The 10 Best Mouse Baits of 2024

Each time you see mice in your house, you should know that they are not visitors. They are nesting and breeding in the attics, walls or basements. Every time you see one, you should know that it has brothers and sisters living inside your house. Even though you can use traps to catch the mice, it will be hard to eliminate all of them using the method because they will be increasing at a very fast rate.

House mice are probably the most flourishing mammalian invasive species on the globe. The success of the rodents directly relates to their fast production capacity. Six mice can multiply into over 60 mice within 3 months.

The newborns will reach sexual maturity within four weeks and each of them can give birth to 5-10 litters in a year each litter consisting of 5-6 young ones. Each of them has a lifespan of 1 year. That should tell you that the population of these pests could get out-of-hand within a few weeks.

There are hawks, cats, owls and other hunters to keep the population in check outdoors. However, the predators are not in your basement or attic. The other way would be to eliminate food sources, which might not be possible. So, the most effective method involves the use of mouse baits. This guide and product reviews will help you buy the best mouse baits of 2020.

Related: The 10 Best Mouse Traps of 2020

Best Overall: First Strike Soft mouse Bait

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The name of this product is suggestive because after placing the bait in your trap, mice and rats will only require a few bites to get the lethal dose. By placing a few small packs in the areas that mouse and rats frequent, you will be able to kill them within a short time. The bait is easy to use considering that it is very soft and contains dimethicone as its primary ingredient. The product does not contain any wax and its intense aroma will start attracting rodents immediately after placement.

Unlike many other mice and rats baits in the market, First Strike Soft mouse Bait does not melt, meaning that you will have an easy time cleaning and servicing your bait stations. Moreover, it contains bromadiolone ingredient that shows effects within 4-5 days after consumption. You can use the bait inside your house or outside. All you need is 2-8 packs on every station when dealing with rats and only 2-4 packs per station when dealing with mice.

And even though the poison will kill rodents slowly, it is more effective. The rodents will eat the bait for a few days and therefore get a deadly dosage. The soft texture and nice aroma in addition to the lack of wax make it an attractive option for rats and mice. You need to place it strategically to eradicate rodents.

Best delicious: Bell Mouse Bait

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Bell Mouse Bait is available in 18-pound packs, which you can use throughout the year. The rodenticide is more effectively such that it will kill mice and rats after consuming it only once. And because it becomes very hard when exposed to indoor and outdoor conditions with more moisture, you can place it over holes and any other area to keep rats and mice out. The producer formulates it with food so that it can attract more rodents and influence them to ingest it.

Even though it is highly poisonous for the small animals, Bell Mouse Bait will not kill your pets instantly. Generally, secondary poisoning over a very long time can kill your pets. So, you have to use a bait station to protect your pets and animals. You can use the bait in any place – either outdoors or indoors but you should ensure that it is out of reach of children and pets. It is recommendable for areas highly infested of rats.

Best Value: JT Eaton 716-S Soft Mouse Bait

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Rodents love JT Eaton 716-S Soft Mouse Bait and that might be the reason it will go missing a few minutes after placing it on your bait station. Apart from killing mouse and rats, the bait will kill squirrels and gophers too. However, the producer recommends placing the poison bait in a bait station. That is particularly important because the mice might eat the bait and leave harmful brown granules intact if you place it on the floor. The product works very fast and rats will eat it within the first day before they start disappearing gradually.

If there is any need to break the bait into pieces, you can do that easily. Use it in any place because it does not have any bad smell and it is weatherproof. It should kill rats and mice in a few days if not instantly. The producer offers it as an industrial killer and it, therefore, comes in a large container. So, you will have enough baits to place in many areas.

Best Pick: Neogen Havoc 116372 Mouse Bait

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The Neogen Havoc 116372 Mouse Bait is a perfect choice for people who would want to eliminate rats and mice of all sizes. The bait is easy to use and a perfect choice when killing multiple rodents at once. It is weatherproof, meaning that you can spread the pellets outside or inside your home, where the rats frequent.

The primary ingredient in this product is Brodifacoum. So, you should keep the bait in places where your dogs, cats and any other small animals like squirrels cannot reach. You can choose either the 10 packs, 20 packs or 40 packs per set option depending on the population of mouse and rats in your home. To use the baits, you do not have to remove the pellets, rats and mice will gnaw them open.

Just One Bite II Mouse Bait

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Small rats running across your rooms can be irritating. However, Just One Bite II Mouse Bait effectively reduces or eliminates the problem. The bait works for mice, rats, squirrels, rodents and at times, lemurs. The rat poison is efficient on small critters so if you have pets inside your house, you should place the bait outdoors.

The process of using Just One Bite II Mouse Bait is straightforward. All you need to do is break it into small chunks and then spread it in the areas where the mice and rats frequent. Alternatively, you can use it on your bait station for the safety of your pets. When dealing with roof rats, place it in the walls for fast results.

Tomcat Mouse Bait

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The Tomcat Mouse Bait from Motomco is designed to allow the easier killing of mice and rats. The pellets are weatherproof, meaning that you can place them in any place that rodents frequent. They are made of 2nd generation anticoagulants, which kills rodents within a few days. However, you should keep in mind that the mouse bait is more effective and it can easily kill your pets if they ingest the pellets. So, you will have to place it out of reach of children and pets. It is recommendable for areas and farms – away from human activities.

The 9-pound container is enough to clear the whole mice and rat infestation in your home. To ensure that the bait is effective, supply plenty of chunks in many areas so that the mice and rats can have enough of it. Do not touch the pellets with your bare hands to avoid adding human scent. As you might already know, rodents fear humans.

JT Eaton 709-PN Mouse Bait

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The JT Eaton 709-PN Mouse Bait is an effective anticoagulant block baits formulated with a peanut butter flavor. It contains 0.005 percent Diphacinone, which eliminates the small rodents within a very short time. It comes in a durable and long-lasting JT pail made of plastic material. Each bucket contains 144-packs of 1-ounce rodenticide, which might be enough to get rid of all the tough rodents in your home. The producer offers it for both outdoor and indoor usage.

After buying the JT Eaton 709-PN Mouse Bait, you will not need to use any secondary rat and mouse baits. The small rodents, including rats and mice, will eat the delicious poison both day and night for around 5-7 days. After those days, the rodents will die one after the other. The product works more effectively on rats than on mice and experts recommend the use of several doses in a row for faster results.

You can also use the bait to kill any ground squirrels – small than rats. However, you should be careful because it might kill the other small animals if they eat it. Use PVC pipes to put the JT bait to protect other small animals.

D-Con Corner Fit Mouse Bait

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If you need an effective bait station, try D-Con Corner Fit Mouse Bait, which comes as a trap+bait combo. The product kills both mice and rats more effectively and you can use it to eliminate rodents inside and outside your house. One of the great things about the product is that rats and mice will eat on the station and then die in other places.

The rat poison is available in two sizes – 6 and 20 bait refills. It measures 7 by 3 inches and features one door for the entrance, a bait at the center and the exit door. The D-Con Rat Poison block will attract rats, which will eat it and leave. Due to the design of the trap, the poison will survive any extreme temperatures outdoor. Moreover, the curious pets and kids will not reach the bait easily. You can place the bait poison in attics, corners, basements, behind appliances, garages or sheds.

MOTOMCO Mouse Bait

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Motomco is a leading provider of rodent control technology. For the last 40 years, the organization has been focusing on research, product development and supply of effective pest control baits and products. MOTOMCO Mouse Bait is among the effective rodenticides from the company. The 3-ounce container comes filled with 100 percent pure block bait. Block bait is the first-generation anticoagulant baits formulated with peanut butter flavor. The active ingredients have 0.005 percent Diphacinone, which eliminates pests more effectively after the feeding starts. The peanut butter flavor attracts rodents more effectively and you will see them surrounding the bait within a few minutes.

Motomco Mouse Bait reduces any type of rats or mice infestation within a short time. You will receive many packs of bait containing the Diphacinone ingredient and each pack contains 25 grams pelleted bait. So, one pack is only enough for one spot. Each pack contains 99.05 percent Denatonium Benzoate, a bitter chemical compound that kills the mouse within a few days. Monitor the location of this poison because the mice will die within the area if it is blocked. Using it with a bait station is advisable.

Best Budget: HARRIS Dry-Up Mouse Bait (4-Pack)

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The HARRIS Dry-Up Mouse Bait (4-pack) offers 4 bars each weight 1-pound. You can place the bars broken up or whole to deal with rat and mouse infestation in your home. The flavoring is attractive to mice and rats and the bars contain anticoagulant diphacincone. Each bar is unique in that it will work in both wet and dry areas and climates. It will be attractive when placed in your damp cellar spots and the dusty dry attics. But when dealing with the rat poison, use gloves and carefully place them in areas where your pets cannot reach.

Diy the Baits for Mouse Traps

Mice traps can be effective, but only if you are going to lay the right food items on them. In addition to using the right bait, you should also select the right area to place the trap if you want to catch as many mice as possible within a few days. When using a mousetrap, here are the food items to try.

Peanut butter

Naturally, mice are seedeaters. That means that some items like peanut butter form great bait. Perhaps, you already know that the mouse in your house will be attracted to the high-calorie and fatty foods. If you do not have peanut butter, you can use other forms of nut spreads such as Nutella or hazelnut spread. To be sure that the peanut bait will attract mouse, do not dab a large amount on your trap trigger. You just need to take a tiny amount of the peanut butter (almost the size of a small pea) and place it on the trap. That way, you will enjoy the results.

Chocolate

A tiny piece of chocolate will entice most house mice species. Try the regular chocolate or the milk chocolate to know which works best. After that, you can stick to the most effective one.

Birdseed

Birdseed forms great bait that you can use on its own or mix it into some peanut butter to make super-attractive bait. If you have a bird feeder in your home, you might already know the number of rodents such as mice and squirrels that them from your feeder.

Fruit jam

Fruit jam will never miss in the list of affordable but sweet food items usable as mice bait. All you need to do is dab some jam on the side of your trap lever and wait for it to attract the mice in your home. The bait will force any curious mouse to push the lever up, therefore, setting off the trap. Unfortunately, fruit jam might attract some unwanted household pests such as ants and roaches. Use only a small amount each time.

Pet food

If you have a dog or cat in your home, you already have enough pet food in the store. Use the pet food as the mouse bait if the mice are scurrying around as if the cats.

Nesting material

At times, other things work as effectively as the bait. During the nesting seasons, mice will be attracted to the household items that they can use as materials for their nests. They include yarn, old newspaper and fabric materials.

Cheese

The cheese stands as one of the popular meals for rodents in cartoons and TV shows but that might not be the case in reality. Mice are nut eaters. So, even though cheese might attract them, it does not form an effective bait. You should try it if you do not have any of the other items on this list. Mice can take it from the trap easily without setting off the trap.

Tips for using mice traps?

When using any of the baits, you should wear gloves and place them on the trap trigger properly. Your trap will lose its effectiveness if the bait gets human scent. Rodents like rats and mice view humans as the major predators and they will, therefore, avoid the trap area if they smell your scent.

If you have already seen one mouse running in your house, you should know that the brothers and sisters are within the house too. For that reason, you should place many traps around your house, particularly along the walls for better success. Rodents will not wander into the open spaces as that might leave them more prone to predators.

Are mice likely to avoid traps?

Imagine yourself placing several traps around your house only to realize that the mice are not taking the baits or setting off the trap. That is not because the mice are smart enough to take the baits without triggering your traps. They might escape for other reasons.

A quick example, the mice might have realized that the human scent surrounds the traps so the bait is not an opportunity but a risk. You might also be using very light or poisoned baits, which the mice might avoid. So, it is always good you experiment with a few traps before setting up several of them around your house.

Also, after opting for the traps that kill mice, you should dispose of the dead mouse as fast as possible. The other mice within the house might avoid the bait on your trap if they realize that another mouse was killed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What will happen if my dog or cat ate a mouse that has consumed the rat poison?
A: Rodenticides can harm your domestic pets and the non-target wildlife if they ingest them. Place them in places where only the mice and rats will reach them.

Q: What should I do if my pet ate rat or mouse poison?
A: Take your phone and call the poison control number on the package for help. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires the producers of rodent baits to include the information on the packages.

Q: Which are the bait stations to use when catching rats?
A: Use a 3 inches diameter PVC pipe capped on one end and ensure that it is around 10-12 inches long. That will work great and you can place it in the spots where your Bait Station cannot fit.

Q: What is the shelf life of the products?
A: The product can last for around one year but it will have already stayed on the shelf for around 6 months. Call the distributor and provide them with the lot number so that they can provide you with details about the date of the product.

Q: How long will it take the mouse to die?
A: It will depend on whether you are dealing with mice or rats. The EPA reduced the percentage of poison in each packet and you might need several packets to kill the rodents. However, you should be sure that the rodents would die at the end.

Q: Is the product usable outdoors?
A: You can use it outdoors if you do not have domestic pets such as dogs and cats. The pets may find the dead rodents and eat them or even eat the uneaten bait. So, you should be careful when using it.

Conclusion

In case of an overwhelming mice infestation, you should call the local pest control exterminators if your budget allows. But when dealing with a small percentage of mice and rats, high-quality rat baits are a good choice. The above product reviews should help you avoid buying the fake mice killing products. All you need to do is buy any of the products on the list. Read the customer reviews to differentiate those that work from those that do not work.