Snap Trapping

Pest control professionals and DIYers use many methods to catch or kill rodents on the property, from baiting to trapping. Perhaps one of the oldest rat and mouse control methods has been using snap traps. Snap traps are most effective when there is a small infestation or when it is not wise to use rodenticides in that setting.

Solutions Pest & Lawn is home to several professional quality snap traps that work excellently to kill even the quickest and most clever rodents. On this page, you will learn about snap trapping, how snap traps have evolved, and how to apply snap traps around your home to treat rodents properly. You can also shop for our inventory's best rat and mouse snap traps.

What Is A Snap Trap?  

A snap trap is a wooden, metal, or plastic trap with a powerful snapping mechanism designed to kill rodents immediately upon contact. Snap traps are almost always a lethal form of rodent trap and are normally intended to kill a single rodent, which separates them from other forms of traps, such as multiple-catch or live-catch traps, which allow for the humane capture and release of a rodent.

The basic snap-trap design has been improved to include a plastic or stainless steel platform, an expanded trigger, a baitless trigger, and a stronger spring. These traps are made in sizes for rats or mice. Rat snap traps have a much stronger spring, and accidental release of the trap when set can cause harm.

Conditions For Using Snap Traps

Snap traps are best used indoors when a single or small number of rodents are on the property. Rats and mice visit familiar sites where food is available and are attracted to food odors. Utilizing non-toxic and highly palatable baits, these can serve as an attractant to the rodent who will be lured to where the snap trap station has been set. Once they enter the station, the lethal snap trap is triggered, and in one swift motion, the rodent should be killed or incapacitated by the trap.

Snap traps should be placed in areas where rodent activity is the heaviest. These areas are usually determined through the process of inspecting the premises for the highest concentration of rodent signs (rodent dropping, tracks, runways, damage from rodent gnawing, grease marks, burrows, urine stains, rodent noises and observing the presence of live or dead rodents.) Highly suggested areas where to place snap traps include darkened corners, along walls, and behind appliances.

Benefits of Snap Traps

Snap traps have several advantages over other forms of rodent control. For one, they are usually much more affordable than expensive rodenticide bait.

If you want your rodent problem dealt with more quickly, snap traps are the way to go. It can take several days for a rodenticide bait to kill a rodent. During this time, the rodents can continue to cause more damage and make your home even more unsanitary with their droppings of feces and urine.

Snap trapping is also safer because it doesn’t involve using toxic materials that could harm pets and children. Snap traps are always effective and will get the job done every time, while rodent baits can lose their palatability over time if they are too long.

Another benefit is easy disposal. Snap traps also eliminate the chances of the rodent dying in an area where you cannot reach it, such as your vents or within a wall void. This will prevent potential fly infestations and foul odors.

Drawbacks of Snap Traps

Be careful using snap traps if there are pets or children around. The spring on the rodent snap trap is very strong, so strong that it could break a finger. You wouldn’t want your child or pet harmed by a trap not meant for them, so try to keep traps out of reach.

Another drawback of snap traps is that capturing a rodent can be pretty gruesome sometimes since they are lethal. If you are squeamish (especially since you would have to remove the dead carcass manually) or feel that killing a rodent is inhumane, snap trapping is not for you.

Rodent Snap Traps must be checked regularly, and dead rodents must be removed. If other rats see a dead buddy in the trap, they will become averse to it, and you will not get long-term control.

Our Recommendations

Solutions Easy Set Rodent Trap—The Easy Set Trap is made of sturdy, durable plastic and is used to control rodents indoors and outdoors. By keeping fingers out of harm's way and making snap trapping more accessible, the Solutions Easy Set Rodent Traps keep fingers out of harm's way and are simple to reuse.

Jagged Rodent Snap Traps - This trap is a superior trap that combines special trigger sensitivity with the exact speed for capturing and securing rats. Setting with the hand or foot (like a pedal) makes it much easier and safer than traditional traps.

Victor Professional Wooden Mouse Snap Trap M325 - The original wooden snap trap—the Victor Metal Pedal Mouse Trap—is also the world’s number 1-selling mouse trap. Its superior quality and effectiveness are why we’ve sold more than 1 billion snap traps worldwide. And why professional pest control companies have made them their trap of choice. Trusted to control mice for more than 115 years, this trap delivers clean, instant rodent control.

Tools Needed

Snap traps often come ready to use and do not need additional setup and placement tools. At times, palatable bait may be necessary to help lure rodents to a trap, and for the sake of safety, a bait station may be needed to place the trap so pets and children don't get accidentally caught by it.

User Guide

Step 1: Put on the necessary PPE.

Make sure you have gloves on before handling traps. Rodents can detect human scent and will not approach the traps if you handle traps bare-handed.

Step 2: Bait The Trap

Bait traps with peanut butter or a different rodent attractant. Smear bait on the trap platform. A glob will be too easy for the rodent to access without springing the trap.

Step 3: Trap Placement

Place un-set, baited traps at common rodent pathways and where you’ve seen activity, such as along fence lines, under or near shrubs, and along walls indoors. Make sure the trap swings toward the wall so the rodent will be trapped when the bar comes down and not flung into the middle of the room.

It’s important to place un-set but baited traps to gain the rodent’s confidence. Bait for one to two days, and be sure to place the traps in the same spot every day—the rodents will notice if they’ve moved.

Set the traps on the 3rd day; before you know it, the rodent will be caught and killed.

Step 4: Dispose the Dead Rodent

Make sure to remove dead rats from the trap immediately. You do not want other rats to see and become averse to the snap trap.

Key Takeaways

• Snap trapping is an affordable and fast-acting technique for rodent control. It involves either a wooden, metal, or plastic trap with a powerful snapping mechanism designed to kill rodents on contact.
• Snap traps are best used indoors or when there are a single or small number of rodents on the property. They can also be used outside.
• For best results, place snap traps strategically in darkened corners, along walls, near or behind appliances, or in attics.