Best Bait for Rat Traps (It Isn't Cheese)

Cartoons have taught everyone that rats love cheese. In reality, rats are omnivores that prefer high-energy, strongly scented foods, and cheese is often not the best choice. The right bait, and the right way to use it, can make the difference between a trap that works and one that sits untouched.

This guide covers what to use and how.

The short answer

Rats are often attracted to foods that are sticky, strong-smelling and high in fat or sugar, such as peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit, coconut, chocolate spread, bacon or dried fish, and to familiar foods such as the grain or snacks they already eat in your home. Use a small amount, pressed or tied firmly onto the trigger so the rat has to work at it, and place traps along walls where rats travel. Fresh bait, correct placement and patience matter more than any single food.

Baits that often work

• Peanut butter: Sticky, strong smell and rats like it.
• Nuts and seeds: Peanuts, groundnuts and sunflower seeds.
• Dried fruit and coconut: Sweet and aromatic.
• Chocolate or hazelnut spread: Sweet and sticky.
• Dried fish or bacon: Strong-smelling protein.
• Foods already in your home: If rats are eating a particular grain or snack, use that.

Tips for baiting

1. Use a pea-sized amount. Too much lets the rat eat without triggering the trap.
2. Press or smear the bait into the trigger so it must be tugged.
3. Tie on dried fruit or bacon with thread or fine wire so it cannot be pulled off easily.
4. Use fresh bait and replace it regularly.
5. Wear gloves, so your scent does not put rats off.
6. Do not use bait near food that rats are already eating if it competes.

Placement matters

• Place traps against walls, with the trigger end near the wall.
• Put them on runways, behind appliances and near entry points.
• Use several traps rather than one.
• Keep traps out of reach of children and pets.

When rats ignore the bait

Rats are cautious of new objects. Try leaving traps unset with bait for a few days to build familiarity, then set them. Change bait if nothing happens, and check for competing food sources.

Common mistakes

• Using too much bait.
• Placing traps in open spaces away from walls.
• Leaving old, dried-out bait.
• Leaving easy food elsewhere, so rats ignore the trap.
• Using only one trap.

Baits for mice

Mice like similar foods, in even smaller amounts: a dab of peanut butter or a few seeds.

When to call a professional

If rats ignore traps, a professional can identify why and use other methods safely.

Frequently asked questions

Is cheese ever good bait?

Sometimes, but rarely the best choice.

How often should I change bait?

Every day or two, and whenever it dries out.

Can I use poison as bait in traps?

No. Use food bait only.

Why do rats avoid my trap?

They may be wary of new objects, or have plenty of other food.

This guide is part of IPest's complete resource on rodent control. For identification help, prevention and treatment options, see our full rodent control guide for Bangalore.