For many new renters and homeowners, a mouse problem is one of our worst nightmares.

Mice can be a major nuisance -- they nibble at food in pantries, they spook kids and pets, and they leave little pellets behind everywhere they go. However, mice can also pose a serious health risk. Some carry diseases or bacteria that can be harmful to a household’s pets, kids, and other residents.

Related: The 10 Best Rat Poisons of 2019

We all know that mice are attracted to food, but did you know they follow the scent of water as well? Or that today's mice are smart enough to recognize the smell of humans on common traps as a warning to stay away. Because mice can be so difficult to control, modern mouse traps have had to evolve to outsmart them. From traditional snap traps, to glue pads, to humane catch-and-release "hotels," today's mouse traps are much more than a simple pest control solution.

Not a fan of messy glue traps? Kat Sense Multi Captsure Large Snap Traps offer a high-quality, high-efficiency alternative to glue traps.

These sturdy, polystyrene traps offer high precision, stainless steel springs that hold rodents in place with 35 percent more force than other mouse traps on the market. Their mess-free design doesn’t break the skin, ensuring a mess free kill at a 100% kill rate.

The Multi Captsure trap comes with a built-in smart bait cup, which can be removed for easy cleaning and refilling. Designed to be used for years to come, these traps are simple to clean and reset. A touch-free release system allows disposal at the press of a button — no more rubber gloves and paper towels needed! Simply press the button at the back of the trap while holding it over a garbage can to release the trapped mouse. Then, clean and refill the bait cup and reset where needed!

The hygienic design offers an extra benefit: besides reducing odors or stains, the cleanable design keeps other pests from learning to avoid the trap. Because of this, you can place traps in the same areas and not see the reduction in efficiency you might find with wood or glue traps!

Kat Sense has perfected its Multi Captsure Large Snap Traps to the point where they offer a money-back guarantee: if these snap traps don’t solve your rodent problem, Kat Sense offers an immediate refund.

Key Features
  • Safe and sanitary pest control
  • Includes built-in, refillable bait cup
  • Sturdy, polystyrene construction designed to last for years
  • 100% kill rate with mess-free cleanup
  • Easy to clean and reuse
  • Money back guarantee
Specifications
  • Product Form: Trap
  • Package Size: 6 traps
  • Effectiveness Time: Reusable
  • Brand: Kat Sense
Pros
  • 100% kill rate for rats and mice
  • Designed for reuse
  • Sanitary design makes release touch-free
  • Designed for painless, quick kills
  • Usable indoors and outside
Cons
  • Kills mice and rats, so may not be considered humane
  • More expensive than glue or wood alternatives
Editors choice

2. The Mouse Hotel

9.99 / 10
Read Reviews

If you’re looking for a kid-friendly, pain- and mess-free pest control solution, The Mouse Hotel will be your best friend. This adorable little trap looks more like a dollhouse than a pest control product, and gives mice a comfortable and safe place to hang out until they can be released in a more appropriate area.

To use The Mouse Hotel, place bait in the far end of the cage area. Leave the Hotel with its door open somewhere mice use often, like against a wall, in a shadowy corner, or near a hole in the baseboard. Attracted by the bait, mice will enter The Mouse Hotel through the plastic door. As soon as they start enjoying the bait buffet (continental breakfast, anyone?), the door closes gently behind them.

The transparent plastic makes it easy to see when a mouse has been captured, and built-in ventilation holes allow the mouse to breathe. Then, you can take the Hotel to a wooded area and open the door, releasing the mouse into the wilderness without touching it.

The Mouse Hotel is a safe — and super-cute! — pest control solution that’s perfect for families with pets and children. The animals are unharmed, and there is no messy cleanup or dangerous chemicals to deal with. It may not come with the Pay Per View channels and swimming pool of a real hotel, but it’s the next best thing for mice!

Key Features
  • Traps mice effectively with no poison, glue, metal snap, or harm
  • Plastic, reusable design makes it simple to clean and replace
  • Automatic door close and ventilation holes offer a humane way to trap mice
  • Transparent coloring allows easy check to see if mouse is captured
  • Bait is placed in far end, and door closes behind mouse once it starts eating
Specifications
  • Product Form: No-kill Trap
  • Package Size: 1 trap
  • Effectiveness Time: Reusable
  • Brand: The Mouse Hotel (The JRR Company LLC)
Pros
  • Humane, safe, and clean way to capture and release mice
  • No messy cleanup or pain for the animal
  • Easy to clean and reuse
  • Easy to tell if a mouse has been captured
  • Mouse can be released without touching it
  • Adorable!
Cons
  • Bulkier and less subtle than other alternatives
  • More expensive than other alternatives
Best value

3. Tomcat Glue Traps

8.50 / 10
Read Reviews

For people with a mild to moderate mouse problem, Tomcat’s glue trap system offers an easy and inexpensive solution.

Unlike other glue traps, which can only be used once, Tomcat’s system offers glue inserts with a bait tray that can trap mice up to twelve times. This simple, subtle system can be placed anywhere rodents like to hang out — near utilities, in garages, and near corners or holes in baseboards.

Tomcat also offers a glue solution called Eugenol, a proprietary chemical combination for enhanced stickiness. Eugenol is a pesticide-free alternative to other glues, which can have a strong smell or be full of chemicals. These glue traps are also pet- and child-resistant, meaning they give mice easy access to the bait and glue while making it difficult for kids and pets to accidentally (or not-so-accidentally) tamper with the trap.

Usable both indoors and out, Tomcat’s glue traps are a safe, easy, and cost-effective pest control solution.

Key Features
  • Pesticide-free, non-toxic glue traps with Eugenol formula
  • Designed to trap mice, spiders, roaches, scorpions, and more
  • Small and subtle to place
  • Inexpensive, effective pest control solution
Specifications
  • Product Form: Glue Trap
  • Package Size: 6 traps
  • Effectiveness Time: Kills up to 12 mice with 1 bait tray
  • Brand: Tomcat
Pros
  • Inexpensive
  • Pesticide-free and non-toxic
  • Easy to use and dispose of
  • Refillable glue packs with reusable bait tray
Cons
  • Glue traps may not be considered humane
  • Glue packs must be replaced after every use

Sick of roaches, centipedes, and mice scurrying through your halls? Trapper Max Glue Traps offer an excellent “set and forget” method for anyone dealing with small pests in their home or workplace.

These disposable glue traps can be set up as a folded box or flat surface trap. Made of inexpensive paper, these traps feature 29 square inches of strong adhesive designed to trap pests. To use, simply peel off the wax paper covering the glue, and place as is for a “insect motel” design, or unfold if you need a wider surface area.

Mice and other pests will notice the subtle scent of peanut butter — designed to attract pests without a noticeable smell for humans —and come to investigate the glue, which holds them in place until the trap is thrown away. An easy-to-remove release paper allows you to clean up a used trap quickly and efficiently without the need to touch trapped pests.

Trapper Max combines performance with value in this inexpensive 12-pack. The subtle design allows for placement in common-use areas, and there is no loud “snap” to this trap!

If you’re looking for a pest control solution that offers peace of mind and ease of access, without the cost of an exterminator visit, Trapper Max Glue Traps are the perfect fit for you.

Key Features
  • Non-toxic glue pad
  • Can be used flat or folded
  • Uses peanut butter flavor to attract pests
  • Scent is so subtle, most people don’t notice
  • Works on rodents, bugs, and other small pests
Specifications
  • Product Form: Glue Trap
  • Package Size: 12 traps
  • Effectiveness Time: One-time use
  • Brand: Trapper
Pros
  • Effective at trapping a wide range of pests
  • Can be folded for subtlety or unfolded for wider capture area
  • Easy to use and clean
Cons
  • Not considered humane for larger pests
  • Not reusable: throw away after one use

When dealing with mice, there’s great comfort in a mouse trap you can “set and forget.” PIC’s Simple Set Mouse Traps offer an easy and reusable pest control solution. These plastic traps are simple to set, empty, clean, and refill, and can be used over and over again as needed.

PIC Simple Set Mouse Traps contain a deep bait well that can be filled with peanut butter, chocolate, or other sweet treats that attract rodents. When placed against a wall, the trap attracts mice to the bait well. Mice step on a pressure-activated switch, and the trap snaps closed, effectively killing the mouse.

Disposal is quick and easy with PIC’s button-press release system. Simply hold the trap over a trash container and press the release button to dispose of a mouse without touching it. Because these traps operate on bait alone, they do not contain any chemicals, poisons, or messy glues that come with other traps.

Usable indoors, these traps offer a quick, reusable solution to a house’s mouse problems.

Key Features
  • Press and set system “clicks” into place
  • Refillable bait well can be filled with peanut butter or sweet bait
  • Best used against a wall where rodents will run over pressure plate
  • Press-release system allows for disposal without touching the mouse
Specifications
  • Product Form: Physical Trap
  • Package Size: 2 traps
  • Effectiveness Time: Reusable
  • Brand: PIC
Pros
  • Easy to use “press and click” system
  • Reusable: easy to clean and refill
  • Button-press disposal method keeps you from touching the mouse
  • No poisons, chemicals, or glue
Cons
  • For indoor use only
  • Can be loud or messy when snapping shut
  • May not be safe to use around children or pets without supervision

AB Traps’s Pro-Quality Catch and Release Trap is one of the best on the market. Used to deal with mice, rats, and other pests, these cage-style traps offer one of the most humane and easy-to-use trap options available.

Available in three sizes — small for mouse-sized pests, medium for rat-sized, and large for things like possums and raccoons — these high-quality metal traps entice a pest to enter with a weighted bait plate. Once a pest starts chowing down, the cage door automatically locks behind them — with no dangerous snapping, no injuries, and no kills.

The trap can be set up in seconds, setting the suspension rod and compression bar to hold open the door once the bait has been set. When an animal is caught, the cage’s open bars allow the animal to breathe and give you the ability to tell if it’s occupied at a simple glance. To release an animal, all you have to do is push down on the metal bar holding the door in place. The door pops open, and voila! Your rodent problem scurries off into the wilderness.

AB Traps are known for their exceptional quality and patented locking mechanism. These reusable traps give you the peace of mind that comes with a rodent-free home, without the stress, pain, or mess of snap and glue traps.

Key Features
  • Tough metal cage-style traps with pressure-activated bait plate
  • Auto-lock door system traps pests effectively
  • Outside handle operates door for touch-free release
  • Available in multiple sizes, to catch a wide range of pests
  • High-quality, USPTO-registered humane products
  • Safe for use indoors, outdoors, and around children and pets
Specifications
  • Product Form: No-Kill Trap
  • Package Size: 1 trap
  • Effectiveness Time: Reusable
  • Brand: AB Traps
Pros
  • Humane, no-kill pest control
  • Non-toxic, chemical-free alternative to many pest control products
  • Does not cause injury to or kill a captured animal
  • Safe to use around kids and pets
  • Highly reusable and easy to clean
  • Easy to use (sets up in seconds)
Cons
  • More expensive than glue or snap traps
  • Very bulky

If you’ve found wooden mouse traps to be ineffective, Victor Power Kill Mouse Traps may be just what you need. These powerful traps offer a pressure trigger with a wider surface area, making it easier for mice to trigger the trap by running across it or investigating the bait.

These traps can be set in seconds by filling the bait area with peanut butter, seeds, or other common household foods. When placed against a wall or in an area mice frequent, the traps can be easily triggered when a mouse runs by or tries to take the bait. The high-impact kill bar snaps into place quickly, minimizing the mouse’s pain. When a mouse has been caught, the whole trap can be easily thrown away.

Older mouse trap models relied on poisons or chemicals to kill mice, which could be dangerous for pets or children also living in the household. Victor Power Kill Mouse Traps kill mice quickly and effectively, so you don’t have to worry about tracking down a poisoned mouse or the mess of glue.

If you’re looking for a quick, cost effective method to kill mice, Victor Power Kill Mouse Traps offer an easy way to control pests.

Key Features
  • Chemical-free, non-poisonous pest control solution
  • Pressure-activated kill bar is high-impact for quick, humane kill
  • Bait rests under large trip pedal
  • When used, whole unit can be simply thrown away
Specifications
  • Product Form: Physical Trap
  • Package Size: 3 traps
  • Effectiveness Time: One-time use
  • Brand: Victor
Pros
  • Easy to set up and dispose of
  • Can be used with any bait you have around the house
  • Kills quickly
Cons
  • One-time use only
  • Kills the mouse, so may not be considered humane

CaptSure’s Original Humane Mouse Traps are excellent for families. These little “mouse houses” are a humane, safe way to catch mice to release into more appropriate areas. Plus, if the family hamster escapes, they are an excellent way to “trap” and release the escapee back into his cage!

To use these traps, simply place bait as far back in the tunnel as possible and position the trap in a frequently used area with its door open. As soon as mouse or other pest walks onto the pressure pad to eat the bait, the door springs closed behind them. This traps the pest without injuring or killing it, and built-in air holes keep the mouse comfortable and safe until it can be released somewhere outside.

These traps are simple to clean and reuse as many times as needed, so they can be a cost-effective way to deal with a larger mouse problem. They are designed to be chemical-, poison-, glue-, and electricity-free, which makes them safe to use around household pets and children. The release system keeps your hands away from the mouse, reducing your risk of bites.

CaptSure stands behind its products, which is why they offer 24/7 customer support and a money-back guarantee. For a humane, easy mouse control solution, CaptSure mouse traps are the way to go.

Key Features
  • No kill, no pain, cruelty-free mouse control method
  • Catch and release system that can be reused again and again
  • Smart design with transparent plastic, air holes, and auto-locking door
  • 4-step setup
  • 24/7 support from CaptSure team
Specifications
  • Product Form: No-kill Trap
  • Package Size: 2 traps
  • Effectiveness Time: Reusable
  • Brand: CaptSure
Pros
  • Humane, no-kill, catch and release system
  • Transparent plastic makes it easy to see if a mouse has been captured
  • Safe to use around kids and pets
  • Can release rodents without touching them
  • You get 2 in the package
Cons
  • More obvious and costly than other methods
  • Must be checked often

Whether you’re an animal activist, a parent to young children, or simply squeamish, you may not be a fan of messy, loud traps that kill mice. The Harris Humane Catch-and-Release Mouse Trap offers an easy to use alternative to snap traps.

This “mouse hotel” offers a transparent green design that looks more like a toy than a pest control product. Mice follow the scent of bait onto a weight-activated pressure pad, which snaps the “door” shut behind its new inhabitant. Built-in air holes keep the mouse alive and well while it waits for release, and an easy-to-use release area detaches to let mice escape outside of the home.

The transparent design makes it easy to see when the trap is “occupied.” There’s no need to lift the trap to check and come eye-to-eye with its unlucky inhabitant!

This trap is a great option for families or people with pets, as there is no risk of fingers or paws getting accidentally caught. Harris’s humane design offers peace of mind, and the trap’s easy-clean, easy-reset design makes it simple to reuse for years to come!

Key Features
  • Effective, reusable, no-kill mouse trap
  • Green, transparent plastic with outside spring for subtle, friendly design
  • Weight-triggered bait station
  • Humane design includes air holes for catch and release
  • Safe to use around children and pets
  • 10% of profits are donated to local Humane Society
Specifications
  • Product Form: No-kill Trap
  • Package Size: One trap
  • Effectiveness Time: Reusable
  • Brand: Harris
Pros
  • Humane, no-kill design for trap and release
  • Easy to clean, refill, and reuse
  • Air holes keep trapped mice alive and healthy
  • Outside spring keeps mechanism safe from nervous chewing
  • Transparent design makes it easy to see if “occupied” without touching
  • 10% of profits are donated to local Humane Society
Cons
  • Released mice may return
  • Larger and bulkier than some alternatives
  • Less subtle than other alternatives

Mouse Guard’s PestGuard Glue Board Traps are some of the most affordable on the market. This 24-pack offers easy-to-use, adjustable traps that can catch mice, lizards, bugs, moths, and even small snakes.

Unlike traps that use poison or potentially dangerous chemicals to kill mice, these glue traps hold a mouse in place until it can be disposed of safely. These traps are designed for use indoors, in places where chemicals, poisons, or snap traps may be unsafe or prohibited. Perfect for homes, commercial buildings, and industrial locations, Mouse Guard’s inexpensive system offers a quick and easy fix for most pest issues.

These glue traps should be placed where pests travel most often — under or next to utilities, against baseboards, or in corners. The glue is specially designed to not dry out or melt outside of its packaging, creating a mess-free pest control system.

These traps are delightful for their simplicity and cost effectiveness. For less than a dollar per trap, you’ve got an effective and easy pest control solution.

Key Features
  • Non-toxic, non-poisonous glue traps for mice and pests
  • Multi-functional design allows for box-style or board-style trap
  • Designed for use in residential, commercial, and industrial buildings
  • Quick to set up and dispose of
Specifications
  • Product Form: Glue Trap
  • Package Size: 24 traps
  • Effectiveness Time: One-time use
  • Brand: Mouse Guard
Pros
  • Easy to use and dispose of
  • 24-pack is much more cost effective than similar offerings
  • Multi-functional design can be changed to attract different pests
Cons
  • For indoor use only
  • Not safe to use around children or pets without supervision
  • Glue traps may not be considered humane

You can reduce your risk of developing a mouse problem by keeping things clean. Mice are attracted by the smell of food — so those crumbs on the counter or the dirty dishes in the sink could be causing more problems than you realize. Regular vacuuming, cleaning, and scrubbing can keep mice from finding sources of food. But did you know mice are also attracted by water? Many mice have trouble finding sources of fresh water in dry seasons, or warmth when it’s cold out. Mice find their way into our homes and workplaces because they’ve smelled something that seems appetizing, or they’re looking for a comfortable place to sleep winter away.

Related: The 10 Best Handheld Vacuums of 2020

Mouse traps are the obvious solution -- but how do you decide what type of mouse trap to use and how to use them without making mistakes? Do you want a solution that kills mice in a snap (literally), or do you want a trap with a large surface area that can trap other pests at the same time? Are you concerned about chemical use and potential cleanup, or are you more interested in a humane system that catches mice without killing them?

Another factor to consider is bait —the old, traditional solution was a piece of cheese on a wooden mouse trap. However, rodents can be pretty smart. Depending on the bait you use, they may be able to smell your scent on a trap or bait and learn to avoid it. Because of this, mouse trap products have evolved to include built-in baits, or be usable with foods you have around the house — the food that attracted the mice in the first place.

When planning for pest control, pay attention to the habits of the mice in your home. Where do they like to hang out? What foods do they like to snack on in your pantry? Is there a certain hallway or baseboard they use as their own rodent I-95?

A mouse problem can be a major stress, especially if you worry about the impact mice could have on children or pets. Because of this, it’s important to have a quick, effective, and stress-free solution.

Whatever your household’s needs, there is a pest control solution for you.

Resources— American PestThis Old House

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