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Mouse traps in the kitchen: edges, loft and garage

Updated: 21 October 2026

Mouse traps in the kitchen work on the edge the mouse already uses: a skirting, the void under the sink, a loft joist, or a garage wall once the boxes are lifted. A snap does not work in the middle of the floor, and it does not belong where a child or a pet can touch the bar. How to bait and arm it is [how to set a mouse trap](/hub/traps/mouse-trap-snap-trap/sub/mouse-trap-snap-trap-how-to-set). Which listing matches a station, a low price or gloves is [best mouse traps](/hub/traps/mouse-trap-snap-trap/sub/mouse-trap-snap-trap-best). The shelf is the [mouse trap snap trap comparison](/hub/traps/mouse-trap-snap-trap). Peter F. used Which?, BPCA, NPTA and the listings. A purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Mouse traps in the kitchen work on the edge the mouse already uses: a skirting, the void under the sink, a loft joist, or a garage wall once the boxes are lifted.

Our top picks

WisProtek WisProtek 6-pack snap trap

Best overall

WisProtek WisProtek 6-pack snap trap
9.0/10about £9.99
View offer
MSR Traps MSR Traps 6-pack with cleanup kit

Rank 2

MSR Traps MSR Traps 6-pack with cleanup kit
8.6/10about £9.49
View offer
Roshield Roshield 6-pack snap trap

Alternative

Roshield Roshield 6-pack snap trap
8.4/10about £9.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Confirm it is a mouse, in that room
  2. 2.Kitchen edges, not the open floor
  3. 3.Loft and garage
  4. 4.Children, cats and dogs

Confirm it is a mouse, in that room

Which? describes mouse droppings at about 3–6 mm. BPCA puts them in the same small class, often under sinks and in roof spaces. A larger, blunt pellet means stop and treat the animal as a rat. If the pellet is rice-grain and the smear is on that skirting, stay in that room. Do not set a trap in every room because you saw one pellet in the kitchen. Several traps on one confirmed run, left in place, match the way the mouse is already travelling. One trap moved around the house each night does not.

Kitchen edges, not the open floor

In a kitchen the runs are the skirting, behind the fridge, beside the cooker, under the sink and along the kickboards. Put traps behind appliances and under the sink, not in the open floor. BPCA’s placement is at right angles to the wall, bait end towards the skirting. You are interrupting an edge. Peanut butter or a hazelnut-style spread is the bait Which? names. The amount, and baiting before you arm, stay on the how-to page. If the smear is on the fridge kickboard, that is the trap. If it is only under the sink, do not also arm one on the table.
WisProtek WisProtek 6-pack snap trap

Testsieger

WisProtek WisProtek 6-pack snap trap
9.0/10about £9.99
View offer

Loft and garage

In a loft, traps go along joists and the wall, not in the middle of the insulation. Checkatrade’s loft notes make that joist point and flag chewed cables as a fire concern. A chewed cable is no longer only a trap problem. Get the wiring looked at. A garage is not outdoors in the sense that lets you leave an open trap for any animal. BPCA’s code treats open traps as an outdoor non-target problem. Lift the boxes and put traps along the wall. MSR’s sheltered-outdoor line, and the gloves in that pack, are not permission to arm a jaw on an open patio.

Children, cats and dogs

Which? says snap traps can hurt children and pets and may not kill at once. If a child, a cat or a dog can touch the bar, the trap goes in a station, in a closed void, or it does not go down. Roshield is the only listing in this set that states a fit in that brand’s bait station. Do not invent a station for the other brands. Gloves in the MSR kit do not stop a dog standing on the pedal. BPCA and GOV.UK point to a controller when a serious attempt fails, when you cannot service the void, or when the wiring is already damaged.

Common questions

Where in the kitchen do mice actually run?
Skirting, under the sink, behind the fridge and the cooker, along kickboards. Not the open floor. BPCA’s placement is at right angles to the wall, with the bait end towards the skirting. If the smear is only under the sink, that is the trap. Do not also arm one on the table because you saw a pellet in the room.
Can I put a trap in an open loft?
Along a joist or the wall, not in the middle of the insulation. Checkatrade’s loft notes make that joist point. If you cannot check it every 12 hours, do not arm it there. A void you cannot service is a reason to call a controller, not a reason to add another six-pack and leave it.
Is a garage outdoor?
No. It is still a building. Open traps are an outdoor non-target problem in BPCA’s code on break-back traps. In a garage, use the wall after the boxes are lifted. MSR’s sheltered-outdoor line, and the gloves in that pack, are not permission to arm a mouse jaw on an open patio.
How do I keep the dog off the trap?
A station the dog cannot open, a closed void, or no trap. Roshield is the only listing in this set that states a fit in that brand’s bait station. Do not invent a station for the other brands. Gloves help you handle a catch. They do not stop a dog standing on the pedal. Which? says snaps can hurt pets and may not kill at once.
What do mouse droppings look like next to rat droppings?
Mouse droppings are about 3–6 mm, rice-grain, which is the range Which? uses. BPCA puts them in the same small class, often under sinks and in roof spaces. A larger blunt pellet is a reason to treat the animal as a rat and change the trap. A mouse jaw on a rat run is the wrong object.
Should I trap if the loft cables are chewed?
Chewed cable is a fire concern, which Checkatrade’s loft notes flag. Trapping alone is no longer the job. Get the wiring seen to, and treat proofing as the limit of a six-pack. BPCA and GOV.UK point to a controller when the wiring is already damaged or you cannot service the void.
When is a room a reason to call someone?
When a serious attempt brings nothing in about two weeks, when the void cannot be checked, or when cables are already chewed. Two weeks is a rule of thumb from room guides, not a statute. BPCA and GOV.UK point to a controller, or the council, in those cases.

Related pages

Rat trap comparison

Mouse trap snap trap

Best mouse traps UK: match the six-pack to the job

Best mouse snap traps in the UK: choose the type first

How to set a mouse trap without losing the bait or a finger

Mouse traps vs poison: glue, residue and the check

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, plus amazon.co.uk listings for the nine packs. Shelf date 19 October 2026.

  1. Pests Act 1954, section 8 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  2. Small Ground Vermin Traps Order 1958 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  3. Glue Traps (Offences) Act 2022, section 1 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  4. GOV.UK, pest control on your property (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  5. BPCA, mouse control (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  6. UFAW, rodent control (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  7. Baker and colleagues, PLOS ONE, 2012 (retrieved 19.10.2026)
  8. Which?, how to get rid of mice (retrieved 19.10.2026)