
The Better Mousetrap
05/2023 Issue by: John Moore, MSc
The mouse trap is the most patented Item in American history. Over four thousand patents have been filed for, with most of them claiming to be a “Better” mouse trap. Most of them do a fair job of catching mice. However, catching the mouse is not solving a mouse problem, it is also not preventing a mouse problem. Catching the mouse is just that, you have killed a mouse. Chances are good that you have not actually solved your mouse problem or even prevented one. Killing a mouse or two that may blunder into your trap along the inspection line or near a door is not rodent control. Remember, mice and rats do not live on that white inspection line in your facility. In addition, much time is wasted checking empty traps (almost 80%). A Better Mousetrap should allow you to spend your time solving a rodent problem instead of just harvesting mice and checking traps.
Enter remote monitoring. Remote rodent monitoring systems have truly created the “Better Mousetrap”. These new systems check themselves all day and alert you to capture or even just the presence of a rodent interacting with one or more of your devices. Now the only traps you need to check are the ones that have had activity. You can even use the date/time stamp of that capture to help you determine the cause or location of the rodent issue. The best benefit you now have is the time since you are not checking every single trap at the facility. This valuable resource of time can now be reallocated to the inspection of high-risk areas (where all the rodent resources are) as well as investigating and solving the rodent problem. This is rodent control. Endless trap checking is not. You will never solve or prevent a rodent issue by spending all your time on the white line.