We've caught 6 or so mice using the classic snap traps. Being frugal, we tried washing and re-using the traps. We're getting mixed results.
The mice are clearly nibbling the food (peanut butter, cheese) and escaping the traps. The only thing we can identify that is different is trap re-use. Or is there something else going on?
Note: We are and will remain a no-cats home.
Best Answer
Mouse and rat traps work better with time. Speaking to a pest control guy he indicated that the traps originally smell very foreign to mice and rats. Last time I had to trap rats I put baited but unset traps out so the traps would pick up the body oils of the rodents. The next day, after the bait was gone, I put bait on (stale bread covered in peanut butter, really jammed on there) and set them. I caught three rats in one day, using the same traps back to back. Priming them without being set and reusing them apparently increases their catching ability. I can attest that this works with rats: I caught 16 rats in three weeks using the same trap.