traps on the market. While each type of rodent trap is designed to capture and remove rodent from your home, they function in very different ways to accomplish this goal. Understanding the differences between the available types of rodent traps can help you choose the one that best fits your needs.

Snap Traps

Snap traps are the stereotypical mouse trap, and work with a spring loaded mechanism that will kill the rodent once it touches the bait. These traps come in a wide variety of different sizes and design, and tend to be fairly inexpensive to purchase. However, they come with a couple of risks: they are not ideal for households with small children or pets, as they can accidentally be activated fairly easily. While injuries sustained by a mouse trap on a larger animal will be minimal, it is still a good idea to avoid the distress if possible.

Electronic Traps

Electronic traps are designed to deliver a high voltage shock to rodents that enter the trap. They are more humane and reliable than snap traps, which means that you will not find an injured mouse inside the trap. Further, electronic traps are safer as the shock element cannot be activated by large animals or people. In addition, since the trap is enclosed, you can simply dump out rodent bodies instead of having to touch them with your hands. However, electronic rodent traps do tend to cost more than snap traps, and require the batteries to be replaced over time, increasing long run maintenance commitments.

Glue Traps

Like their name would suggest, glue rodent traps are designed to attract rodents to the trap and then ensnare them in an adhesive agent. They tend to be fairly inexpensive, like snap traps, but are less humane, as the rodents will have to starve to death before they can be disposed of. The upside of glue traps is that they work for other pests as well, and will capture insects that are crawling around your home. However, the major downside of glue traps is the fact that the glue itself can denature due to poor air quality as dust gets stuck in the trap, or even due to temperature fluctuations, which can cause the glue to lose its stickiness fairly rapidly.