How do you outsmart a rat? From catch-and-release to old-school "snappers," these are the best rat traps.
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Depending on where you live and the time of year, you might encounter pests like rats or mice in or around your home. While it’s far from ideal, there are effective ways to reduce and eliminate the issue quickly.
Having recently dealt with a mouse sneaking its way into my kitchen, I can say that the first thing to do is identify how a pest has entered your home if it has. Vincent Luca, owner of On Demand Pest Control, agrees and says, “It’s important to identify the entry points rats are using to get into your home. This could be holes in the walls or cracks in the foundation. Once you have identified these entry points, seal them up to prevent further access for rats.”
After sealing entry points, you may find that a pest or two has been trapped in your home—this is the scenario I found myself in. So, if you have a pest concern, set traps (whether lethal or non-lethal) to keep rodents from roaming around in your living space. Here are the best rat traps for your situation:
The eXuby rat traps capture and kill the heftiest rats (roof and Norway) instantly. With razor-sharp jaws and powerful springs, it comes down on prey with 40% more force than standard mousetraps.
Put bait (peanut butter, nuts, dried fruit or berries) in the cup at the bottom of the trap. Then set it and place it anywhere, like in the attic, under furniture, along baseboards or in the garage. When you’ve trapped a rat, just press the release button, drop the dead rat into the garbage and wash the trap out with soap and water to use again.
The eXuby rat trap come in multi-packs, so you can buy between four and 24 traps at a time to defend your entire home. These types of clamp traps are frequently used by pest control companies as a line of defense. Also, check out these rat myths that you need to stop believing.
If you’re looking for an economic, yet effective, way to handle your rat problem, Victor’s classic wooden rat trap is easy to work. Plus, it is one of the best lethal snap traps that Luca recommends. It features an expanded yellow plastic trip pedal to ensnare big rats, and it’s easy to set with a pre-bated pedal. It comes with two settings: firm and sensitive. Once you’ve caught the rat, you can throw away the entire trap for quick and clean removal or discard the rat and reuse the trap. Users who have used this budget option describe the trap as offering an instant death with no suffering.
If you’re looking for a non-lethal way to reduce pests in and around your living space, this catch-and-release rat trap is a smart, versatile option, and it’s one of Luca’s favorite non-lethal, live traps. Made of galvanized steel and simple to set up, the Havahart one-door animal trap with smooth internal edges won’t injure trapped rats. They’ll be humanely caught and confined them until they can be returned safely to the wild—hopefully far from your home.
Designed and tested by trapping professionals, the Havahart trap uses an ultra-sensitive trip plate to capture animals. Once the trigger is tripped, the door drops behind the critter and safely holds it until you can release it. The trap is reusable and works for catching other small rodents and animals, too. It’s available in a two-door version for twice the trapping potential.
Catching and killing rats can be unpleasant, no matter how you do it. With the solid black plastic Victor smart-kill rat trap, you don’t have to worry about constantly checking traps. Just download the Victor Pest app and get alerts on your smartphone the minute you’ve made a snare. Once the rat is inside the trap, a high-voltage electric shock humanely kills it instantly—no slow-acting poison to torture the animal. Once the rat is caught and killed, simply remove the lid and dump it in the trash for a no-see, no-touch disposal experience.
Rats often run in a pack, called a mischief, so why try to catch them one at a time when you can corral a whole slew of them at once? The Rugged Ranch Ratinator is big enough to quickly wrangle up to 21 rats in one fell swoop, and can be used outdoors or indoors in a garage or basement.
The Ratinator is another humane live trap. In fact, it’s really more like an animal cage, despite the name. It measures in at a hefty 16.5 inches wide by 26.5 inches long and 6 inches high. It weighs only 9 pounds, sans varmint. When you have caught a pest, the easy-open top lets you release critters quickly without worrying about your fingers getting nibbled.
If you’re looking for an outdoor bait station that’s more discreet, the Protecta landscape rat bait stations look like granite boulders and blend into the landscape—no more rat trap eyesores strewn around the yard. Made of heavy-duty plastic to withstand ultraviolet (UV) rays, the station can be anchored to the ground with stakes for extra security. Each station holds eight bait blocks and has a one-piece inner liner for easy cleanup.
Five-star Amazon reviewer, Carl, writes, “I own my own Pest control company. This landscape station has very good bait acceptance with mice and rats. I placed these in an exclusive country club, and they love them. Their members don’t even know they are rodent bait stations.”
A rodent infestation is bad enough—you don’t need to worry about your kids and pets getting into rat poison or injuring little fingers and paws on top of it. The DoomBox mouse trap is a pet- and child-resistant “clear” solution you can feel good about.
While it’s technically a mouse trap, it works for small rats, too. Here’s how it works: A patented “Click-It” closure is easy for adults to open, but not for kids, dogs and cats. The see-through housing and two-hole entryway give rats the impression that they can enter, dine and leave, but there’s no way out. That’s when the “SmackDown” strike bar takes care of the rat.
The see-through housing lets you see what’s going on inside the container without having to open it, and the walls are stable enough to keep the container from popping open when you don’t want it to. Plus, the high-impact kill bar is swift and effective.
Some users note that pets, especially aggressive chewers, can get through plastic casing. So, if you plan to use these traps around pets (and kids, for that matter), you should monitor them carefully.
Once you realize you have a rat problem, spring into action! Here are the top things to consider when deciding which rat trap will fit your situation and sensibility:
Our experts recommend traditional snap traps and bait stations as the most effective traps. Snap traps kill small rodents efficiently and can be reused, while bait stations offer a great non-lethal option for those seeking humane solutions.
“Outdoor rodent bait stations tend to be a lot more effective because the point is to keep rodents outside and not come inside,” says Wang. “There are stations designed to allow rodent snap traps to be placed inside the station.”
If you’re concerned about animal suffering, traditional snap traps and electronic traps are quick and reliable. For those looking to avoid killing rats, bait stations provide a non-lethal alternative, though you’ll need to release the animal far from your home.
Snap traps, though effective, can be dangerous to pets or children. The safest options are covered traps, those with failsafes to avoid accidental activation and bait stations that don’t involve any moving parts.
The simplest traps are pre-assembled and don’t require much setup, like bait stations. Electronic traps are also easy to use, while snap traps require manual setup and resetting after each use.
Before buying a rat trap, check local laws and regulations. Some areas have strict guidelines about what kinds of traps or poisons you can use. Always follow these rules to ensure the safety of others and non-pest animals.
Unfortunately, I (Mary Henn) am in the thick of dealing with a pest problem as I write this article. So, I have first-hand experience with pest problems and how to treat them. I’ve learned a lot about what to do and what works from multiple exterminators and pest control experts. I have also personally tested hundreds of products and written extensively about them for trusted publications, including Reader’s Digest, Taste of Home and Family Handyman (to name a few).
I also consulted Vincent Luca, owner of On Demand Pest Control, to determine what to do if you have a rat problem and which types of traps work best for capturing and controlling pests in and around your home.
Furthermore, I also reached out to Jerry Wang, owner of DIYPestWarehouse and a chemical specialist who has worked in the pest control/pesticide and herbicide industry for over 18 years. He studied Chemical Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology before getting his Master’s from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Finally, we spoke with Jeff Rea, owner of 1st Response Pest Control. He has worked in the pest management industry since 1999, running residential and commercial routes. He worked for several large and small companies before starting his own business.
Sean Tirman , Content Updates Editor at Family Handyman, updated and contributed research to this piece. Sean has written shopping guides since 2016 and is a former associate editor at Gear Patrol.
After consulting experts, I also researched to find the best rat trap solutions on the market. This process involved reviewing product descriptions, reading real user reviews and drawing on my own experience with pests and traps. From non-lethal and budget options to bait stations that blend into landscapes, I found rat traps to suit various homes and lifestyles. If your methods aren’t working or the problem becomes too severe to manage alone, I recommend contacting a local pest control agency for further assistance.
According to Wang, traditional wooden snap rodent traps are the most effective. “What makes the trap effective is the tensile strength and the speed at which the trap snaps down on the rat.” For non-lethal versions, many bait stations can be highly effective—as long as you’re comfortable releasing the rats elsewhere.
Rea agrees, stating, “The original old-school design gets the jobs done better than any other option.”
“The fastest way to get rid of rodents is using second-generation-based rodent baits,” says Wang. Second-generation rodent baits are a combination of bait and poison designed to “kill a rodent in a single feeding.”
Rea adds, “A very thorough inspection must be done to determine where openings are that these rodents are using to gain entry to a structure.” You can’t just kill or trap the rats already present. Instead, take a systemic approach to identify how they’re getting in and close off those entrances. “Inspect and inspect again to make sure nothing is missed.”
According to Wang, different rodents have varying flavor preferences, so what attracts one might not work for another. Fat- and oil-based baits are typically the most effective, while grain-based options are less successful.
“The very best bait to use is whatever the rats are already eating on a regular basis,” says Rea. “Pet kibble is a great example of this.”
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