Rat and mouse article

The Best Rat and Mouse Traps, and How to Set Them

Updated November 4, 2026

Snap traps are the standard for rats and mice. Placement along runways, the right bait and a week of patience matter more than the brand.

For most Fort Lauderdale homes, plain snap traps work best. They're cheap, quick and let you find the rodent, unlike poison. UF/IFAS's advice on using them is simple: bait with peanuts or peanut butter, set traps at right angles to rat runways, use more traps for mice than for rats, and be patient, since rats may take a week to go near a new trap.

Here's how the common trap types compare and how to set them so they catch something.

Snap traps

Wooden or plastic snap traps kill quickly and are easy to check. Buy the rat size for rats and the mouse size for mice. Plastic models with a large trigger pedal are easier to set. In an attic, they're the go-to tool. Set them along beams with rub marks and along paths flattened into insulation. Roof rat control covers the attic side when traps alone aren't keeping up.

Glue boards

UF/IFAS says glue boards are better suited for mice and safe for children and pets, and that a small piece of bait in the center can help. They don't hold rats well. Many people prefer snap traps because glue boards leave a live animal stuck on the board, which you then have to deal with. Mouse control explains how technicians trap mice in kitchens and condos.

Electronic traps

Battery-powered traps deliver a shock inside a closed box. They're tidy, and you don't see the animal. They cost more and need fresh batteries, and humidity in a Broward garage or attic is hard on electronics. They can work well indoors along a wall where mice run.

Live traps

Cage traps catch rats alive, but then you have a live rat to deal with. Releasing it nearby usually means it comes back, and releasing it somewhere else may break local rules. For rats and mice, snap traps are the more practical choice.

Bait

UF/IFAS recommends peanuts or peanut butter for rats and mice, and says to replace peanut butter often because old peanut butter goes rancid. In Fort Lauderdale, roof rats are fruit eaters, so a small piece of mango, avocado or dried fruit can work in the attic too. Use a small amount pressed into the trigger so the rodent has to work at it.

Placement

Placement is where most home trapping goes wrong. Rats and mice run along walls and edges. UF/IFAS says baited traps should be set at right angles to rat runs. Put the trigger end against the wall so a rat running along the wall crosses it.

• Along walls, beams and pipes where you see rub marks or droppings
• Trigger end facing the wall, at right angles to the runway
• Several traps a few feet apart for mice, since mice stay close to the nest
• In the attic near the entry point and along flattened insulation
• Outdoors only from dusk to dawn, with a board over the trap to protect birds

Patience and numbers

UF/IFAS says mice are curious and usually approach traps the first night, and if you don't catch a mouse in the first few nights, the trap is in the wrong place. Rats are the opposite. They're cautious, and it may be a week before they approach a trap. UF/IFAS advises leaving traps in the same spot for at least a week before moving them. It also says you need more traps for mice than for rats in a house.

You don't need gloves to keep your scent off the trap. UF/IFAS notes rats and mice are used to human odors. Do wear gloves to handle a dead rodent, and follow the CDC's double-bag method.

What about poison?

Indoors, poison usually means a rat dying inside a wall. Outdoors, UF/IFAS says bait must go in a tamper-resistant station and can't be placed where kids, pets or wildlife can reach it. EPA rules require consumer products to come with bait stations and limit consumers to one-pound packages. How to verify a Florida pest control license covers the current rodenticide rules.

When traps aren't enough

If you're still catching rats after two weeks, they're getting in faster than you can catch them. That means open gaps. Rodent exclusion closes them, and a provider can trap and seal in one plan.

Checking traps and disposal

Check traps every day, especially in a hot attic, where a dead rat starts to smell quickly. Wear gloves to remove a catch. The CDC says to spray the dead rodent and the area with disinfectant, put it in a plastic bag with any used traps you're throwing out, tie it shut, put that in a second bag, and drop it in a covered trash can that's emptied regularly. Wash your gloved hands, take off the gloves and wash again.

Related services: Roof Rat Control, Mouse Control, Rodent Exclusion & Sealing