Dealing with a mice problem can get anyone down. Whether they’re running amuck in the kitchen or chewing through your food in the cupboards, having mice in the house is a real problem. Of course, there are professionals who can come in and assess the situation, but most times, it’s easy enough to handle on your own. From poison to electric shock traps, there are many different methods of capture. The Snap-E Mousetrap is a new take on the traditional wooden trap, and users report that it works well—but we had to see for ourselves. We set several of these mouse traps to test how well they actually capture mice, how easy they were to set, and if they’re sanitary. Read on for our discoveries.
Design: Simple and smart, but rodent is unconcealed
The Snap-E Mousetrap looks very similar to traditional wooden traps. Instead of wood, though, it’s made of acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) plastic and steel, which contributes to its durability. What’s also different about this trap is that there is a larger trip paddle that reduces premature tripping and ensures a catch from the front, sides, and back. The vertical strike bar is also well-designed because it travels half the distance of traditional wooden traps, creating a faster response time to catch rodents quicker and cleaner. As for baiting, it’s simple and smart. There is a pre-formed bait cup located within the trap. The user simply has to place bait in the cup, and that’s where the bait will stay as it’s confined to the unit. This ensures that the bait stays in the trap and reduces bait stealing. The location of the bait cup also attracts rodents to the ideal strike bar location. The only thing we didn’t love about the design is that when the mouse is caught, it’s out on display for all to see. Granted, that’s important for knowing that the trap went off, but it’s pretty gross to look at.
Performance: Quickly eliminates mice
Due to the size of this trap (3.75 x 1.75 x 2.25 inches), it’s ideal for getting rid of mice. The trip paddle is very sensitive, making it perfect for catching even the smallest of mice. We caught a mouse with this trap. One of our other mouse traps was triggered the day prior, and somehow the rodent escaped without getting caught. The next morning, we woke up to the mouse that must have set off that other trap in our Snap-E Mousetrap. There was no blood, which we greatly appreciated. That’s likely due to the yellow bumper covering the snap wire of the trap so it keeps things more hygienic. The mouse was also fully deceased by the time we got to it. The way the trap was designed attracts rodents to the bait cup, which is perfectly located at the ideal strike bar location. This ensures a humane kill, meaning it’s quick and effective.
Setup: Easy and low-risk
Setting this trap was easy to do and relatively safe. To begin, first we put our bait in the pre-formed bait cup, which sits within the trap. We used peanut butter so it wouldn’t start to smell or go bad after it sat for a while. If any of the bait gets on the edges of the cup, you can remove it with a Q-tip. Next, we set our trap where we wanted it in the kitchen. We slowly pulled back on the upright bar until it locked. The vertical strike bar with the yellow bumper should be up in the air when it’s properly set. We found it to be pretty risk-free in terms of getting hurt while setting this trap. Just be sure all fingers are away from the trip paddle (where the bait is located) when pulling the upright bar back.
Safety: Keep away from pets and children
This trap doesn’t use any pesticides that might cause lingering concerns for pets. However, the trigger on this trap is sensitive, it’s wise to keep it out of reach of children and pets. If touched or tripped on, this trap will most certainly go off and cause pain.
Cleanliness: Resists stains and odors, but not realistic to reuse
The ABS plastic and steel are what make this trap last for years, as it resists stains and odors unlike traditional wooden traps that are prone to those things. These materials allow the user to simply dispose of the mouse and then rinse the trap off to use again. To dispose of the caught rodent, simply pull back on the upright bar until the mouse falls out. Doing this saved us from actually touching the mouse. These traps are technically reusable; just give them a thorough rinse after disposing of the rodent. We didn’t reuse the trap after we caught our mouse, though. We ended up just tossing the whole trap away along with the rodent. It was just too gross in our opinion to clean them off after a mouse had been struck on it. For those with stronger stomachs, though, it’s definitely possible.
Price: A cheap, effective option
The Snap-E six-pack is a great deal. Retailing for around $15, that’s only a couple of dollars per trap. While there are certainly cheaper options on the market, this is a level up on traditional wooden traps due to the materials it’s made of and the smart design. Plus, they should last longer—if you choose to clean and reuse them.
Snap-E Mousetrap vs. Ankace Mouse/Rat Trap
Like the Snap-E Mousetrap, the Ankace Mouse/Rat Trap is a new take on the traditional wooden trap. It is made of a durable plastic known as polystyrene. This plastic doesn’t absorb any odors or stains, which allows the user to easily wash and reuse this trap. It looks pretty different from the Snap-E trap in that it has a loaded spring mechanism that sits between an upper and lower trapper with jagged teeth. The Ankace trap is also larger, measuring 5.1 x 2.9 x 2.7 inches. Both of these traps involve a two-step process for baiting and setting with little risk of the trap snapping one’s fingers. They also both allow for easy disposal of the pest by simply pulling back on the upright bar for the Snap-E Mousetrap and pulling down on the upper trapper of the Ankace Mouse/Rat Trap to release the mouse into the trash. The main difference is what rodents each is better suited for eliminating. The Ankace trap uses 50 percent more force than most traps, making it better suited for rats and normal-sized mice—not babies, as it can leave quite a mess. The Snap-E is better suited for mice due to the force it can exert and its smaller size. Both work efficiently and quickly, but it comes down to what type of pests you have in the house. Want to take a look at some other options? See our guide to the best mouse traps. The Snap-E Mousetrap six-pack is a cheap and efficient way to address anyone’s mice problem. The materials and design of this trap are perfectly suited for getting rid of mice with little to no mess at all.
