Best rodent bait to buy

Rental Property Investor · Grand Prairie, TX · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes

I always get at least a couple texts from tenants during spring time about rodents in the house or attic. My pest control guy uses bait boxes and they seem to work every time. I’m going to start doing it myself. What bait has been effective for you guys? I use the Tomcat bait and boxes from Home Depot, but it doesn’t always work. Whatever my pest control guy uses works 100% every time and I can’t get a hold of him anymore.

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Sherief Elbassuoni

Realtor · Bellevue, WA · Member since 2019 · 882 posts · 1k+ votes

Tomcat and Raid are pretty good

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Randall AlanPro Member
Investor · Lakeland, FL · Member since 2017 · 1k+ posts · 1k+ votes
3y
Peanut butter on a mouse / rat trap will get them almost every time! It is totally what my pest control people use... watched them do it.

Randy

@John Morgan
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John MorganPro Member
OP
Rental Property Investor · Grand Prairie, TX · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Randall Alan:

Peanut butter on a mouse / rat trap will get them almost every time! It is totally what my pest control people use... watched them do it.

Randy

@John Morgan
I’m usually dealing with rats.
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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
3y
Quote from @John Morgan:

I always get at least a couple texts from tenants during spring time about rodents in the house or attic. My pest control guy uses bait boxes and they seem to work every time. I’m going to start doing it myself. What bait has been effective for you guys? I use the Tomcat bait and boxes from Home Depot, but it doesn’t always work. Whatever my pest control guy uses works 100% every time and I can’t get a hold of him anymore.

Bait stations with TomCat have worked well for me. You place them around the house or under the house, not inside the house. Mice are attracted to the bait, they nibble on it, then they die. It should be attractive enough that they won't even bother going inside the house. The problem is that you have to keep them full. I have a vacation rental in the country and have to add bait every 1-2 months.
I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/Extermi...
And you can buy the bait blocks in buckets. One bucket lasts me a year and that's in an area with a lot of mice.
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John MorganPro Member
OP
Rental Property Investor · Grand Prairie, TX · Member since 2018 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @John Morgan:

I always get at least a couple texts from tenants during spring time about rodents in the house or attic. My pest control guy uses bait boxes and they seem to work every time. I’m going to start doing it myself. What bait has been effective for you guys? I use the Tomcat bait and boxes from Home Depot, but it doesn’t always work. Whatever my pest control guy uses works 100% every time and I can’t get a hold of him anymore.

Bait stations with TomCat have worked well for me. You place them around the house or under the house, not inside the house. Mice are attracted to the bait, they nibble on it, then they die. It should be attractive enough that they won't even bother going inside the house. The problem is that you have to keep them full. I have a vacation rental in the country and have to add bait every 1-2 months.
I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/Extermi...
And you can buy the bait blocks in buckets. One bucket lasts me a year and that's in an area with a lot of mice.
Thank you, I will buy this! I end up paying $100 every time for my exterminator and this is probably what he’s using. Lol. I’ve had a lot of large rats at rentals in the last few years. These boxes look big enough for fat rats.
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Robert T.
Member since 2021 · 26 posts · 31 votes
3y
I agree with the peanut butter on the old school wooden Victor mouse traps. The problem is setting them is particularly stressing... I can build engines, remodel houses, cut down huge trees, you name it....but have the hardest time setting those things. What works for me is pulling the snap back, setting the rod and using a long flat blade screwdriver in my other hand to lift the pad then let go and pray.
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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
3y
Quote from @John Morgan:
Thank you, I will buy this! I end up paying $100 every time for my exterminator and this is probably what he’s using. Lol. I’ve had a lot of large rats at rentals in the last few years. These boxes look big enough for fat rats.

I like my pest control guy, he's a good friend and does a great job. However, sending him one time to throw out bait blocks is the same price as me buying six bait stations and keeping them full for a year. Definitely worth the price.

@Robert T. the problem is that you are letting the mice inside, which then creates an odor/health/removal problem. I prefer bait stations because they are safe to leave outside or under the house (dogs, cats, and kids can't get into them) so the mice can die outside and never enter the home.
The other bad thing with snap traps: you can typically only kill one at a time. Unless you're a super hunter like my son (15 years ago). He managed to catch two mice in the same trap, twice in the same month!

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Caroline Gerardo
Lender · Washington DC · Member since 2015 · 2k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
I some places (CA or near water) we have gross rats resistant to poison. 5 gallon bucket with plank and peanut butter works but you have to keep emptying and refreshing. I caught my hand in a big trap, won't set them myself anymore.
3 Reply
Robert T.
Member since 2021 · 26 posts · 31 votes
3y
Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @John Morgan:
Thank you, I will buy this! I end up paying $100 every time for my exterminator and this is probably what he’s using. Lol. I’ve had a lot of large rats at rentals in the last few years. These boxes look big enough for fat rats.

I like my pest control guy, he's a good friend and does a great job. However, sending him one time to throw out bait blocks is the same price as me buying six bait stations and keeping them full for a year. Definitely worth the price.

@Robert T. the problem is that you are letting the mice inside, which then creates an odor/health/removal problem. I prefer bait stations because they are safe to leave outside or under the house (dogs, cats, and kids can't get into them) so the mice can die outside and never enter the home.
The other bad thing with snap traps: you can typically only kill one at a time. Unless you're a super hunter like my son (15 years ago). He managed to catch two mice in the same trap, twice in the same month!

The problem with the bait stations is they go off and die...in your walls, attic, etc. I'd rather "catch them" then let their little corpses rot in places I'd rather not have them. And putting traps in the house doesn't entice them any more than their natural instinct to be pests to humans.

The traps I was speaking of are in my shop anyway where there is no food source, yet they still like to come in and nibble on spark plug wires, rubber hoses, etc. I've used them in rental houses during vacancies only because I'm not sure (unless I find clues) of their presence. When the tenants move in, my lease specifically excludes rodents and roaches as these are things typically brought in by nastiness. I pay for the bug guy twice a year at my places. If they're leaving trash and food around the house and attract rodents and roaches, that's for them to take care of, and if they are doing that, I will find out and take care of them.
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Mike Nelson
Investor · Oak Park, IL · Member since 2014 · 316 posts · 150 votes
3y
Be aware of potential liability issues with kids and pets getting access to poison, and obviously your ethical responsibilities for their safety. Many years ago a tenant falsely accused of putting mouse poison within a child's reach, and said they got sick. Fortunately, it was obviously a false statement, and issue was resolved.
2 Reply
Sherief Elbassuoni
Realtor · Bellevue, WA · Member since 2019 · 882 posts · 1k+ votes
3y
Tomcat and Raid are pretty good
5 Reply
Dan H.Pro Member
Investor · Poway, CA · Member since 2015 · 7k+ posts · 8k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @John Morgan:

I always get at least a couple texts from tenants during spring time about rodents in the house or attic. My pest control guy uses bait boxes and they seem to work every time. I’m going to start doing it myself. What bait has been effective for you guys? I use the Tomcat bait and boxes from Home Depot, but it doesn’t always work. Whatever my pest control guy uses works 100% every time and I can’t get a hold of him anymore.

Bait stations with TomCat have worked well for me. You place them around the house or under the house, not inside the house. Mice are attracted to the bait, they nibble on it, then they die. It should be attractive enough that they won't even bother going inside the house. The problem is that you have to keep them full. I have a vacation rental in the country and have to add bait every 1-2 months.
I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/Extermi...
And you can buy the bait blocks in buckets. One bucket lasts me a year and that's in an area with a lot of mice.

Do you know that the poison does not transfer to animals that eat the rodents? I do not use the poisons because of the fear of the poisoned rodent being eaten by another animal that ends up being killed by the poison.
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Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
Moderator
Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
3y
Quote from @Dan H.:

It's my understanding that the mice don't carry enough in their system to kill the predator, but a predator could eat enough of them that it builds up in their system and kills them. My property is remote and surrounded by field mice. I have never found a dead predator in the area.

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Karl B.
Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2015 · 1k+ posts · 2k+ votes
3y
My favorite trap is 'The Better Mousetrap'. I also like the old school traps that have the large yellow catch mechanism (they're a pain to set but they're super sensitive and they always go off).
I am not a fan of the old school traps with the metal catch mechanism as I've had too many incidents where they didn't go off and the peanut butter has been eaten.
I don't recommend poison inside the property as the last thing you want is a stupid mouse dying inside your wall and stinking the place up.
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Kevin PaulkPro Member
Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2016 · 219 posts · 174 votes
3y
First Strike soft bait works great! and I'm in NYC "Rat capital"...lol
https://www.amazon.com/First-S...
https://www.amazon.com/First-S...
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Robert T.
Member since 2021 · 26 posts · 31 votes
3y
Quote from @Dan H.:

Quote from @Nathan Gesner:

Quote from @John Morgan:

I always get at least a couple texts from tenants during spring time about rodents in the house or attic. My pest control guy uses bait boxes and they seem to work every time. I’m going to start doing it myself. What bait has been effective for you guys? I use the Tomcat bait and boxes from Home Depot, but it doesn’t always work. Whatever my pest control guy uses works 100% every time and I can’t get a hold of him anymore.

Bait stations with TomCat have worked well for me. You place them around the house or under the house, not inside the house. Mice are attracted to the bait, they nibble on it, then they die. It should be attractive enough that they won't even bother going inside the house. The problem is that you have to keep them full. I have a vacation rental in the country and have to add bait every 1-2 months.

I bought these: https://www.amazon.com/Extermi...

And you can buy the bait blocks in buckets. One bucket lasts me a year and that's in an area with a lot of mice.

Do you know that the poison does not transfer to animals that eat the rodents? I do not use the poisons because of the fear of the poisoned rodent being eaten by another animal that ends up being killed by the poison.

Nathan is correct. The "dosage" is typically not enough to kill a much larger predator. But in my experience these predators typically don't go after prey that is sick or dying anyway. We're talking snakes, owls, hawks, etc. There is also bait that isn't necessarily a poison, but it works the same as Neem Oil does on insects. It tricks them into thinking they're full and they don't eat. I believe with rodents it makes them think they aren't thirsty.
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