Mouse Trap Attractants

A mouse attractant is a non-toxic lure, not a poison. It goes on the trap pedal to bring a mouse close enough to trigger the trap, or into a bait station. It doesn't kill anything on its own - the trap does that.

A pea-sized amount pressed firmly into the trigger pedal, or smeared just underneath it, so the mouse has to work at it rather than lick it off the surface. Overbaiting is the commonest reason a trap gets emptied without firing. Our guide to setting up a mouse trap covers the rest of the setup.

Peanut butter is a good mouse bait and works well on the day, but it dries out and can be licked off the pedal over a few days. A gel stays put and holds its scent for longer, which matters if the traps are somewhere you won't be re-baiting daily. Read our guide to the best food baits for mouse traps to see how the alternatives compare.

Yes - snap traps, electronic traps, live-catch traps and traps housed inside a bait station. The application is the same in each case: a small amount, on the pedal or bait point, not spread around the trap.

Use as directed and place traps and attractant out of reach of children and pets. The gels here contain no rodenticide, but a set trap is still a mechanical hazard - housing it inside a lockable bait station is the sensible option anywhere a child or dog might reach.

Check your traps daily and re-apply when the gel has been taken, or when the surface has dried and lost its scent. Warm, dry spaces such as lofts and airing cupboards need re-baiting more often than cool cellars and voids.

The attractant gels here are lures, not rodenticides - they bring a mouse to the trap and the trap does the work. Snap and electronic traps kill without any active substance, and live-catch traps don't kill at all. To avoid poison altogether, pair an attractant with a mouse trap and close the entry points with proofing.