The Top 5 Foods that Attract Rodents

 

The Top 5 Foods that Attract Rodents

The Sniff that Started an Infestation

Rats and mice have an amazing “scent-sitivity” for detecting olfactory stimuli. In fact, their noses are powerful enough that there are programs such as the one run by the non-profit APOPO that utilize the powerful noses of rats to root out land mines in Cambodia. Tim Edwards, APOPO’s head of training, is so confident in the abilities of rats’ noses and believes that we could even begin using them to detect diseases such as tuberculosis and cancer. With such strong sniffers it’s no surprise that rats and mice can be attracted to your home based on a variety of different food smells.

A Cheese-less List

Wait what!?! With so many cartoons and ads portraying mice with cheese, it’s only rational to believe that this is because rodents truly love cheese. However, while some mice and rats do like cheese, it’s actually not the preferred food of most rodents. Rodents naturally eat seeds or nuts and have a bit of a sweet tooth… making the final entry on our list a far better choice for attracting these creatures into bait boxes. Read on to find out what it is!

5. Bacon

As shocking as this may sound, if you’ve ever smelled bacon (which… who hasn’t?!?!) you know how irresistible it can be. Rodents are also omnivorous creatures that indulge in a variety of protein sources from nuts to meats – meaning that bacon is definitely on the menu for them, and with the strong mouthwatering smell that cooking bacon produces, it’s no wonder that it can attract these pests. Properly sealing and storing your food is a great way to avoid attracting rodents to your leftovers.

4. Birdseed

Rodents naturally eat a variety of seeds, making birdseed an amazing variety-pack of snacks for them. As such, any birdseed that collects on your deck or nearby the side of your home from birdfeeders may be attracting rodents to your property, ultimately encouraging them to linger around, and even enter your home.

3. Compost Bins

Just like birdseed, this is a variety pack-o-snacks for rodents. But, instead of being like a sprinkling of trail mix, compost bins are akin to a buffet of all different kinds of foods. Just like garbage bins, you will want to be sure any compost is covered and kept away from the side of your home.

2. Fruits and Berries

These sugary treats satiate the sweet tooths of mice and rats alike. In the wild, rodents will often forage for berries or consume fallen fruit from trees. If you have a berry patch, or fruit bearing trees in and around your home, you may be at risk of attracting rodents. Consistently removing fallen or rotted fruits and placing wiring around your garden can not only reduce your risk of rodents, but protect your yard and garden from a variety of different creatures that want nothing more than to snack on your produce.

1. Peanut Butter

As mentioned above, rodents love nuts, protein, and even have a bit of a sweet tooth. This combination makes peanut butter a favorite of rodents and a major attractant. Due to this, it is often used as bait when treating for wild rodent infestations or even as treats that pet owners give their cute domestic mice and rats.

Citations

International Campaign to Ban Landmines – A History of Landmines: Problem (no date) ICBL. Available at: http://www.icbl.org/en-gb/problem/a-history-of-landmines.aspx (Accessed: February 18, 2021). Jitchotvisut, J. (2019) 10 Things You Might Not Know Attract Mice, Insider. Available at: https://www.insider.com/what-attracts-mice-2018-12 (Accessed: October 2020). Lewis, D. (2015) Watch These Giant Rats Sniff Out Landmines, Smithsonian Magazine. The Smithsonian Institution. Available at: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/watch-these-giant-rats-sniff-out-landmines-180956899/ (Accessed: February 18, 2021). Schwartz, D. (2020) 8 Signs You May Have Mice, Bob Vila – Tried, True, Trustworthy Home Advice. Available at: https://www.bobvila.com/slideshow/8-signs-you-may-have-mice-50194 (Accessed: December 8, 2020). We Train Animals To Save Lives (no date) APOPO. Available at: https://www.apopo.org/en/what-we-do (Accessed: February 18, 2021). What Attracts Rats? (2018) Wildlife Removal USA. Available at: http://wildliferemovalusa.com/ratattraction.html (Accessed: October 2020).