Rodent Control Products

Worth settling before you buy, because the products differ. Droppings are the quickest tell: mouse droppings are small dark pellets, roughly rice-grain sized, and rat droppings are considerably larger and shaped more like a raisin. Mice will squeeze through a gap of around 5mm, a pencil's width; a rat needs around 15mm. Rats also use drains and wet areas, which mice avoid. Our guide to telling mice and rats apart walks through the rest.

Snap traps, electronic traps, baits, bait stations, proofing and repellents. Whether you are dealing with rats or mice, the range covers trapping, baiting and proofing as separate stages of the same job.

The best product depends on which rodent you have and the size of the infestation. Read our guides to choosing a mouse control method and choosing a rat control method for the full comparison.

The range spans kill traps, live-catch traps and rodenticides, so it varies by product. Tamper-resistant bait stations are the main safeguard, since they enclose a trap or bait rather than leaving it loose, and lockable models need a key to open. Follow the instructions on each product and place everything where children and pets cannot reach it - a locked station reduces the risk but does not remove the need for sensible placement.

Results vary depending on the product and the size of the infestation. Traps, baits and electronic deterrents can show results within a few days.

Start by working out which of these you have.

Bait disappearing, trap not sprung. You are using too much. A pea-sized amount, pressed firmly into the trigger pedal or smeared just underneath it, so the rodent has to work at it rather than lick it off the surface. A generous smear lets it feed from the edge without ever putting weight on the pedal. This is the single commonest cause.

Bait untouched. Too few traps, or spaced too far apart. Wrong placement - traps go tight to the wall, at right angles to it, trigger end nearest the skirting, where you have found droppings. Your scent on the trap, so wear gloves when setting. Or the rodent is wary of the trap itself, common with rats and with mice that have met traps before: leave traps baited but unset for two or three nights, then set them all on the same night.

If placement and baiting are both right and a week still gives nothing, question the target rather than the method. Old droppings look much like fresh ones, so the activity may have moved on or already stopped - trap where you are finding fresh droppings, not where you first heard something. And scratching overhead isn't always rodents; squirrels and birds in a loft sound very similar and won't go near a rodent trap.

Catching steadily is a good sign, but if new ones keep arriving after a week, something is replenishing them. Usually one of three things: an unsealed entry point letting new rodents in from outside, a nest nearby that is still producing, or too few traps to keep up with the numbers. Work round the outside and close the gaps with proofing while you keep trapping, and add more traps rather than moving the ones you have.

Yes, many of our rodent control products are versatile and can be used both indoors and outdoors especially when used with a bait station. Check the product details for specific guidance on use in different environments.

No new droppings in the places you were finding them, no fresh gnawing and no night-time scratching, for two to three weeks. Even once activity stops, leave one or two traps set to monitor - if anything comes back, the trap tells you before the droppings do.

Once the rodents are cleared, prevention is key. Use rodent proofing products to seal entry points in your home, store food in airtight containers, and regularly clean up food debris.