Why you should pre-feed first
By pre-feeding with a rodent paste pouch we're increasing the amount of paste in the pest's environment so they're more likely to encounter it, and grow a taste for it as a food source. Food competition is the biggest barrier to success, so as well as pre-feeding your trap, try to reduce food competition as much as possible by following the steps in our article about eliminating other food sources here.
The more a pest approaches and smells something new in their environment (like the paste in and around your trap), the more comfortable they become with it, and more likely they are to seek it out. Trap Location Cards also act as pre-feed for rodents, as does the paste that’s dispensed from your Automatic Paste Pump in the Trap.
How do I pre-feed?
If you are using an A24:
1. Place ten small dots of paste from our Rodent Pre-Feed Pouch around the entrance of your trap(s). This increases the food available to your resident pests.
2. Repeat this for five days. This builds their preference for the paste (even pests have food preferences!) and habit in visiting the trap(s) to eat. They get familiar with the interaction and get used to having the trap in their environment.
3. Stop using the rodent paste pouch. Now the only way your animals can access the paste is by entering the trap(s).
4. Success! You’ve improved your chances of trapping those pests. You should see pests now begin to engage with your trap. If you’re using the Smart Cap or a Digital Strike Counter, you’ll be able to see the numbers add up and track the kills you’re having.
If you are using a Goodnature Mouse Trap (GMT):
Rub the Donut that comes with your trap along the entrance. Doing this every few days will allow the mice to smell the lure and get used to it!