How to Avoid Common Rat and Mouse Glue Board Mistakes

This article is a general DIY guide for homeowners experiencing problems with capturing mice or rats with glue boards. Here you can find common mistakes people make when setting or using rat and mouse glue boards as well as avoid common mistakes to increase pest capture in the glue board adhesive.

Now that the cooler season is approaching pests like rats or mice can start to make their way indoors. Even if these pests are not seen, signs of their presence are evident from prolific amount of waste, scratches, chewed fibers or wiring, and other structural damages. But if you find that you are suddenly sharing your home with one or more rodent there are ways to control them without toxic chemicals such as rodent glue boards.

Due to their inexpensive and wide availability, glue traps have become one of the most common form of rodent control. A rodent glue board consist of a flat cardboard, paper, or plastic board with one side covered in adhesive glue. You will then place the board per the product label instructions then when the rat or mice scampers across the board, it becomes immobilized in the adhesive eventually leading to the animals demise.

To find out how to completely control rat and mice infestations, and lower the chance of having them in the first place then check out our rat and mice control guide. While rat and mice glue boards take more of a monitoring approach to rodent removal, they can also be used in permanent control efforts.

Trap Handlement

Rats and mice have a keen sense of smell, being able to detect a wide range of odors from people, animals, and chemicals. Rodents are generally afraid of people and if they smell your scent on the glue trap being used then they will avoid the area all together.

If a glue trap is being used in a tamper-proof bait station, then some homeowners make the mistake of washing the station with soap. If you do happen to touch the bait station holding the glue board with your bare hands, wash it off only with only water before setting it.

Before handling any type of rodent control product, wear the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gloves to mask your scent.

Using Bait on Glue Boards

While some rodent control products like snap traps are more effective when using baits, the opposite is true for glue traps.

Common baits like peanut butter contain oils that will compromise the glue and allow the pest to escape more easily. In fact, for situations where people or pets get stuck accidentally, we recommend you apply cooking oil to reduce the traps adhesiveness. Not to mention the use of seeds, cheese, or baits on the glue board surface can give the rodent a safe pathway to walk upon without touching the traps adhesive.

We recommend using pre-scented glue traps to lure rats and mice into the trap. Depending on your needs and rodent infestation, consider the following pre-scented rodent glue boards.

Solutions Pro Glue Board is a smaller non-toxic glue trap formulated with a peanut butter scented adhesive to lure mice that can be folded into a box shape.

Solutions Professional Rat/Mouse Glue Tray is a durable plastic glue board trap to capture rats as well as mice and other crawling pests in low-profile locations. These glue trays are best for areas where the use of pesticides are prohibited and for monitoring rodents after a previous infestation.

Solutions Pro Rat Glue Board XL is a large pre-baited glue board with a peanut butter scent aroma to capture rats, mice, snakes, and other crawling pests within indoor settings. Unlike the Solutions Professional Rat/Mouse Glue Tray, this product can be folded into a tent shape with the exception that it cannot be used outdoors like the glue tray trap.

All of these pest glue traps use a non-toxic glue formulated with a peanut butter-scented adhesive that rats and mice will be attracted to.

Wrong Placement

Even if you get the best of the best glue traps, you still will have trouble catching rats or mice if the glue board is not put in the right place. Mice and rats have specific habits and behaviors that must be taken into consideration when attempting to capture them.

Rats and mice travel along walls to avoid detection of predators by traveling along walls, foundations, ledges, fences, and other objects. So, if you put a glue board in the middle of a room or on top of stored objects it's not enough to capture the rat or mouse.

To determine the best spots to place rodent glue traps, look for evidence of activity such as grease marks along walls, fur, rodent droppings, gnaw marks, and rodent burrows. Since they are shy pests you will need to set the glue trap parallel against a wall close to where you have seen signs of rodent activity.

If you are dealing with mice and using the Solutions Pro Glue Board, fold it into a box to create a seemingly sheltered area thats more conducive to mice activity.

Lack of Traps

Unfortunately, seeing just one rodent is usually an indication of a larger infestation. Rats and mice are cautious creatures that will avoid new objects in their environment for some time. Both of these reasons means that multiple rat and mice glue boards should be used to get rid of these pests from your property.

You will need plenty of glue traps to normalize their presence and catch more pests. Determine how much glue boards to make by measuring the square footage of the treatment area. To do this, measure the length and width of the treatment site in feet then multiply (length X width = square footage).

It's also important to spread your glue boards apart to have a better chance of the rodent coming across it. A rat can simply jump over the glue board to avoid it, which is another reason to use multiple glue boards. Generally, each glue trap should be placed 2 to 3 feet apart from each other along the walls where the rodent has been noticed.

Irregular Checking and Replacement

Rat and mouse glue boards are useful as monitors because they are easy to use and they also help to eliminate some of the pest population. However, this leads some people to leave the glue board unattended for long periods of time.

The longer a rat or mouse glue board sits around, especially in dusty areas or areas with direct exposure to heat the adhesive becomes less effective. In general, glue board traps can become ineffective when coated with a lot of dust, dirt, or water. The adhesive can also become useless in extreme hot or cold temperatures.

For this reason, we recommend placing the glue board within a tamper-proof bait station when used outdoors. Indoors, such as the attic, crawlspace, or basement it would be best to fold the glue board into a tent shape to help avoid debris. Unfortunately, the Solutions Pro Rat Glue Board XL cannot be used in a bait station due to its large size.

Check the Solutions glue boards at least once a day for activity, but remember to leave the trap in place and handle with a glove covered hand. If they have gathered dust or pests, dispose of the glue traps and replace them.

Key Takeaways

What to Do If Mouse or Rat Isn't Dead on Glue Board?

• Sadly, mice and rats sometimes step into a glue board and can still be alive by the time you check on the trap. The humane thing to do is put the animal out of its misery immediately. If you do not wish to do this, then you may contact your local animal control office for proper disposal.

How Long Will A Rat or Mouse Stay On A Glue Board

• Once the rat or mouse comes into contact with the glue trap adhesive, they may surrender to exhaustion, dehydration, or possibly suffocation when the glue enwraps the pest. Most often these factors can take up to 24 hours for a rat or mouse to perish.

How to Free Animals From Glue Traps

• If you, your children, or pets get stuck on one of the Solutions Glue Boards, then simply use vegetable oil to loosen the adhesiveness.