The Best Rat Trap

Pest Strategies

A rat infestation is more than just a nuisance. From your home to your business, you’ll want to keep customers, family members, and anyone else safe from these disease-carrying rodents. Pest Strategies researched various products on Amazon to help you find the best rat trap to control your infestation. Read our top recommendations below.

1 Best disposable trap
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078YD8YRD

Catchmaster Rat Trap

What We Like: If the idea of setting a traditional “snap” rat trap makes you uncomfortable, this glue-based disposable rat trap is a convenient and simple solution. Ready to go right out of the box, all you need to do is simply remove the cover and place the glue trap wherever pests are most likely to encounter it: underneath sinks, near baseboards, and other areas. The professional-strength adhesive is also non-toxic and safe to use around pets and children.

2 Best no-touch release
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MZ19B3O

Kat Sense Rat Trap

What We Like: This rat trap functions well as an instant-kill rodent solution that’s more humane compared to other traps that capture and injure the rodent, but won’t kill it. With a powerful steel spring that applies up to 35 percent more force than other snap traps, you can rest easy knowing that any rats or mice are dealt with swiftly and painlessly. When disposing of the mouse or rat, simply utilize the no-touch release function for sanitary, mess-free clean-up.

3 Best baiting system
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B012RGM7BO

Tomcat Rat Trap

What We Like: Free from toxic chemicals, this mechanical snapping rat trap is an easy and effective way to kill rodents on contact without causing prolonged, inhumane suffering. The setting mechanism is simple and intuitive and even allows the user the option to set the trap by hand or by foot. A rodent attractant designed specifically for this rat trap is also available to increase the effectiveness of the trap.

4 Largest humane trap
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y8BGDYK

Gingbau Rat Trap

What We Like: Making it easy and hassle-free to capture multiple rodents at a time without harming them, this reusable trap is large enough to accommodate animals larger than a rodent but small enough to fit discreetly in the corner of a room, shed, or garage. The metal cage design is durable and provides plenty of breathing holes for the rodents, but does not contain any droppings.

5 Easiest to clean
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PDPVZBP

Blinc Rat Trap

What We Like: For a durable rat trap that only catches rodents — not your pets or curious children — this is a great option to consider. The material is colored but transparent, making it easy to see what you’re cleaning. This is a small rat trap designed for one rodent at a time, so make sure nothing else is in the trap before you set it.

Buying Guide

Rat traps come in a variety of sizes and styles to suit your needs. Here’s what you should think about before deciding on the best rat trap to control your infestation.

Ease of use: Most rat traps are designed for the user to “set it and forget it,” but traditional snap traps require the user to apply bait and activate the trap before they’re ready to work. Pre-baited, pre-glued rat traps or humane catch-and-release traps can be set up with virtually no effort and no risk of accidentally setting off the trap.

Kill vs. humane capture: Rat traps will kill the rodent instantly, trap and injure the rodent, or trap the rodent without harming it. Immediate-kill snap traps or electric zappers are more humane than glue traps which cause the rodent to get stuck, but won’t kill it. Catch-and-release traps are the most humane way to deal with rodents, but because rats, mice, and other pests tend to carry diseases, we recommend using latex gloves, wearing a mask, and taking other protective measures before attempting to catch and release any rodents.

Indoor vs outdoor use: Rat traps can either be used indoors or outdoors, but rain may damage an electronic rat zapper. If your glue trap catches several mice, you may find disposal to be messy if the trap is set indoors. As the glue may catch dirt, debris, or unwanted insects when set outdoors, usually the garage is the best place for a glue trap.

Disposal: Throwing away a rat corpse or releasing a live, uninjured rat out into the wild are typically both unpleasant for the user. Glue traps are advantageous because the traps are designed for one-time use and can be thrown straight into the garbage. If you intend on reusing a snap rat trap, you’ll need to use gloves and other protective measures to manually remove the corpse from the trap.

FAQs

What are the most common signs of a rodent infestation?

- - Droppings or urine: You’ll spot rodent excrement along your baseboards, wood trim, bags of food, cabinet doors, and other areas of your home. Immediately clean and disinfect affected areas — the more droppings you spot, the greater the infestation.
  - Squeaking and scurrying sounds: You’ll hear quiet but startling and distinct noises. Typically, the noises are either the sound of rat paws scampering on the ground or rodents emitting squeaking noises to communicate with one another.
  - Strange pet behavior: If your cat or dog is acting abnormally and drawn to corners and crevices of your home with no discernable explanation, they may detect the presence of mice or rats.
  - Small, gnawed holes: If you spot any of these along your baseboards, trim, cabinets, and other areas of your home, you likely have a rat problem.

How do I keep my child or pet from accidentally hurting themselves by touching a rat trap?

Setting rat traps out of your child or pet’s way, such as a corner, on a windowsill, in the garage, or in the backyard will help prevent them from accidentally tampering with a trap. While the adhesive used in many glue traps is non-toxic and safe to use around children and pets, keep any mechanical snap traps out of reach.

Will rats “outsmart” any traps I set out?

Rodents are clever creatures and naturally suspicious, and they’ve partially adapted to interacting with the average home. Be patient after setting out your rat trap(s). It may take a few days to catch one; setting out multiple traps in different areas will greatly increase your chances of catching one or more rodents.

Pest Strategies provides reviews of select products that are top-selling on Amazon and/or popular in consumer searches. Our team evaluates the products based on industry research, consumer reviews, pricing data, and other objective criteria. Unless otherwise noted, these product reviews are intended to help inform buying decisions for non-professionals. Because pest control products can be dangerous to your family if mishandled, we always recommend consulting with an exterminator, even if just to ask for advice on how to apply pest control products yourself.