Is that a common practice to set mouse traps without bait, and solely rely on the yellow pan to seal the deal? Few traps had some yellow liquid junk bait on them. Homeowner stopped service with the pest control company after nine days without a single catch on 17 traps. No tech visit or any type of preventative measures either. I set 2dozen traps, before I was done setting the last trap. The homeowner comes to tell me she heard traps snap. Whacked three before the last trap was set. Robbery I tell ya.....

How many of you set traps with no bait? I use bait 100% of the time unless I'm setting on a walk through.

I'd guess 80% of my mouse traps are set without bait. They aren't attracted to the yellow pans.... the traps are simply set perpendicular to walls or edges, and the mice hit the pans as they travel. It is VERY effective. It's just a blind set, like trapping muskrats, coons or mink in fur trapping. Knowing where they are gong to run is all that's required. Catches are always *sideways* as in those pics.

Did they say how much they had paid for those 9 days and 17 traps? I am curious. I bet you had the problem solved in 2-3 days. I bet the homeowner was impressed that you were catching them immediately! That had to make you feel good.

Some folks called me about a chipmunk problem. I checked and found they had set about 24 of those traps in silly places with no bait, and not as blind sets. I baited a few of my own traps and solved the problem in 2 checks. No chipmunks - field mice.

Very nice people who are highly educated from the best Ivy League Schools. They were clueless about this situation. I am not knocking education - I have a bachelors degree and a doctorate degree in law - was a trial attorney for 25 years until retired. Now doing this low stress happy work!

To each their own. I just feel placing the traps in the same manner with bait just adds to appeal. I can see on different applications using non baited traps as I do when I bury my traps on farm jobs. But to lace up that many traps non baited just seems kind of crazy to me. Non baited traps didn't cut it. I've been taking over more and more jobs of pest guys who have done the exact same thing with minimal to no luck when it comes to non baited snap traps. Thought it was a common practice between pest guys when they have no desire to set traps. The whole hey why not get paid for setting, when ultimately knowing they're going to resort to rodenticides.

I'm going through the home now finishing my seal up. Still have traps out but they ran dry. No more droppings in them areas. I'm still amazed at how difficult people think this really is. I guess you can say they just don't take the time to understand why these Critters do what they do, and that's probably why they pay somebody like us to do it. I'm perfectly okay with the low pay for these removals. I honestly don't even look at this as work. I'd much rather do this all day everyday then sit in a cruiser 8 hours a night.

A little off topic . Deer mice are seed eaters. Just any old bait won't cut it . We experience very poor results with Final and Contract and a few others, targeting deer mice.
The other co. may not have known their enemy.They could have had their traps set without a mouse catching bait and failed for that reason.

I don't buy it. For a company to place that many traps and the write up on their proposal that they submitted to the homeowner, they should've had a clue. I use one bait for mice "doesn't matter what kind house mouse, deer mouse", rats (norway/woodrat, voles, shrew, squirrels gray/reds and chipmunks. No issues with rodents hitting traps or entering cages for that matter. It's rodent trapping Mr bob pake, you're making it sound much more complicated than it really is. jmo Sir

and what is that one bait, TDHP?

Giving a seed eater seeds or a bait with seed nut mixture was intended to be simple.

Either way, I'm not into excuses. I was just curious if this was a "PEST Control Thing".

I use my bait and that's it. No need to use any other.

We use a mix of odor bait of some sort on traps as well as some fiber visual attractants glued to the pans. I was a trapper first, lure maker next then an ADC/pest control operator. Folks like us have a significant advantage over others in this industry.

A mix of this trapping system along with the obvious use of blind sets when they are a good choice location and it works very effectively. Some pest control operators that have little trapping or animal behavior knowledge don't have a lot of success in high percentage catches in my personal field experience. Others make do and try to use their training and past experience to get them thru a job as best they can.

Some environments in a home that has dogs and cats running loose you will find unbaited blind sets in those pet access areas are good choices over baiting at times when you cant hide the trap from a pet.

We have done a lot of follow up work for homeowners and companies with mice and rat infestations over the years for those who had marginal or unsatisfactory pest control services prior to our being contacted for service.

It is unfortunate that there are some businesses and companies that should not be providing services that they are not well trained or experienced in that area.

They are however out there doing this daily to someone who has put their faith in that individual to help resolve their issue.

I don't care what bait a person is using, if the trap is not placed where mice are going to be, you won't catch a thing.

Baited traps were placed in the same area. The activity areas were quite obvious.

?

From the above link:

"First picture is 1092 mice ... 711 taken in 5 days ... 381 taken in about 3 ... overall 2009 total about 3000'ish ... best personal one day take, about 400 in only a couple hours ... all taken using snap traps, no bait all blind set"

Whoa!!!!

Guess you were a better rodent trapper than the pest guy who serviced that home. If the numbers were in a location and set the exact amount of traps I have no doubt the numbers would match.