The best rat bait is whatever they will eat at the time. That seems self evident and it is but sometimes you have to try different things for those picky eater rats. There are some definite tips and tricks for choosing and applying rat baits though. Some pest control companies sell commercial concoctions that are supposed to attract rats, but for our purposes, we will discuss bait that can be commonly found in the home.

The best bait will not only be one the rats are attracted to but also one that is not easily removed from the trigger of the rat trap. You would be amazed how rats can sometimes remove a bait from a snap trap without springing the trap. Even more frustrating is when they eat the bait, spring the trap, but do not get caught. So, keep in mind how well the bait will stay on the trigger.

Some baits can actually be melted onto the rat trap trigger such as chocolate, cheese, or marshmallows. Alternately, some baits, such as bits of hot dog, can actually be tied to the trigger with floss or fine string.  One of the best rat baits is peanut butter not only because the rats love it, but it is sticky and will stick to the rat trap trigger. But sometimes they can even get the peanut butter off the trigger. One trick then is to tie some floss or string around the trigger with peanut butter under and over the floss to help it stay adhered to the trap. If using a rat trap with the metal trigger, you can actually spear some foods onto the metal point on the trigger.

If you want to get creative, some of the foods used for rat baits include pet food, bacon, hot dogs, cashews, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, gum drops, pieces of candy bar or chocolate, cheese, marshmallows and peanut butter. In my opinion, the winner for best rat bait though is peanut butter. Rats just love it, it sticks to the trap on it's own, it doesn't rot really, and it's easy to apply. So the next time you bait some traps maybe start out with peanut butter and if the rats get “trap shy” after a while, you might ring the dinner bell with a new delight.