Best Rat Traps Reviews | Easiest Way to Eliminate Rats in 2021

Rats are destructive creatures that cause lots of destruction in a house or any place. Cutting electrical wire, contaminated food, make holes in boxes, cut cloths, their damaging acts are uncountable. The worst part is rats can transmit deadly diseases.

The best rat trap is made to catch and kill them afterward. There is another option for the trap which catches it without killing them.

Rat traps are versatile. They can catch rats, mice, rodents, squirrels, etc. too depending on what type and size you are using. Also, these tarps are environmentally friendly, reusable, and safe for toddlers and pets (most of them).

What is the Best Rat Trap?

Before going to the brief review, here is a list of recommended rat traps that are best for their performance.

1. Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap
2. Victor M250S No Touch, No See Upgraded Electronic Mousetrap
3. Kensizer Small Animals Humane Live Cage Rat Mouse Trap
4. Tomcat 370910 Rat & Mouse Killer
5. Rat Zapper Classic Rat Trap

What is a Rat Trap?

In simple words, a rat trap is a simple mechanical or non-mechanical setting to catch and kill a rat. It sets up in an indoor or outdoor location where rats are roaming mostly.

Rat traps can catch single or multiple rats at a time. All rat traps are not deadly. Some traps caught them alive without damaging them much.

Our Top 5 Picks of Best Mouse Trap

Rat Trap	Image	Editor's Rating	Brand	Type	Weight	Warranty
Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap		4.4/5	Victor	Snap	4.8 Ounces	1 Year
Victor M250S No Touch, No See(Editor's Choice)		4.5/5	Victor	Electric	5.6 Ounces	1 Year
Kensizer Small Animasl Humane Live Cage Rat Mouse Trap		4.7/5	Kensizer	Live Catch	11.2 Ounces	Not Available
Tomcat 370910 Rat & Mouse Killer		4.2/5	Tomcat	Baits	1.9 Pounds	Not Available
Rat Zapper Classic Rat Trap		4.3/5	Agri Zap	Electric	1.45 Pounds	1 Year

8 Best Rat Traps Reviews

Looking for quality traps to get rid of rats in your house? Here are the 8 best rat and mice trap reviews for you. Check them out.

1. Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap

The Victor Metal Pedal Rat Trap is an old-style original wooden+metal snap trap that is suitable to use with any bait. It’s very simple to use, convenient in size which makes it usable at any corner in your house or including outside. Material and its mechanism make this one of the best rat traps for home use.

You can use it with peanut butter, raw bacon, or anything you want to. But fresh bait always works to attract rats and radiant easily. And once the rodent triggers the pedal, the metal trap springs closed immediately and traped it.

After catch throws away, the dead pest washes this best outdoor rat trap and reuse it with fresh Laure. Don’t forget to use a hand glove before touching the trap with a dead mouse unless you won’t mind a stinky hand.

Pros

• The trap is cheap and straightforward to use.
• Made of quality wood that lasts for a long time.
• Comfortable, functional snap trap design.
• Easy baiting with a preformed bait section.

Cons

• They can also kill squirrels, chipmunks, etc.
• Some bigger rats may escape from the traps.

2. Victor M250S No Touch, No See Upgraded Electronic Mousetrap

The Victor M250S No Touch, No See is one of the most effective mouse traps that uses electric shock to kill it without making a mess. It has two panels- one for entering and one for traps the rat. Once a rodent enters, it automatically shut off the door and triggering the system to provide a human high voltage shock.

There is a green LED light to indicate a kill, and it can keep blinking up to 1 week until the battery is down. This is a battery operated mouse trap and you will need 4 AA batteries to kill 100 mice.

This best electric mouse trap is safe because it automatically senses the trap and turns it off when it’s opened. So you and your family members or the pets don’t get shocked by it other than the mice. However, the killing chamber is detachable. So, once you are done, remove the dead rat and clean it for the next usage.

Pros

• Easy and mess-free cleaning.
• Usable in any indoor area.
• Don’t require poison or chemicals.
• Removable kill chamber for easy cleaning.
• Cheap in price.

Cons

• The box is tiny.
• Ideal for indoor use only.

3. Kensizer Small Animals Humane Live Cage Rat Mouse Trap

The Kensizer Small Animals Live Human Cage a simple live rodent trap that doesn’t make a pest inside it brutally. It lures merely and traps it so you can either throw them away in the forest or release them. This trap is made of a sturdy aluminum structure which is equally light at the same time.

Also, the aluminum mesh of the trap won’t be bitten open by the small rats so easily. But if there is a rodent, then there is a possibility of damage though.

However, the best mouse trap has a highly sensitive trigger mechanism. When the trigger touches the door will shut off the right of the moment automatically. So there is no escape once the lock is set and a pest is entered.

Pros

• Not toxic and does not kill the rats brutally.
• The live rat trap can catch multiple rats at the same time if you have the bigger one.
• The aluminum mesh doesn’t get damaged by chew or scratch.
• High sensitive trigger mechanism that immediately senses after anything entre.
• Lightweight and easy to carry.

Cons

• No, handle on top of the door which makes it lift up vertically. So the insiders can be injured sometimes if you give proper attention.

4. Tomcat 370910 Rat & Mouse Killer, Child & Dog Resistant

Kill the nuisance pest by feeding the Tomcat 370910 Rat and Mouse Killer. This is a complete trap with a feeding station and poisonous bait that can kill rodents, mice, and rats effectively. All you need is to place the bait on the station by opening its window and after closing it, put the station in a suitable place.

You can set the Tomcat mouse killer either inside or outside of the house, where the mouse comes often. The smell of the lure will attract them and once the bait goes inside their stomach then they will die within a short time.

Each 30 gm of bait block can kill 3/4 rats. The bait station withstands high temperature so placeable at any place. That is why Tomcat Rat Trap has got top ratings after Victor Electronic Rat Trap.

Pros

• Easy to open and insert two bait chunks.
• It has a window to see and monitor inside without opening.
• Able to use indoor and outdoor.
• The station is very durable.
• Weather and temperature resistance.

Cons

• If there is natural habitat near for finding food for rat/mouse/rodent they will not touch the trap.
• The safety feature might work for kids, but big dogs can chew and open the station in most cases.

5. Rat Zapper Classic Rat Trap

Here are another easy maintenance electric rat traps for both indoor and outdoor use. This human rat trap kills pests giving high voltage shock for two mins. It’s an electric shock rat trap that makes the catch and cleans up like a breeze.

You don’t have to touch the dead pest at all. Once the killing is made, a light will indicate to inform you know so you can empty the panel. All you need is to dump the rat in the trash without touching it.

The outdoor electronic rat trap is run from 4 AA batteries, and it can kill 20 rats per set of batteries. It’s designed to use indoors or anyplace where it doesn’t expose to outside elements like snow, rain, or sands. On summer days you can place it outside of the home. But remember this trap is sensitive to moisture.

Pros

• Kill mice with a deadly electric shock.
• Comfortable and clean disposal system.
• Easy to put in any corner of the house.
• Comes in four different sizes.

Cons

• May create a short circuit problem if it’s become slightly wet or moist.
• Slightly overpriced.

6. Pest Control Rat Traps (Set of 6) by Kat Sense

Kate Sense rat trap is made to catch small to big sizes of rats quickly and easily. It doesn’t require poison, chemicals, or batteries to kill the pest. You need to place high protein bait on the bait cup. The bait cup is removable and washable.

In fact, the entire trap is made of washable materials. So after done with catch and disposal, you can wash it thoroughly and reset it. Compare to the wooden trap this one is 10 times efficient, hygienic, and trouble-free.

The trap has a stainless steel spring with a high precision trigger mechanism that snaps the frame once a mouse steps into the trap. Overall, the rat killing possibility with Kat-Sense is higher than you glue mouse board, wooden traps, and rat kill.

Pros

• Six pieces of traps pack.
• Usable in small to large places.
• Safe and easy to use.
• Efficient and low escape rate.
• Made of washable materials.
• No risk of foul smell or stinks.

Cons

• Some users complain about the traps (not all six) started malfunctioning reset them after cleaning.

7. Electronic Humane Rodent Zapper by Abco Tech

The Electronic Humane Rodent Zapper by Abco Tech is a smart and efficient trap that kills mice, rats, squirrels, and chipmunks easily. It comes with an innovative wireless circuit sensor that senses when a  rat or chipmunks enter inside the trap. And without wasting one sec, it creates 7000 volts of electric cloud and instantly kills the paste.

The traps run with four alkaline batteries and usable for up to 30 uses. The right side of the professional rat trap is it can kill this pest without creating much waste- no blood mess or smell. You don’t need to look at the rodent/rat before disposal.

It turns on the red light when the preset is being killed and a green light when it’s completely dead. So, it’s safer to use also.

Pros

• Does not require poison or any toxic substances that could harm the environment.
• Has an intelligent wireless system that senses when anything lives enter.
• Kill squirrels, chipmunks along with rats, mice, and rodents.
• Don’t speed bed odor, blood or anything.
• Easy to clean and no-touch disposal.

Cons

• Not work with all kinds of bait. You have to experiment to see which one works best for your condition.
• Not kids or pets proof.

8. RinneTraps 2 Pack-Walk The Plank Mouse Trap

Here is another toxin-free, shock-free cheap mouse trap that you can use in your house to control the pest. It’s a bright lure that leads the mouse, chipmunks, rats, etc. inside a bucket. You need to place this walk the plank mousetrap around a bottomless bucket and set the bait.

The lure can be any protein, seeds, etc. once the prey smells the lure, it will climb on the trap’s nose and fall into the bucket. Because the nose of this trap fell once, there is a weight on its end and back to its position when it’s empty.

You need to fill the bucket 1/2 with water, so the mice won’t be able to jump out of the bucket. Take a 5-gallon bucket for the job.

Overall, it’s a safe and less brutal option to control your household pest. This is now one of the popular no kill rat trap options that you can try anywhere.

Pros

• The organic and trouble-free solution for catching mice and rats.
• Reusable for a long time.
• Simple and easy setup.
• Safe for use especially if you have pets or toddlers.
• Very affordable.

Cons

• No bucket included, you have bought one new or use an old one for the job.
• Catch small rats and chipmunks most of the time.

Types of Rat Traps

There are many types of traps are available in the market. Pest control companies make different size of rat trap that works to catch single or multiple rats. Such as,

1. Jaw rat trap
2. Spring-loaded bar mousetrap
3. Electric rat trap
4. Live-capture rat trap
5. Glue rat traps
6. Bucket rat traps
7. Disposable mousetraps

How Do Rat Traps Works

Several types of rat traps available in the market, and they work in many different ways. Like, Tin Cat, mechanical trap, Ketch-all, glue board, etc. These are currently the most popular and widely used pest control traps for rats used in the pest control industry.

• Glue Board- Among all others glue rat traps are less human. This one has a thin cardboard cover with glue on one side. So, when a mouse step into it will stick to the board and can’t move from there. This one is useful to catch rodents also but the juveniles ones only. Older rodents will not fall for this trap so easily. This type of trap also known as a “sticky rat trap”.
• Tin Cat– The Tin cat is a reusable trap with multiple catch mouse traps. A rat enters through the one-way door and trapped inside of it. This trap can catch various rats without killing them. You can use it with a glue board inside of it.
• Mechanical Trap- Mechanical rat traps that made of thick wood board and metal spring+clips need to add bait to catch rats. It can also catch rodents, squirrels, etc. first a lure needs to set on the trigger bringing the hammer back and secure by the hold bar. When a rat goes into the trap and tries to touch the food or eat that, the hammer release it in a sec and kills it right away. The mechanical traps need to place with a trigger against the wall where rats are travel mostly.
• Ketch-all- The ketch-all is another multiple catch set-up and similar to Tin Cat. It needs to be wound and act with the revolving flap. It allows a rat to enter but not exit from it. This trap can catch multiple rats without killing them so you can decide either killing them or not.

How to Choose the Best Rat/Mouse Traps

Choosing the most effective rat trap is might easy but it’s tough to tell either the trap will work on a particular area/situation or not. For example, if there is enough bush, rice field, and fruit-trees around your house, the mechanical trap with lure might not work that well.

Because there is enough food and hide out in that place and typical rodent might not fall for the trap so easily. The success rate will be low to exceptionally here to catch multiple rats. So, you need to consider-

• The Type of Trap

Some traps kill rats or only trap and catch without harming them. Mechanical traps, electrical tunnel traps, etc. are deadly but reusable also. Non-deadly traps like Glue board, Bucket trap, Tin cat, Catcalls are safe, but later on, you have to deal with the mice to kill them or leave them in the wild.

Small to large rodents can be caught with them quickly. For general office, shop and city homes, the electrical tone is better, if there is small and few mice to catch.

• Construction

Look for a mousetrap that is washable or at least easily cleanable. Mechanical or tin mouse traps are less durable because they get rust easily. The smell of dead mice and rust may alert others or make the luring smell less attractive.

So, chances are these traps might not catch rats later than they usually caught before. Also, the construction and mechanism of it should be durable so, a big mouse can’t escape easily.

• APHA Approved

Animal and Plant Health Associations or APHA tests and approves different brands of mouse traps. To pass the test, a trap needs to fast, safe, and convenient enough according to their proclamations.

You can look for anything that is “APHA” approved to ensure the best quality. If you can find any at least make sure the trap you are going to buy is tested in the company lab and pass successfully.

How to Set a Rat Trap

Traps like victor pedal traps or mechanical traps need to set individually because they have a particular mechanism to catch rats. Others like electric, tin, etc. traps are very simple. Here is how to set a Victor rat trap easily. Have a look below.

• Take the trap and release the armbar from its staple. Carefully move it over to the back of the trap to hang it over to the end of the trap.
• Take a small piece of cheese, ham, or any fruit as bait and carefully place it one the bait sector. For most of the Victor traps, the place is bright yellow. Take a toothpick to pick and place the bait. It helps keep your body scent away from the food. Don’t put too much bait; it will not let the trap set well in most cases.
• If your rat trap is an easy set trap, you can pick one of two settings for the trap. The first one is easy to set but complicated to trigger. The sensitive traps are difficult to set-up. Now pull the kill bar nack in the position and hold it in place using your thumb. Take the armbar and lift over the kill bar latching it underneath the bait stand.

You can check this video to learn “How to Set Victor Metal Pedal Mouse Trap”

What is the Best Bait for Rat Trap

Depending on the rat species the ‘best bait’ could vary from one to another. Common house rats like, a black rat has a preference of fruits, peanut butter, etc. the brown rats are omnivores. They prefer dry meats, bacon, cheese, and in some cases peanut butter too.

Safety Points to Consider While Setting a Rat Trap Effectively

Setting a rat trap is not rocket science. Follow these few instructions to set a trap safely and effectively.

• Use a hand glove to set the trap. For a wooden snap, trap removes the staple of the trigger arm so it can move instantly once a rat comes close to it.
• Time for bait! Rats are curious about new things, but they are clever at the same time. They try new foods in a very small amount to check either it’s safe or not. That is why fresh bait can take to work especially if it’s a poisoned food. Use a high protein bait like ham, peanut butter, etc. for bait. Sometimes flour dough, nesting materials like string, cotton, etc. also work as bait.
• Place the trap against the wall. Rats have poor eyesight but strong smell sense. That is why they walk along the wall, so the wall gives them security. Placing a trap in their pathway will be more efficient. Some rats are a walk on walls, ceiling, etc. some are on the ground. Before setting a trap look for traces where the rats mostly walk or run.
• For electric mouse traps always make sure the power is off while dumping the pest. Even though you don’t need to put a hand inside the panel still there is a possibility to get a shock if your skin or finger comes closer to the ionized area.
• And finally, keep an eye on your setup. Your curious pet or kid can go near and mess with it by any chance. So, try to keep the trap out of kid’s sight and train your pet, so they don’t go near it.

Pros and Cons of Using Rat Traps

Here we are going to talk about what is the advantages and disadvantages of using different rat traps. Have a look at them below.

Live Catch Rat Trap

Glue Rat Traps

Snap Rat Traps

Common Signs of Rat Problem

You have rat infestations in your area and it’s important to identify the exact place where their population is high. This will help you to place the trap in the right place and you can catch or kill them quickly.

However, there should be some common signs of rats problem in your property that will help you to identify them. And some common signs are

• Rat Droppings
• Urine Stains or Smell
• Rub Marks
• Tracks and Runways
• Rat Holes
• Nests
• Organic Waste in the Field
• Footprints
• Chewed Surfaces etc.

FAQ

Q: How to Make Sticky Glue Rat Trap?

A: You can use a special type of glue and yellow or white cardboard to make such a trap. There are some common brands like Tangle foot, Catch master and Tack Trap that manufacture this type of glue.

Q: How to Set Tomcat Rat Trap?

A: Well, there are different models/types of rat traps available from the Tomcat brand. And different model needs different ways to set perfectly. You can look at the manufactures guide that comes with the trap or search on the web with the specific model number.

Q: Why Electric or Snap Rat Trap Are So Popular Than Live Trap?

A: Because electric and snap trap works better than the live trap. Also, you need to kill or leave the live rats in such an area where they won’t come back while you are using the live trap.

Q: What is the Most Brutal Mouse Trap?             

A: I think it’s Glue and Snap Trap.

Q: What is the Least Humane Rat Trap?

A: My answer is like the before one. But still, Glue Rat Trap is the least humane one.

Q: What Rat Trap Is Best Option for Kitchen?

A: An electric rat trap with no touch no see feature could be the best one according to my opinion. You can also use a bait station or snap trap.

Q: Is Rat Trap Child and Pet Friendly?

A: Most of the modern rat trap comes with these two features; pet and child friendly.

Q: What Are Some Most Popular Rat Trap Brands?

A: There are several brands available in the market. Victor Pest, Tomcat, Rat Zapper, Kensizer, etc are some popular and most effective options.

Final Words

Using traps is a doubtful act either it’s good to kill a creature or not. Rats might not work with targeting one’s house or damaging things, their work is only for food and survival, but still, humans can’t stand their presence in the house. And there are solid reasons why you need to use a rat trap in a home, workshop, barn, etc.

The good thing is the rat trap minimizes the damage or contamination in the kitchen, bakery, factory, warehouse, and other home/commercial places by killing rats. Also, rats carry deadly diseases like plugs, etc. by killing them you and your near one could be safe.

So, considering the environment and other circumstances, choose the best rat trap for a place. Follow the suggestions we made here and get the right one today. Because ensuring the safety and cleanliness of your house is only in your hands and don’t ruin that with these little destructive creatures anymore.