10 Steps to do better trapping

1. For best results set the trap in or against a building. Setting traps in the field or forest is very difficult to catch rodents, the reason a rodent is living in the field or forest is because they have shelter and an abundance of natural food, therefore very difficult to entice into a manmade device smelling of humans and a foreign food source.
2. Make sure there are actually rodents present. Many people will set a trap expecting to catch a rodent, but in fact there are no rodents in the area. Look for sign such as fresh droppings and gnawing.
3. Identify whether you have rat or mouse problem. Ensure to set the appropriate trap.
4. If possible set multiple traps in a building. i.e. One trap for every wall. Always set traps against the wall, never in the open.
5. Remove food source such as rubbish bags, grass seed, pet food etc. One area that can be a problem is rodents occupying a compost pile. Compost bins provide food and shelter both impossible to remove, in this case it will simply come down to human ingenuity and trapping skills, man against beast. Regardless of the trap type or poison the rodent sometimes wins, in this case the good old reliable domestic cat will do the job.
6. Use fresh bait. Change bait weekly and change type of bait if not having success. For mice, peanut butter is best followed by cheese. Rats, start with a nutty chocolate, then try food such as bacon, banana & prunes. 
7. Do not move the traps once set. Rodents are xenophobic and will recognise if you move the position of the trap and become shy to entering the trap.
8. Set the trap with gloves if possible. Rodents will not enter a trap if a strong human scent exists.
9. If the bait is being stolen ensure to use a Nooski bait capsule or a piece of bait that cannot be removed such as a section of Banana, to prevent mice from stealing the bait.
10. Be patient, it can take up to four weeks to trap a resident rat. Remember, every time you move the trap the four week time cycle starts ov