- Snap traps are easy to use. According to the University of California, the biggest challenge of using any type of trap is proper placement. Ideally, a snap trap will be set somewhere on the path a mouse travels frequently in its search for food. Mouse droppings are found on these paths, which usually run along a wall. Placing newspaper underneath the trap will allow for quick disposal without having to touch the trap after it has caught a mouse.
- Snap traps are efficient because they lie in open spaces and, when properly placed, are already along a path mice travel frequently. This reduces the waiting time for the trap to catch a mouse. To maximize efficiency, several traps should be placed in order to catch as many mice as possible. According to the University of Nebraska, it is unlikely that a single mouse makes up the infestation. It is more likely that there are two or more mice that have nested in the area.
- Snap traps are inexpensive--they normally cost one dollar or less per trap. This makes them more efficient because the traps can be disposed of while still holding the prey, reducing the amount of time needed to clean a used trap. Most snap traps are sold in multiple packs, reducing costs even further.
- Many people shy away from snap traps because they believe them to be an inhumane way to deal with a mouse infestation. However, according to the University of Nebraska, catch-and-release traps are not necessarily a humane alternative. Relocating a mouse introduces the mouse to several issues, including predators and the need to find new housing and food sources. While killing a mouse with a trap seems cruel, it may be more humane to grant the mouse a quick death rather than slow death through starvation or at the paws of a predator.
- Other types of mouse traps include catch-and-release traps, which generally trap a live mouse inside a box, and glue traps, which catch a mouse by gluing its feet or body to a trap. Catch-and-release traps present the problem of where to relocate the mouse as well as the matter of whether or not the mouse will survive the relocation. Glue traps generally mean a slow and painful death through starvation, as the mouse is unable to find food or water while trapped.
