Stop Using Cheese. Mice Hate It.
Stop baiting traps with cheese. It doesn't work. A pro exterminator reveals the 'Secret Menu' for mice, including Nutella, yarn, and Tootsie Rolls.
I don't know who started the rumor that mice love cheese. Maybe it was Tom & Jerry? But in my years of trapping rodents, I can tell you this: cheese is terrible bait.
Mice are seed and nut eaters. Cheese goes stale, gets hard, and honestly, doesn't smell appetizing to them unless they are starving. I've set traps with cheddar right next to traps with peanut butter, and the cheese sits there untouched for weeks.
So, what actually works?
Peanut Butter. It's the king for a reason. It's high in protein, high in fat, and the smell carries through the room. Plus—and this is key—it's sticky. The mouse has to work to lick it off the trigger, which guarantees the trap snaps.
But if you want my personal secret weapon? Chocolate. Specifically, a little piece of a Snickers bar or a drop of Nutella. Rodents have a sweet tooth you wouldn't believe. I once cleared an entire attic infestation using nothing but Tootsie Rolls squished onto the trap triggers.
The "Dental Floss" Trick
Here is a hack most people don't know. If you have a smart mouse that keeps stealing the bait without setting off the trap, tie a piece of dental floss or yarn around the trigger, then smear the peanut butter into the fibers.
When the mouse tries to pull the bait free, its teeth get caught in the threads. Snap. Game over.
Don't use too much bait, by the way. A pea-sized amount is perfect. If you put a huge glob on there, they can gently lick the edges without setting it off. You have to force them to commit.