Trap Placement

As an owner, manager or operator of a commercial facility, you understand the importance of rodent control. Rodents carry diseases directly and indirectly harmful to human health. It's crucial you implement an adequate rodent control policy that includes how to properly place mouse traps.

Many commercial facilities follow traditional practices of placing traps at regularly spaced intervals. Modern research suggests companies reevaluate mouse trap placement in warehouses, food manufacturing locations and other facilities. One study found less than half of the traps set in commercial food distribution centers had caught a mouse with traditional trap placement. Most traps only caught one mouse per year.

Understanding proper mouse trap placement in commercial facilities is crucial to protect the health and safety of your staff and customers. Below, we'll discuss common mistakes when placing rodent traps, how to properly place mouse traps and trap placement best practices for your facility.

Common Mistakes When Placing Traps

Before understanding how and where to place mouse traps, you should first learn which mouse trap placement practices to avoid.

Some of the most common mistakes when placing rodent traps include:

1. Improperly spacing traps: Since the 1940s, commercial facilities have received the same guidance on where to place mouse traps. Rodents typically travel between 20 and 40 feet from nest sites when foraging. Facilities often place traps in evenly spaced, 20-foot intervals, reasoning that mice and rats would always be near a trap when foraging. Improper mouse trap placement is inefficient and wastes money. Rodents can also become familiar with too many traps and tire of exploring, decreasing the chance of a catch.
2. Placing traps in the wrong location: Understanding where to set mouse traps is crucial to increase the chance of capture. Rodents' foraging behavior depends on the amount of cover available to avoid predators. Traps are less likely to catch pests indoors when placed near a corrugated wall with insulation or a non-rodent-proof door, as rodents can find protection in these structures. Outdoor traps are more likely to capture rodents when near areas of cover, such as dark, shadowed places or near thick vegetation. These are areas with higher levels of activity.
3. Incorrectly baiting traps: You might assume using more bait will help you catch more rodents. However, mice and rats can steal bait while evading your trap if you use too much. Only put a pea-sized amount of bait on a trap. Improper bait also decreases your chance of catching pests. Mice primarily eat seeds, so consider peanut butter or calorie-dense chocolate. A piece of bait's success also depends on other food sources in your facility, so consider providing multiple options.

While placing too many traps can be a waste of money,
setting too few might be ineffective. Mice can produce a litter of babies up to every 21 days.

How to Properly Place Mouse Traps

Understanding how to place traps in your commercial facility properly can help you avoid common rodent trap mistakes.

Adhere to the following guidelines when placing mouse traps:

• How to place traps: Mice can smell your scent if you handle traps with your bare hands. Ensure you're wearing gloves before setting a trap. Place traps next to the walls, as you're less likely to see results if placing traps in open spaces. Position snap traps perpendicular to the wall with the bait facing the wall. Place tunnel traps alongside the wall for maximum results.
• Where you should place mouse traps: Target specific areas where you're more likely to catch rodents rather than setting traps at regular intervals. Research shows that mouse traps near heat sources like motors and refrigeration compressors catch more pests as rodents seek warmth. Mice and rats also seek shelter during foraging to avoid predators. Placing traps in shadowed areas, corners, near concrete walls and by rodent-proof doors also catches more rodents, as mice and rats may turn to traps for shelter.
• How many traps to use: While placing too many traps can be a waste of money, setting too few might be ineffective. Mice can produce a litter of babies up to every 21 days. Ensure you include enough indoor and outdoor traps to be effective, especially in high activity areas. You may even want to consider placing traps every 2 to 3 feet apart in known infestation areas.

Best Practices for Your Facility

Now that you understand how to properly place mouse traps, integrate your knowledge into your commercial facility's pest management policy and regular preventive plans.

Your commercial facility can take the following steps to improve pest management procedures:

• Review your current strategy: Evaluating your current rodent management policy can help ensure you're following the most up-to-date practices for mouse trap placement. You may find your process is outdated, recommending the antiquated mouse trap placement at regular 20-foot intervals. Your plan should include a protocol for identifying signs of rodents, especially for facilities like food manufacturers that are high-risk for infestations.
• Invest in modern solutions: Modern rodent traps like VLINK™ from Victor^® use long-range communication to allow for 24/7 monitoring of your traps. The traps feature sensors to notify you when it catches a rodent, reducing false triggers. The VLINK™ Mouse and Rat Tunnel Traps deliver a quick, powerful shock, humanely killing pests. VLINK™ Mouse Tunnel Traps can even hold two rodents before needing to be emptied! Other trap options include VLINK™ Power Kill PRO^® Mouse and Rat Snap Traps. Regardless of the trap you choose, your crew will save time checking traps.
• Provide training: After integrating the new technology, train crews responsible for pest management. During training, ensure all crew members are versed in the new policies and understand how your new trapping system works. Explain to your staff how the updated trap placement policy can catch more rodents, streamline pest management and save your organization money.

Modernizing your rodent management policy and implementing modern trapping technology will give you insight into where to place mouse traps by allowing you to monitor your trapping system. You'll increase efficiency, preventing infestations and trapping more rodents per year.

Modernize the mousetrap with Vlink™ from Victor^® Contact us today or request a virtual demo to discover how your commercial
facility can benefit from including VLINK™ traps in your pest management system! Buy Now

Modernize the Mouse Trap With VLINK™ from Victor^®

Disease-carrying rodents are a nuisance and a hazard in your commercial facility. Catch more pests with VLINK™ traps. Pest control operators will be able to monitor your entire pest control network from their mobile device, receiving an alert for low battery, signal strength, a misfire or when the trap catches a rodent. Plus, our traps are IP67 rated for both indoor and outdoor use, reducing the chance of false alerts — even when wet.

Contact us today or request a virtual demo to discover how your commercial facility can benefit from including VLINK™ traps in your pest management system!