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Best Bait Stations

Updated November 2021
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Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Bell Labs Rodent Control Bait Stations
Bell Labs
Rodent Control Bait Stations
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Bottom Line

Customers looking for overall rodent control should check out this popular bait station.

Pros

Tamper-proof stations come with one key. Bait is safely secured from pets and children. Offers bait securing rods. Doubles as a monitoring station.

Cons

More expensive than other bait stations. Can be difficult to open.

Best Bang for the Buck
Terro Ant Killer: Liquid Ant Bait Station
Terro
Ant Killer: Liquid Ant Bait Station
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An exceedingly popular bait station for customers looking to eradicate in-home ant infestations.

Pros

Designed to have the ants take the bait back to their colonies, making the bait extremely effective. Customers appreciated how quickly this product worked.

Cons

Station can get clogged from dead ants. Did not come with instructions.

Redtop Rat Bait Station Rodent Bait Station
Redtop
Rat Bait Station Rodent Bait Station
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This handy bait station offers safety for pets and children while providing protection from mice and rats.

Pros

Offers tamper-resistant design. Can be secured onto wall or other structure to prevent station from moving. Can be used indoors or out. Safe for pets.

Cons

Instructions can be confusing. One of the keys arrives inside the station, making retrieval problematic.

advion Cockroach Bait Station
advion
Cockroach Bait Station
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A high-quality bait station focused on ridding customers of all types of cockroaches.

Pros

Kills roaches of all kinds and sizes. Many buyers raved about how fast this bait station helped rid their home of hundreds of roaches. Slow-active ingredients allow roaches to take the bait back to their colonies.

Cons

Not entirely pet safe. Not the best option for exterminating smaller roaches.

Combat Large Roach Bait Station
Combat
Large Roach Bait Station
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Those looking for a cheaper cockroach bait station should check out this helpful product from Combat.

Pros

Remarkably inexpensive when compared with similar products. No-mess bait station. Child-resistant. Kills larger roaches along with their nests and colonies.

Cons

Does not work well for other bugs. Baby roaches are particularly immune to this product.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

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Models
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Consumers
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Buying guide for Best bait stations

During the summer months, pests tend to infiltrate homes in search of tasty morsels and safe places to build nests. During the winter months, they flock to warm areas in hopes of surviving frigid temperatures. No matter the season, pests want to be inside your home. And no matter the season, that’s exactly where you don’t want pests to be.

You may be diligent about cleaning up crumbs and caulking cracks, but pests are pesky for a reason: they keep coming back. Unfortunately, the only sure way to eliminate them is by trapping them in your home and disposing of them in some way. Rather than calling an exterminator right away, you can try to eliminate those unwanted house guests yourself with a bait station. A bait station is a manufactured, tamper-proof trap or holding station where you strategically place bait in an attempt to lure pests and dispose of them.

We’ve researched the various ways to fight off invasive pests, and we’ve selected the top bait station for your consideration.

A bait station
Millions of homes in the United States are invaded by rodents. They generally enter residences between October and February in an attempt to escape the weather and lack of food.

Type of pest

Rodents, vermin, ants, cockroaches ... you want to keep them out of your home. Each type of pest requires a specific type of trap or bait. It’s best to research the pest in question before purchasing a bait station, so you know how to prepare for their extermination from your home.

Rats, mice, rodents, and vermin

All four-legged pests with scaly tails can be caught using bait stations and traps. Some bait station manufacturers recommended specific bait packages for you to purchase. In other cases, you can insert your own kind of bait. It’s best to use peanut butter, cheese, or an edible bait you know the creature is attracted to. For instance, if your unwanted guests have been chewing holes in the dog food bag, place a few kibbles in the trap — you already know they like kibbles.

If you’d like to permanently eliminate the creatures — not just catch and release them —  then a type of rat poison can be placed directly in the trap. The poison will lure in the rodents, and after they consume it, it will kill them. You are just left with the job of disposing of the remains, which will be either in the trap or nearby.

Ants

An easy way to attract ants is with sugar — if you want to put the ants outside afterward and not kill them, that is. If you’re looking to eliminate an ant colony in your home, it’s recommended to use ant poison. You can stash these pre-made poison packets in areas the ants frequent. The ants will be attracted to the poison. Once they eat it, they will die. You can then dispose of the entire poison packet.

Cockroaches

Perhaps the most nefarious pest of them all, the cockroach, is the most difficult to eradicate. A strong insecticide is required to eliminate cockroaches. Insecticide bait comes in large bags and must be used inside of a cockroach bait station. When using bait stations to eliminate a cockroach infestation, you must be thorough when placing them. The stations should span a wide area and be checked often. Bear in mind that cockroaches can live in the walls and drains of a home. Place stations in crevices and corners to lure them out of hiding.

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For your safety
There’s a reason it’s recommended to wear gloves when handling the remains of pests. Mice can carry as many as 200 human pathogens at any given time. They are master disease spreaders.
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Toxicity

Some bait stations have disclaimers on them stating they must be kept away from pets and children. Others are manufactured to be pet-safe and child-safe. Be sure you are aware of the toxicity of the bait you’re using and whether or not the bait station is tamper-proof.

Review the list of active ingredients, and know what chemicals you are handling. It’s best to wear plastic gloves when filling and emptying bait stations. Keep the replacement bait for your bait stations stored in a place where pets and children can’t reach it.

Additional prevention methods

If pests are invading your home, there is most likely a reason. Check the outside of your home for any burrowing spaces or holes in the foundation where pests could get in. If you have an attached garage, it’s possible there is an issue in the space between the house and garage where pests can enter.

Usually mice and rodents are attracted to foodstuffs. That could be crumbs, residues, or garbage debris. Clean up any accessible food, and place bags that could be chewed through into plastic containers. The less food there is available for pests, the more likely they will look elsewhere for nourishment.

Bait station prices

The cost of a bait station depends on several factors: what type of pest it attracts, what type of lure or bait is required, and if bait is included. Ant poison is on the lower end of the price spectrum, ranging from $10 to $20. Ant poison contains both the bait station and the bait.

Bait stations for cockroaches and rats are more expensive. A 60-count bag of cockroach insecticide ranges from $40 to $50, and a two-pack bait station costs $30, putting the total cost near $70 to $80. Be aware of whether or not the bait is included before purchasing.

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Did you know?
According to recent research, mice are more attracted to the scent of chocolate than the scent of most cheeses. Scientists have developed a mouse trap made from plastic infused with the scent of chocolate.
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Tips

It may be the first time you’ve encountered unwanted visitors in your home, or it may be your last-ditch effort before you call an exterminator. Either way, consider these helpful tips before using any type of pest bait station.

  • Plan before you purchase. Know where you would like to place your bait stations and how many you need, so you can buy the correct amount.

  • Don’t handle any materials you don’t feel comfortable handling. Wear plastic gloves when touching any bait or disposing of any pest. Research chemicals or active ingredients you aren’t knowledgeable about.

  • If you run out of bait, consider some products you already have in your home. Cheese, peanut butter, and even chocolate can be used to lure pests.

  • Don’t endanger your health or your family’s health if a pest problem becomes unmanageable. Call an exterminator.
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Any kind of insect can become a home invader — not just the regulars. Your home could be invaded by boxelder bugs, house centipedes, earwigs, crickets, ladybugs, millipedes, and more!

FAQ

Q. How long do I need to use bait stations before I see results?

A. A bait station will begin attracting pests immediately. Depending on the amount of pests you have in your home, you could catch one within an hour of setting the trap. In some cases, it may take longer.

Q. Can I put two different baits in one bait station?

A. You can, but it’s not recommended. Because some pests are attracted to bait and others are repelled by the same bait, you could be making your traps ineffective by using two baits. Often, you can purchase bait stations in packs of two or four. Use one bait station per bait.

Q. Are bait stations reusable?

A. Yes, for a time. After several uses, it’s possible you may need to throw away an overused bait station. There may be pest remains or too much leftover bait residue for it to be effective anymore. It’s also possible to soak bait stations in hot water to disinfect and clean them.