Mice are omnivores that eat almost anything, including sugary foods. Initially, mice are attracted by the smell of food which is why sugary food, aroma-rich meat, cheese and pet food are favorites of mice. Also, the diet of a mouse consists mostly of carbohydrates so a mouse is more likely to eat grains and foods with a lot of sugar.
Looking for the right bait to catch a mouse in your house? Read on to find out what foods are the best for attracting mice into a trap.
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What Sweet Foods Do Mice Eat?
If given the chance, mice will eat any kind of food that they can find in your house. Sweet foods like peanut butter, candy, chocolate and syrup are common bait because they are sticky and have a strong aroma.
Sticky food works well for bait because the mouse has to put in a little more effort to take a piece of the bait. This makes it more likely for the mouse to get trapped since it has to get closer for longer.
Sticky sugary foods like peanut butter and syrup are also popular bait because they are lightweight. There are several mouse traps that are a balancing act, especially the DIY mouse traps, so something that sticks is easier to balance on the trap.
Plain crystallized sugar can also be used as bait for mice however this is a less effective option. This is because the tiny sugar crystals are easy to grab for the mouse so there is a big chance that a mouse trap that is activated by the weight of the mouse will not work.
What Food Attracts Mice and Works Best as Bait?
As mentioned, the diet of mice requires a lot of carbohydrates. This is also why you might find bite marks of rodents on wooden cabinets or doors.
In nature, mice mostly eat grains, seeds and fruits. Compared to fruit, grains and seeds are not the strongest smelling food but they are high in carbohydrates which is what attracts mice to them.
If you have rice or oats in your pantry, it is smart to store them in an airtight enclosed glass jar. Mice have very strong teeth and will chew through hard materials like plastic just to get to the food.
Grains, seeds and fruit may work well to initially attract mice but it is uncertain whether they work as well as bait in a mouse trap. Again, it is important to place bait that the mice have to work for to get a piece of.
Grains and seeds are quite easy for mice to grab on the run. They are fast creatures that can escape a mouse trap if it is not set properly.
Grains and seeds work best in catch-and-release traps where the mouse has to completely venture inside the trap to be able to get to the bait. For a snap trap it is better to choose bait that is more difficult to break a piece off of like cheese or candy.
Why Should You Use Sugary Food as Bait for Mice?
There is another reason why sugary food works well as bait for mice. This has to do with time and how long the bait stays fresh.
Fresh bait is an important part of a successful mouse trap. This is because fresh food has a more attractive smell for mice than food that has been left out and dried up for a few days.
The benefit of using sugary food like peanut butter, chocolate and candy is that the amount of sugar in the food makes it stay ‘fresh’ for a longer period of time. These foods have a strong smell that will attract the mice from a distance.
The smell of sugary food is also more pleasant for you. Food like cheese, meat and fruit is going to go bad faster which brings with a foul smell.
Basically, you are saving yourself from odors in the house by using bait with a high sugar content and has a longer shelf life when left out in the open. Catching a mouse in a trap can take several days so food going off is a likely occurrence when trying to catch mice.
Summary
Mice do like sugar and sugary foods but in reality mice will eat nearly anything. It is best to use strong smelling bait that won’t go bad quickly when left out in the open for days.
