Rodent Control: Bait Stations vs Other Rodent Traps

Rodents on a property are a menace that can cause lasting damage to many parts of a building including electrical, insulation and even the foundation itself. They can also be carriers of sickness and disease and spread it to family members, employees, clients, and friends. This alone is why rodent control is important.

If it gets bad enough, there may be a rodent infestation and you should absolutely get professional pest control done at the property as soon as possible. However, if you catch them early, know what rodents are attracted to or want to stop them from ever getting inside – there are several options for rodent prevention and control.

Bait stations are quickly gaining popularity for being quick, easy-to-use, and effective, but are they better than the tried-and-true methods or simply a fad that aren’t worth using?

Bait Stations

A bait station can work in combination with traditional traps or on its own. Alone, a bait station is a way to keep poisonous, highly-effective bait out of reach of pets and children. The bait station is completely enclosed and only opens with a key so that they can’t be opened by accident.

When combined with an effective rodent bait, a bait station works as a feeding ground to bring in the animals with scents and tastes they are extremely attracted to. The bait isn’t able to come out once locked. Once the rodent eats the bait, they’ll leave and go away to die somewhere else. The remaining bait can then be discarded and/or replaced until the rodent problem ends.

A bait station can be placed in the ceiling, under the floor, or in other areas of the property. They come in multiple sizes and are easy to clean up and reuse. We’ve tried out a few bait stations and found that Protecta brand works very well and our safe and secure. You can give them a try for yourself through our Shop with free shipping.

Traditional Traps

Mouse and rat traps have been around for decades with the design staying relatively unchanged. In these traps, a spring is set and snaps fast when sprung, trapping the rodent and killing it quickly.

Alone, these traps aren’t particularly effective. They need a way to attract the rodent, some sort of bait. The quality of the bait makes all the difference, as it needs to be something that the rodent will go out of its way to eat.

Even with the right attractant, there’s still a chance that the trap won’t work properly. The trap can snap and only injure the animal, or go off if something else touches it. There’s also the chance that the bait will be taken carefully and the trap won’t go off at all, and will have to be replaced for another try.

Live Traps

For a humane option, catch-and-release traps are a good way to trap the animal without harming them. After being caught in a live trap, someone will have to take the trap and empty it elsewhere. This means that they should be checked daily so that the rodent doesn’t get stuck and starve.

While these kinds of traps are good to not hurt the animal, they are also less effective than killing traps. Many artificial baits that are created specifically to attract rodents can’t be used, leaving limited options.

There’s also the problem of where to release them after the trap is sprung. If they’re released too close to the property, there’s a high chance that they’ll simply return once more. It’s important to release them far enough away so that they won’t come back… And away from other homes they might try next!

Are bait stations better than other traps for rodent control?

Right now, we think that a good-quality bait station is the best option on the market for small-scale rodent control. They are easy to use, safe for people and other animals, and highly-effective. If you’re considering trying out bait stations, we’ve tried several options and have some of our top-choices available to purchase on our shop page. There are also non-lethal options.