What is a critical mistake to avoid when setting traps for rodents?

Failing to check traps regularly is indeed a critical mistake when setting traps for rodents. Regularly checking traps is essential for several reasons. Firstly, it ensures that any captured rodents are dealt with promptly, reducing the potential for odor, disease transmission, or further attraction of other pests. Secondly, if traps remain unset or unmonitored for extended periods, they can lose their effectiveness. Rodents may learn to avoid areas where they have seen traps or encountered other rodents' deaths, thereby decreasing the likelihood of future captures.

In addition, leaving traps unchecked can lead to animal distress, particularly if a non-target species is caught, which raises ethical concerns about humane pest control practices. This regular monitoring can also provide important insights into the rodent population's behavior and hotspots in the environment, allowing for more strategic placement of traps in the future.

On the other hand, placing traps too close to food sources may attract rodents but doesn't ensure the traps will be effective if not regularly monitored. Failing to label traps is generally less critical in the context of rodent control, as the focus is on functionality and location rather than identification. Leaving traps unset for too long is an issue, yet it's a secondary concern compared to the need for diligent checks to maintain an effective