Tomcat

Tomcat mouse traps and bait stations get mice and rats out of the house, with a trap, glue board, bait station or repellent for each version of the problem. Choose by three things: whether kids or a dog can reach it, how many rodents you have, and whether you want to see the catch.

Tomcat is one of The Scotts Miracle-Gro Company’s brands, sold alongside Scotts, Miracle-Gro and Ortho. ScottsMiracle-Gro describes itself as born and raised in Marysville, Ohio. The Tomcat rodent-control business was acquired from Bell Laboratories. Tomcat is known for traps, bait stations and repellents, and it also has a category for deer and other animals.

Snap traps and the Kill & Contain trap

A snap trap is the cheapest, simplest way to kill a mouse, and it’s the only way to be sure you got it. Tomcat’s mechanical traps are inexpensive, easy to use and have a long record of killing mice and rats. They aren’t necessarily child- or pet-proof, so set them where small hands and a dog’s nose can’t reach, like behind the fridge, under the sink or inside a cabinet base.

Bait with a pea-sized dab of peanut butter or Tomcat Attractant Gel. Peanut butter beats cheese because it sticks to the trigger, so the mouse has to work at it and sets the trap off instead of pulling a crumb loose. Bait the trap before you set it so your fingers are clear of the bar once it’s armed.

If nobody in the house wants to see the mouse after it’s caught, use the Kill & Contain Mouse Trap. For a single mouse you’d rather carry outside, use the Live Catch Mouse Trap. For a larger infestation, the Multi-Catch Mouse Trap holds up to 10 mice at once.

Glue traps

Tomcat glue traps use no pesticide and have nothing that snaps, and the glue has eugenol in it to make it stickier. With no bar, fingers and paws can’t get snapped. The board will still grab anything that steps on it, so it goes out of reach of kids and pets too. A rodent caught on glue usually dies of dehydration or suffocation, and the rodent and the board get thrown out together. Wear rubber gloves for that job, because a frightened rodent often urinates and the urine can carry harmful germs.

How the Tomcat Mouse Killer bait station works

A bait station holds a bait block that contains poison. A mouse goes in, eats some, goes back to its nest and dies in 1 to 2 days. Rats are more cautious and may take longer to try the bait. That’s the tradeoff. One station keeps working on a whole population without any resetting, but it doesn’t kill on the spot, and the rodent dies away from the station. If you want to confirm each catch, use a trap.

Bait stations with kids and a dog in the house

With a dog and small children at home, the poison is the first worry, and the station is built to deal with it. A bait station is a safety device that holds the block in place so children and pets are less likely to get to the bait by accident. Tomcat stations come in two security levels, Child & Dog Resistant and Child Resistant, and they’ve been tested for resistance to access by dogs and children. If you have a dog, choose Child & Dog Resistant. A determined chewer can still work at plastic, so put the station in a hidden spot the kids and the dog can’t reach, such as behind the stove or the washer. Keep the block inside the station every time, because a loose block on the floor is how a dog gets to the poison.

Disposable or refillable stations

The disposable stations come filled with bait and ready to use out of the package, and when the bait’s gone you throw the whole station away. Mouse stations are made smaller than rat stations so they hold a precise amount of bait. The Mouse Killer station is for mice, and the Rat & Mouse Killer station handles both. For a handful of mice and no nest you know of, a disposable is the simplest fix.

For a bigger problem, or mice that come back every year, go with a refillable station, because you add fresh blocks instead of buying a new station. It needs some upkeep. Refill it following the package instructions, and replace bait that gets moldy, dirty or infested with insects. The see-through container lets you check the bait without opening it.

To refill it, put on gloves so the bait doesn’t irritate your skin. Squeeze the prongs on the bait block tab and pull it away from the station, put the new block on the tab, and push the tab back in until it clicks.

Where to put traps and stations

Put traps and stations where rodents travel most: along walls, in corners and anywhere you’ve seen droppings or chewing. Distance matters. Mice usually look for food within 10 to 30 feet of the nest, so put traps and stations close to the signs you’ve found. Rats range 100 to 300 feet, so a rat station can go farther out along their route. Set several traps or stations instead of just one, and move any that aren’t catching or getting eaten. Traps and bait only get rid of the mice you already have, so seal any gap a quarter inch or larger to keep new ones out.

Tomcat rodent repellent

Tomcat’s ready-to-use repellent keeps mice and rats from moving in, using an essential oil blend that doesn’t stink and deters them naturally. Tomcat Rodent Repellent with Comfort Wand is part of this line. Once mice are nesting in the walls, clear them out with traps or stations first, then use the repellent to keep the next ones out. Put it down before the weather cools, when mice and rats start looking indoors for food, warmth and shelter.

The Tomcat line at a glance

The Tomcat Rockscape Bait Station and Tomcat Pest Control Liquid for Mice and Rats are also part of the Tomcat range.

Product	What it is	Use it for
Tomcat mechanical mouse trap	Snap trap	Inexpensive kills along walls, out of reach of kids and pets
Tomcat Kill & Contain Mouse Trap	Mechanical mouse trap	Catching a mouse you’d rather not see afterward
Tomcat Live Catch Mouse Trap	Live trap	A single mouse
Tomcat Multi-Catch Mouse Trap	Multiple-catch mouse trap	Larger infestations
Tomcat Super Hold Glue Traps	Pesticide-free glue board with eugenol, mouse size	Trapping with nothing that snaps
Tomcat Mouse Killer Disposable Bait Station - Advanced Formula	Pre-filled station, bromethalin bait	Mice, ready to use
Tomcat Rat & Mouse Killer Disposable Bait Station - Advanced Formula	Pre-filled station, bromethalin bait	Rats and mice, ready to use
Tomcat refillable Rat & Mouse Killer station	Child- and dog-resistant station, diphacinone bait blocks	Larger or recurring problems
Tomcat bait blocks	4-oz and 1-oz blocks	4-oz: up to 10 rats; 1-oz: up to 12 mice (no-choice laboratory testing)
Tomcat Rodent Repellent	Ready-to-use, no-stink essential oil blend	Keeping mice and rats out before they move in

Frequently Asked Questions

Can Tomcat mouse poison kill a dog?

Yes, it can. The bait is a real poison: the disposable stations use bromethalin and the refillable ones use diphacinone. If your dog chews into a station or finds a loose block, get it to a vet right away and bring the package, because treatment depends on which active ingredient the dog ate.

How do you set a Tomcat mouse trap?

Set the trap flat against the wall with the trigger end toward the baseboard. Mice run along walls, so they cross the trigger instead of going around it. Wear rubber gloves when you handle the bait and the trap, because mice can pick up human scent and will avoid it.

How long does Tomcat take to kill mice and rats?

A mouse that eats the bait dies in a day or two, but it dies away from the station. That means you’ll see less bait gone and fewer fresh droppings, not bodies. Rats shy away from anything new in their path, so give a rat station several days before you decide it’s in the wrong spot.

Does Tomcat Mouse Killer kill rats?

For rats, use the Rat & Mouse Killer station. Mouse stations are built smaller so they hold a precise amount of bait sized for mice. If the rats are around a shop, shed or foundation, Tomcat makes a weather-resistant station designed for outdoor use.

How do you open a Tomcat bait station?

A disposable station isn’t meant to be opened. It comes ready to use so you never touch the bait block, and when the bait’s gone, the whole station goes in the trash. Check the bait through the clear lid, because prying a station open defeats the child and dog resistance. Only the refillable stations open, and they open at the bait block tab.

Does Tomcat rodent repellent work?

It keeps mice and rats away with scent, but it doesn’t kill them, so it won’t clear out rodents that are already nesting in the house. A scent repellent only works while the scent lasts, so reapply it as often as the label says.