Why Would You Want to Reuse a Mousetrap?
This has to be the first question to ask. If the answer is anything other than money, then you shouldn’t bother. If you have one of the incredibly cheap, wooden-based traps with a spring-loaded arm, then once it’s been used, you should probably consider throwing it away since they are, after all, so cheap to replace.
Why throw it away? Well, for one thing, the mouse probably bled out onto the trap base because of the violence of the arms closing when the trap is triggered. If that base is made of cheap wood, then a lot of that blood would have been absorbed and would be difficult to clean off. Soaked in the blood can be an odor-based warning sign to any future mouse that finds that trap, rendering it useless.
On the other hand, if you have a more high-tech electronic mousetrap or something similar, you can use it again, but it’s designed to be used again.
Can You Reuse Mousetraps?
The short answer is, “Yes, you can reuse a mousetrap.” However, it isn’t worth the hassle. It can leave some mousetraps less effective, especially if they have not been cleaned. The next thing to look at is how to reuse it.
How to Reuse a Mousetrap?
The most important thing to remember is that the trap must be cleaned before it is used again. How it is cleaned will depend mainly on what kind of trap it is:
Traditional
By this, we mean the old trap style with a weighted release mechanism that, when tripped, brings steel death running down on the mouse. Since it is a pretty violent kind of trap, as we mentioned above, you’ll probably get some blood or guts leaking onto the trap surface. You’ve got to clean it up as much as possible.
Non-Lethal
These kinds of traps usually look like plastic tubes or boxes, and while they need to be baited like a regular trap, they lack any destructive element. Instead, the mouse walks inside, activates a trigger that closes the door behind it, and finds itself caught.
These traps also need thorough cleaning because the mouse will almost certainly have poop and peed inside, and that smell will deter any other mice from going in once the trap has been emptied and replaced. In that regard, just carefully rinse it out with lots of water and spray it with some anti-bacterial solution.
Electronic
This type often looks like a non-lethal trap, but any mouse that makes that mistake will get a big surprise! These traps contain electrodes that, when triggered, deliver a considerable (for a mouse, anyway) electric shock that kills most rodents instantly.
These traps are the easiest to clean out because the web has killed the mouse quickly and efficiently. Simply tip the mouse carcass into a trashcan and reset and replace the trap with its previous position.
Poison Trap
A trap set up to use poison is a little different, as the mouse will often not die in or even around the web owing to the more delayed nature in which it works. With a poison trap, ensure the amount of poison stays topped up and that you replace it when its expiry date dictates.
A Special Reminder
Don’t forget that even if it is possible to reuse a mouse trap multiple times, that doesn’t necessarily hold for the bait. It’s a good rule of thumb to change the trick every time the trap is triggered permanently.
Even if the trap hasn’t been triggered, it’s worth remembering to keep an eye on the bait. Fresh bait will always have the best chance of catching a mouse, so remember to rotate it frequently.
FINAL VERDICT
To sum up, it is okay to reuse traps, though it will be easier with some designs than with others. With some surprises, such as electronic ones, the fact that they can be reused repeatedly is one of their big selling points. If you are anticipating that a trap may be catching mice regularly, it could be a good idea to pick up an electronic one simply for that ease of reuse.
