Here is why mouse keeps eating peanut butter bait off your trap and solutions to fix this issue.
Mice are very destructive rodents that cause all sorts of problems.
These problems range from the spread of diseases such as listeria and salmonella to humans as well as damage to food and property.
Peanut Butter Mice Trap Not Working
Mice will readily chew on electrical insulation cables which could lead to short-circuiting and fires in homes.
As a response to their destructive activity, quite a lot of preventive measures are used by homeowners. You get to choose whether to adopt DIY control or seek professional help.
The latter tends to be the most reliable way of dealing with mice problems.
In terms of DIY solutions that fail, we’ll be looking at traps used to catch mice. One of the most favorite food items used as bait is peanut butter. Mice tend to find it irresistible.
The problem is, such bait can be stolen off the trigger plates when not placed or set correctly.
Mice Are Quite Clever
When it comes to mice presence, it’s important to note that these rodents are quite clever and can navigate their way around traps when they sense danger.
To make matters worse, mice could steal bait (in this case peanut butter) off of the trigger plate on the trap without setting it off. This can be frustrating for many.
What Could Go wrong?
When faced with this situation, the usual questions that may come up will mostly border around finding out where you got it all wrong. Did I set the trap correctly? Was there a trap malfunction?
Have mice found a way to beat the trap?
The truth is, one or more of these questions may hold the answer to the problem. In other words, your trap may have been set incorrectly or there could be a malfunction.
In the case of a malfunction, you’ll have to change your trap.
Most snap traps will have to be correctly used for them to have the desired effect in catching mice. Of course, peanut butter serves as an incentive for mice to get closer (step on) to the trigger plate which activates the trap.
These traps are also reusable.
Mouse Stealing Peanut Butter From Trap
When stealing peanut butter bait becomes repeated, it’s high time you reassess your strategies.
First off, you’ll have to find out what is wrong with your bait-setting techniques. If it isn’t properly done or placed, mice could steal it and walk away unhurt.
Some of the possible actions to take include proper placement of peanut butter bait. Also, excess bait could be the reason why it repeatedly gets stolen. You’ll have to place just the right amount for better results.
There’s also the case of using the wrong type of trap.
Let’s discuss all of these points for more clarity.
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Proper Placement of Peanut Butter Bait
Is there a wrong and right way to place peanut butter bait? There is.
When using a live or humane mousetrap, the goal isn’t to kill mice but to have them trapped live. To achieve this, your peanut butter bait has to be placed toward the back of the trap where it’s farthest from the entry.
A mouse is likely to steal bait when it isn’t placed correctly.
In other words, placing your peanut butter bait closest to the entry is likely to fail as these rodents have a higher chance of stealing it without triggering or setting off the trap door.
Basically, you should follow simple-to-use instructions that came with the product. Manufacturers will state exactly where your bait (in this case peanut butter) needs to be placed.
Proper placement will guarantee better results.
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Use the Right Amount of Bait
Are you placing too much peanut butter on your trap? This is a major reason why lots of traps fail to activate while the bait gets stolen.
The goal is to attract mice to the bait however small. So, your aim shouldn’t be for mice to feed well. Excess bait will result in these rodents stealing it while leaving leftovers.
You want to place as little as possible that will lead mice right to the middle of the trigger plate for it to be activated. So, how much peanut butter is sufficient? Just a little will suffice.
You may want to take into account the size of mice to have an idea of how much bait should be placed.
An adult mouse measures approximately 5.5 to 7 inches from the nose to the tip of the tail.
Also, the aim isn’t to place too much peanut butter on the trap but rather to have just enough to attract a mouse to get close enough.
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Avoid Using the Wrong Trap
The problem of a mouse stealing peanut butter from a trap without setting it off might also have to do with using the wrong kind of trap. There’s a wrong type of trap as well as the right kind when it comes to trapping mice.
Certain traps are designed for particular types of rodents. For example, a trap designed to catch rats may prove unreliable for catching mice. How so? Rats are typically larger in size compared to mice.
Another thing mice have going for them is that they tend to be swifter than rats.
You’ll need to take all of these factors into consideration when shopping for a mousetrap. You’ll have to go for one (trap) that is smaller as these are most ideal for catching mice.
With larger traps used for catching rats, the small size of mice may become an impediment.
Mice may not be heavy enough to activate the trigger plate. Plus, there’s a chance of these rodents escaping when the trap gets triggered as they tend to be swifter than rats.
Sometimes, the trap you use may be defective. Defective traps are known to malfunction. If this is your situation, you’re better off having the trap replaced than hoping it does kill mice.
With such traps, the possibility of mice stealing peanut butter without setting off the trap is higher.
Now you have an idea about why your trap seems ineffective. To decrease the possibility of mice stealing peanut butter from your trap, consider following the above guidelines.