The Problem With Reusing Mouse Traps

Mouse traps are sold as both single-use and multiple-use traps, giving the individual user the option to make up their own mind what to do with them once they have successfully captured a mouse. You can either throw the entire thing away, disposing of the mouse and trap together. Alternatively, you can remove the dead mouse from the trap and then use it again.

Reusing mouse traps makes the entire process a lot more cost-effective. Traditional snap traps aren’t that expensive, and you can usually buy them in bulk for a decent price, making the disposable idea not a bad one. At the same time, however, single-use mouse traps could be seen as wasteful, not just in terms of the traps themselves, but also with the packaging, etc. that they come in.

There are lots of benefits to reusing mouse traps, but we feel it is important to mention a few of the disadvantages, and why you may wish to consider only using them one time ...

The ‘Ick’ Factor

If you are of a squeamish disposition, the thought of removing a dead and slightly maimed mouse from a trap might not seem like one you’d relish. It’s not exactly ‘up there’ with the best of the jobs of the day, right?

The Disease Factor

Mice carry a number of zoonotic diseases — diseases that can be passed from animal to human. They also carry a number of parasites — fleas, ticks, mites, etc. You are at risk of coming into contact with ALL of these when you get close to the dead mouse in a trap. A dead mouse can be just as dangerous as one that is alive, in terms of disease, so any handling of mice, dead mice, and used or potentially contaminated mouse traps should be done with extreme caution. Gloves are a must!

The Overuse Factor

The springs will decrease in ‘snappiness’ the more you use a trap, so the more times that trap catches a mouse, the more the effectiveness of it is reduced. With enough use, that trap might become completely faulty, seriously injuring a mouse rather than killing it.

Make note of how many times you’re using a trap, and stop using it when you see signs of damage or malfunction. A trap that doesn’t work properly is no longer a humane trap and should be safely and responsibly disposed of.