How to Set a Snap Trap

No matter the time of year, rodents try to access potential nesting and feeding grounds in homes and businesses, which often provide readily available food, warmth or nest-making materials. Although rapid breeding and property damage serve as important reasons to squelch rodent infestations, the potential for the spread of bacteria, viruses and parasites--living in or on rodents--that cause diseases is the primary reason to set wooden or plastic snap traps. Snap trap spring-action systems aren't difficult to set and efficiently catch and exterminate rodents.

Instructions

Wooden Snap Traps

1. Place bait--peanut butter, cheese or "attractant" gel--on the trap trigger. Wooden snap trap triggers typically consist of a metal pedal with a curled end or upright pointed pin or a plastic holey cheese slice. Insert bait into the curl or push onto the pin of a metal pedal trigger. Insert bait into the bait cup near the center of a cheese slice trigger trap and smear a small amount of bait across and into the holes.

2. Lay the trap on a flat surface and flip the locking bar, also known as the trigger pin or lever, so that the end of the bar points away from the trap.

3. Position the spring-action U-shaped bar. Hold down the base of the trap with your non-dominant hand and gently pull, with your dominate hand, the bar away from the trigger end of the trap to the opposite end. Carefully move your non-dominant hand from the base to hold the bar in place.

4. Set the trigger. Flip the locking bar over the U-shaped bar with your dominant hand. To set a pedal trigger, carefully position the curved portion of the locking bar under the V-shaped ledge on the left side of the pedal. To set a plastic cheese slice trigger, switch your hands so that the palm of your dominant hand holds the U-shaped bar in place. Lift the trigger slightly with the opposite hand and then carefully position the end of the locking bar into the slot at the back of the trigger behind the bait cup. Slide the end close to the "S" to make the trigger sensitive to movement or close to the "F" for a firmer setting.

5. Move the trap where needed with the trigger facing a wall or other vertical surface. Typically, rodents stay close to walls, narrow crevices between furniture and around crawlspaces for safety.

Plastic Snap Traps

1. Open the trap to reveal the trigger. Plastic snap traps, also referred to as "T-rex" or "snappy" traps because of sharp teeth, an open-mouthed appearance and jaw-like action, work like a clothespin. Squeeze the plastic handles of the trap together to open or place on a flat surface with the jaws pointing away from you and push the top handle down to open the top jaw. If your plastic snap trap has a double U-shaped bar, push the smaller bar down to open the trap.

2. Place bait or attractant on or behind the trigger or "tongue."

3. Take your plastic snap trap to the area where you found evidence of rodent activity and position the open jaws facing a wall or vertical surface.

Tips & Warnings

• Place two traps side by side or in close proximity to catch jumping rodents.

• Never place snap traps in areas that children or pets frequent. Spring-action traps can damage tissue and crush small bones.

References

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Rodent Control
• Woodstream Corporation: Rodent Dangers
• Royal Pest: Rodent Dangers

Resources

• Victor® Snap Mouse Traps
• TOMCAT Snap Traps