How to Set a Tomcat Mouse Trap

Mice are unsanitary in homes and can spread diseases.

Mice can be a nuisance in a home, particularly if they forage through your cabinets for food. They also are unsanitary, leaving droppings and urine everywhere, and can spread serious and potentially fatal diseases, such as hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Tomcat produces an easy-to-use mouse trap that can help to reduce minor mouse infestations. It is important to bait these traps properly and locate them in areas where mice frequent for the traps to be most effective.

Things You'll Need

• Tomcat Mouse Trap
• Peanut butter or commercially available baits

Instructions

1. Identify locations where mice travel. Set the traps as close as possible to the locations you detected rodent activity.

2. Locate the letters "F" and "S" on the sides of the yellow trigger mechanism. Move the trigger pin attached to the end of the trap away from the trap and pull the end of U-shaped bar back to the opposite side of the trap.

3. Place the trigger pin over the U-shaped bar. Hold the pin to keep the bar in place. Lift the yellow trigger up and insert the end of the trigger pin into either the "S" slot for a sensitive setting or the "F"; slot for a firm setting.

4. Bait the trap without releasing the trigger pin. Carefully place the baited end against a wall and release the trap, ensuring that your fingers are clear of the U-shaped bar, in case the trap triggers prematurely. To improve the chances of the trap working, place two traps, side by side.

Tips & Warnings

• Use gloves to dispose of any caught rodents in the trap. Pull the U-shaped bar away from the trap to release the dead mouse from the trap or simply dispose of the trap with the mouse.

References

• Centers for Disease Control: Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS)
• Tomcat: Using Traps
• Tomcat: Six Keys to Success