Originally Posted By: exranger06
I don't like the Victor snap traps. They are difficult to set and always go off before I put them down, which startles the heck out of me. And yet the mice are able to always easily eat all the bait off them without setting them off.
What you say is true to some extent but they are a very reliable, cheap, and efficient trap if set properly. They always get the job done for me with mice. Here are some tips for you...
1 - use cheese( firm cheese like cheddar works best IME )to bait the trap on the bait platform not peanut butter or other easily licked off baits. Break off a small piece of cheese and roll it around in your hand until it warms up and becomes like putty. Then squish it onto the bait platform in a small ball covering the end of the platform. Just don't over bait it and also try and work some into the rolled edge of the end of the platform too( like one of those balls to entertain dogs you put treats or peanut butter in - makes them work at it ). Here is the real key = do it 1st thing in the AM and let the trap sit out all day so the cheese hardens a bit. It makes it much harder for them to get it off and thus easier to spring the trap.
2 - use a little peanut butter on the trigger arm and catch. Put a little into the catch and then spread some on the long trigger arm( down near the catch end not up on the non baited end ). This works really well at getting young, small mice, who can clean the bait platform without tripping it because they are so delicate. The mice here anyway always go for the cheese first. Once it is gone they smell the peanut butter and will walk forward to get it. The combo of them actually messing with the trigger arm and catch and usually moving onto the bait platform will set the trap of even with the smallest and lightest mouse.
3 - set the trap in place whenever possible to avoid setting it off accidentally when carrying/setting it down. Bait it wherever you want but when you are actually setting it make sure it is sitting where you want it to be to catch the mouse. That way there is no accidental trip. If you do have to set it then place it into the spot make sure the trigger arm is properly set into the catch( this accounts for most of the accidental trips for me - I don't have it hooked properly - usually the trigger arm is rolled slightly sideways vs straight up and down and that let's it trip when I set it down )hold it gently between your thumb and index finger and ease it into place bait platform end 1st and then gently lower the rear down.
I actually just had a mouse infestation issue myself a few weeks back. A female had babies somewhere here and when they were old enough took them out I guess to show them how to forage. I came out one morning and my counter and stovetop looked like someone spilled a container of chocolate sprinkles everywhere( never seen so much mouse poo from just one night
).
I keep 2 of the Victor traps on hand so I set them normal( just cheese - no peanut butter on trigger arm and catch ). I caught one big one the 1st night( Mom )but the next night both traps were cleaned without tripping TWICE( I checked and reset them in the middle of the night ). I noticed very small poops on the paper towel the traps were on so I realized I was dealing with all/mostly young ones at that point. So I added the peanut butter to the trigger arm and catch, made sure I baited the platform with cheese in the AM so it could harden onto the bait platform, and eventually caught 8 little mice over the next 3 days.
Been a couple weeks now with no more caught and no more sign( i.e. POOP! everywhere
).
