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7 Best Baits for Mice in 2023: A Complete Guide

Rowan Burgess |

Mice pilfer food, infest the home, and generally cause a nuisance. Perhaps you’ve experimented with different types of traps, including old-fashioned glue traps or snap traps, but have had zero luck.  

This is where Dalton Engineering comes in. As an expert in agricultural and domestic pest issues, we offer the best bait options to capture mice and other rodents. We have a multitude of mouse trap options, from snap traps to commercial mouse baits.

Read on to learn about mouse bait and how to use it to trap these uninvited guests!

Best Bait for Residential Use 

If residential mouse traps are not working, consider turning to different trap bait options. The best poisons for residential use is the Sapphire Grain 25. 

Sapphire Grain 25

Sapphire Grain 25 consists of bright blue oat grain divided into six 25-gram sachets, totaling 150 grams. The grains are coated with Brodificacoum (a Vitamin K anticoagulant poison). Because of its effectiveness, this poison is widely used. 

Sapphire 25 lures in rodents with  high-quality oat grain and kills mice after just one exposure. However, this doesn’t mean that rodents die in the trap. The mice can consume the poison, move away and die elsewhere.

The sachets are easy to place in bait stations or traps, and the blue dye makes it easy to see when the poison has been taken.

Pros

  • Approved for residential use   
  • Wallet friendly price 
  • Usually effective after one use 
  • Easy to place 
  • No special licensing required 

Cons

  • Secondary poisoning, especially for possums  
  • rodents don’t die in one spot - they must be found

Who It's For

Sapphire Grain 25 is approved for residential and commercial use. Given the number of sachets available in one pack, it is recommended for residential users addressing a small to medium infestation size. 

Verdict  

We like the individually wrapped sachet bags. This makes it harder for little fingers to get inside the bags, but does not stop mice from taking the mouse bait. Combine this with the easy-to-track bright blue mouse bait, and you can see why this is one of the best options for residential use. 

 

Best Baits for Commercial Use 

To purchase commercial baits,  from any retailer, including Dalton Engineering, you will need the Approved Certification for Rodenticide Use. 

Rodenticide purchases are monitored and regulated by the UK Rodenticide Stewardship Regime. This group requires all commercial rat poison  purchases are done by professionals like pest control experts, gamekeepers, and farmers. The certification is only required to be shown on the first purchase.   

Here are the top picks when it comes to commercial poison:

Vertox Whole Wheat Bait 10kg  

Vertox Whole Wheat Bait has a unique chocolatey smell. This is the result of added taste adjuvants to increase intake. After bait is taken from the mouse trap, the brodifacoum and denatonium benzoate take effect. The former is an anticoagulant to block blood clotting, and the latter is a bitter substance rodents actually enjoy!  

This poison uses food-grade micronized wheat to prevent germination and jumpstart the starch to sugar conversion process. It also has biostats that prevent fungi and bacteria growth if the mouse bait becomes damp. 

Pros 

  • Highly palatable and alluring  
  • Uses substance unappealing to pets and humans  
  • Can be used indoors or outdoors   
  • Biostats prevents bacteria growth 

Cons  

  • Secondary poisoning is a risk 
  • Can harm unborn children so do not use around pregnant women  

Who It's For 

With the Approved Certification, this is a great trap bait for professional experts. Professionals should always follow all instructions and guidance on proper handling, mouse trap placement, and poison storage.  

Verdict 

The addition of denatonium benzoate is a safeguard against some secondary poisoning because it is bitter so pets and humans can't stand it. Mice on the other hand, don’t mind it at all making it an effective trap.

 

Black Pearl Mouse Killer

This is one of the latest and most effective mouse traps on the UK market. Black Pearl Mouse Killer utilizes an active capsulation construction where the active ingredient has a coat of continuous polymeric film material. The active ingredient is Alpha Chloralose, which is a non-anticoagulant. It quickly and effectively kills mice by dissolving in the bloodstream which puts mice into a coma leading to death.  

A hallmark feature is the poison's speed, which can take effect in one to three days. There are little to no side effects at the first ingestion. Even though the Alpha Chloralose will remain in the bloodstream after death, it will not affect secondary predators if they eat them. 

Pros

  • Death within one to three days   
  • Secondary poisoning risk is reduced  
  • Affordable pricing 

Cons

  • Lethal dose if directly ingested by non-target populations  
  • Ineffective in wet conditions 

Who It's For 

As the level of effectiveness might indicate, this is one trap bait best left to the professionals. It should be used with the utmost care and consideration. Additionally, bait stations should be placed where non-target populations won’t reach them. 

Verdict 

This is the only non-anticoagulant trap bait option in the UK market, and it is a highly effective mouse trap. The lethalness is great for controlling mice but does make it risky for non-target populations. Just be sure to keep it dry.

 

Roban Pasta Bait

Roban Pasta Bait is sold in a 3kg tub filled with 15g sachets. This bait uses the anticoagulant difenacoum as well as the human deterrent denatonium benzoate. It is also coated in a bright red indicator dye to help track ingestion from the trap. All of this combines for a palatable, high-quality mouse bait.  

It is unique because it can still be effective against rats and mice with immunities to older anticoagulants, like warfarin. The sachets are apportioned into effective sizes for optimal results. Roban Pasta is particularly attractive against mice.

Pros

  • Made with a peanut butter scent irresistible to mice  
  • Individual sachets included for easy placement 
  • Effective against warfarin immune mice  

Cons

  • Secondary poisoning risk  
  • Rendered ineffective by water exposure

Who It's For

It’s made specifically for professional commercial use, so be sure you’re licensed before using. It should be placed with care, preferably in secure bait stations or bait boxes.  

Verdict 

Roban Pasta Bait is wonderful if you have a rodent infestation that has developed an immunity to common poisons, like warfarin. It also uses denatonium benzoate, which is usually effective at discouraging humans and pets from becoming too curious.  

 

Sapphire Grain, 20kg    

Sapphire Grain bait is a single-feed trap with both whole and cut wheat. It uses the poison Brodifacoum and has a proven track record of effectiveness against mice. 

The anticoagulant poison requires just a single feed to take effect and normally kicks in within a few hours. The grain is coated in a bright blue indicator dye, allowing you to track ingestion rates. As the mouse bait stops disappearing, you can safely assume the mice population is under control.  

Because the poison won’t kill mice instantly, you won’t find the dead rodent in the same spot you planted the bait. 

Pros

  • Single-feed to kill  
  • Poison kicks in within a few hours 
  • Affordable pricing 

Cons  

  • Professional use only 

Who It's For 

This once again requires certification. It is a good option for pest controllers looking to help with residential infestations. Since it takes just a single feed to take effect, we recommend secure bait stations and mouse traps for safety.  

Verdict 

Not all rodent poisons can be used around buildings making it great for residential infestations. The single-feed effectiveness is wonderful but does make it risky to any non-target populations.  

 

RUBY GRAIN - 10KG

Ruby Grain is a highly effective whole-grain bait for mice and rat infestation. Unlike other products, Ruby Grain uses Difenacoum, a less-toxic rodenticide, to kill rodents.

This less-potent solution requires multiple feeds to kill larger infestations like rats. Every 100mg of bait can kill about four to six mice or one rat.

One of the best attributes of the Ruby Grain is that it contains high-grade whole wheat. The mix is an enticing attractant to lure even the smartest of rodents.

It comes in a 10kg bag, meaning you can customise the amount of poison used in each area. Unlike pouches, you can use the right amount based on your needs. However, this means handling the pesticides with care and wearing gloves.

Pros

  • More cost-effective than buying individual pouches
  • 10KG is a large amount, ensuring you have enough supply to last a long time
  • Whole-grain wheat makes it attractive to lure rodents
  • Safe for use in and around buildings
  • You can customise the amount to fit your needs

Cons

  • Lower potency means it takes more to kill large rat infestations
  • You may need to replenish your bait often
  • Only available to Professionals
  • Without pouches, you’ll want to handle the bait more carefully, such as by wearing gloves

Who It's For

The Ruby Grain, 10kg solution, is designed for professional users with a smaller or less-urgent infestation problem. That’s because the use of Difenacoum is less potent than Brodifacoum. It’s also a good option for those on a budget. Since it comes in a larger bag instead of pouches, you can customise the amount of poison placed in your bait station.

Verdict

Ruby Grain is an excellent pesticide for professional farm owners and buildings with mice and rat problems. It’s a multi-feed solution that is perfect for smaller infestations.
It’s highly effective, made with professional-grade and fresh whole wheat. It’s the solution you need to make mice walk right into the bait station.

Pre-Baited Trap

For a traditional approach to mice infestations, try the Big Cheese Pre-Baited Mouse Trap. This is a reusable snap trap that comes pre-baited to attract and trap mice. It is the traditional spring snap trap but more durable and powerful than the disposable snap trap options. It can be used more than once, but will need to be cleaned and reset in-between uses. 

The Big Cheese is constructed with a plastic coating that is simple to clean. Since it does not use any poisons, it is safe for indoor use in both residential and commercial settings. 

Pros

  • No secondary poisoning risk    
  • Pre-Baited 
  • Durable construction 

Cons

  • Only traps one mouse at a time 
  • Must be cleaned between trapping mice

Who It's For

This is a great option for small infestations common in home or personal gardens. It does not require special permits or licenses to use and is easy to set up. We recommend this for homeowners and other non-professional users. 

Verdict

If you have a small infestation and do not mind handling the mess in-between, this is a great option. We like that it is pre-baited and easily cleaned. The plastic coating and sleeved design means you can use this more than once, so you are not throwing it out and resetting a new trap every time. 

 

Conclusion 

You should carefully consider your options as you catch mice. For mice infestations, these poisons are a good place to start. Residential users are advised to be wary and call in an expert if you are uncertain about how to use trap bait or other poisons. You can always turn to mouse traps, like snap traps if needed. 

Commercial users are advised to follow all safety guidelines, especially when it comes to intentionally placing mouse traps and mouse bait in secure locations.