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Questions about the Victor mouse traps,Victor Woodstream Electronic MOUSE Trap M252, Victor TIN CAT Live Catch Humane Mouse Trap and Victor Electronic Humane Kill Mouse Trap M250 PRO and the Woodstream Victor Multi-Kill Electronic Mousetrap M260.

Q; "I am confused about the differences between these units. I have a mouse problem both in my basement/house and in an outbuilding where I store bird seed and apples. Can you please explain the differences? I do not want a single catch trap that I have to empty or throw out such as the spring traps. Thanks. Tom."

Answer: First, remember the TIN Cat trap is a live catch trap. That means you have to regularly empty it out. I frankly think this is akin to the ground squirrel problem my friend had a few years ago. She would trap them, drive them three miles into the country and swears they beat her back to the house. It depends, of course, as to whether you believe that wild mice are like the white mice my brother had as a child, i.e. pets.

The differences among the others are:

The M252:

• Capacity: one mouse
• Kill in 10 seconds using high voltage electrical charge.
• Green indicator light blinks for 7 days to signal that a mouse has been caught. Just open the lid and dispose of the dead mouse.
• Safe to use around pets and children.
• Humane kill : meets International Humane Kill standards.
• Built in safety feature: unit deactivates if top door is accidentally opened.
• Unique tunnel: prevents mouse escape and decreases risk of shock to humans.
• Uses 4 AA batteries (not included). A set of batteries exterminates about 50 mice.
• Blinking red low battery indicator light.
• Unit size: 6" x 3" x 1.75"

The M250 Pro:

• A tunnel design:traps mice inside, keeps children and pets from touching the electric mouse trap . 
• Humane kill of up to 3 mice using high voltage
• If only 1 mouse is caught, the trap resets automatically, ready to kill anothger
• Green light blinks for up 7 days to indicate capture
• Red light blinks to indicate low batteries.
• Kills up to 100 mice per set of batteries.
• Lid flips open to keep hands away from rodent when emptying.
• Built-in safety switch automatically deactivates the trap when its door is open. Additionally, its unique tunnel design prevents kids and pets from reaching into the trap. 
• Safe for use anywhere in the home, Victor® Electronic Mouse Traps can be used for years to ensure effective mouse control.

Victor Multi-Kill Mousetrap M260 Features: 

• Two points of entry: mice climb stairs on side of trap after they smell the bait
• Instant death from high voltage shock
• Up to 10 mice die per setting. 
• Shock N' Drop chamber rotates and drops mouse into collection drawer
• Blinking yellow light indicates a kill
• Trap resets for the next mouse
• Built-in safety switch protects pets and children: automatically deactivates the trap when the door is open. 
• Power: 4 C Cells

Choose the trap or traps according to:

• Number of areas where mice are seen or their droppings are seen
• How many mice are a problem
• How often you want to check the traps and empty them

 

Note: Effective mouse control requires more than an electric mouse trap. Ultrasonic rodent repellers discourage mouse re-infestations. Sealing off entrances into homes or buildings and proper storage of food stuffs is part of a comprehensive plan to keep out mice. No control method is 100% effective by itself.  Mouse bait is also effective: just remember that mice don't go outside to die. They like to be warm and the inside of home walls is a favorite place to nest and to die. The odor from a dead mouse or a few is enough to make you want to vacate the area. We have found that ionizing air cleaners help neutralize that awful odor or decay. If your outbuilding is a distance from your home, then consider bait IF your domestic animals and children are not apt to get into it. 

Our experience and that of the experts is that multiple traps work  and adding ultrasonic mouse repellers helps to keep new mice out. Among the choices we offer are the Victor Sonic PestChaser PRO Rodent Repeller and the Lentek Ultrasonic Pest Contro 600 Model PR35,3/Box or the P3 International Attack Wave Rodent Pest Repeller. Disrupt any mouse nests, too. 

Mouse and Rat Bait Choice Include:

• Victor Multi-Kill Brand Place Pack Rodenticides,86 Pack VICTOR® Multi-Kill® Brand Place Packs are made with a powerful single-feed anticoagulant. Contains the first new EPA-approved active in over 10 years. 200x less toxic to dogs than the leading brand twice more toxic to mice. Made in the USA, Uses premium ingredients like oats. Sealed poison packs for Norway Rats, Roof Rats, and House Mice.For indoor and outdoor use.Kills the rodent within 3-5 days.Made in the U.S.A.Bucket of 86 blocks, 8.06 lbs. weight
• Victor Fast-Kill Brand Place Pack Rodenticides,86/Bucket - Value Bucket powerful single-feed non-anticoagulant. With the fastest formulation on the market, Fast-Kill® brand controls the toughest rodent populations in 1-2 days and sometimes within hours. Fast-kill® brand is ideal for an economical and quick knock down of occasional problems. Rodents will stop feeding after eating a lethal dose. This allows you to control more rodents with less bait! Additionally, since mice aren’t over eating, there is no risk of secondary poisoning with Fast-Kill® brand baits. So pets won't be harmed if they accidentally eat a poisoned rodent.
• Both formulations are also available in unwrapped bait as well. You get twice as much bait for the same price.

Question about the Animal Away Repeller P7810 Product Code:ES-P3-P7810

Q:"Does this work for mice and rats? We need something like this where I work. Thank you!"-Michelle.

Answer: The Animal Away is designed mainly for outdoor use against larger animals like cats, dogs and raccoons. The best choice for attics and crawl spaces is the Evictor Strobe Light Small Animal Repeller. This works for roof rats, squirrels, bats, feral cats and raccoons. Safe Home sells several different devices to catch and repel rats and mice in addition to that product. One problem is that these pest animals have sharp teeth and can chew through wood, mesh screening, etc. to get inside where they then can raise their young. And these animals can multiply very rapidly.

Among the products we sell are ultrasonic repellers that directly plug into the wall, ultrasonic repellers that have a line cord for better placement on the floor, rat and mice zapper traps and a strobe light repeller for attics and crawl spaces.

If the rats get into your attic or crawl space, not only will they leave droppings, bring in fleas, chew on wires, etc, but also they will attract squirrels and raccoons who will also set up housekeeping. A rat can enter through a hole the size of a quarter. The rats tunnel through your insulation, reducing its effectiveness and ultimately your attic will take on an odor that attracts other rats and repels humans. Rats sharpen their teeth on rafters and can get down into your walls. You cannot imagine the odor of a dead rat, a rat who died in your wall.

The direct plug in pest repeller units range from small ones with or without nightlights to larger more powerful ones with one or two speakers. For example, the Lentek Pest Contro 600 have night lights. For these to be effective, plug into unobstructed, un-switched wall outlets in rooms to be covered by ultrasonic sound power.

The corded units such as the Transonic Pro are easier to place and also can be set to repel other animals. These units may be both silent and noise generating. To be most effective, you need to get "bounce" off hard surfaces and also "shoot" the ultrasound down floor edges across doorways, registers and other possible openings for the rodents to enter the rooms.

The electric traps are powered by batteries. There are two models, one for rats and one for mice.

The Evictor strobe light comes in two models, one for homes or smaller buildings and the professional Evictor for larger areas. The Evictor works great to repel black rats

Getting rid of mice and rats once they are nested is difficult and requires a multi-faceted approach. Do remember that all foodstuffs need to be in secure containers both for storage and for trash. All openings to the outside should be sealed after you've used ultrasonic or strobe light applications for several weeks. Look for openings in attics and basements, too.

Professional exterminators may be necessary. Do remember that using poisons means that animals may die in wall spaces, ceilings, etc and the stench can be awful. Glue traps are also effective although some find them distasteful and dealing with live rodents is not pleasant.

Good luck. Let us know if we can help your employer to get these nuisance rodents out of your building. Remember that your home is vulnerable, too.

Sincerely,
Barbara