Background:
In the fall of 2024 I had rat problems (Killed 7) in Davis and mice at our cabin at Tahoe.
We were getting about 1 a week in traps even after putting bait cubes (poison out).
We didn't want to continue to use traps because the cabin was vacant weeks at a time and 1 trap I forgot got a mouse that started to smell.
There was a myth that the bait would smell-taste better than food an they would eat it and go outside or back to their nest and die. Not true.

• Sanitation measures
• Rodent proofing (exclusion)
• Population reduction (trapping).

• Old fashioned snap traps
• Child-pet safe snap traps
• Glue traps - Rodents trapped expire from hypothermia since they can't move and maintain their body temperature.
• Electric shock traps
• Bait - rodenticides (poison)
• Repellants (e.g. essential oil)
• Get a badass cat
• Live trap (box/cage)

See How do you get rid of mice when the mouse traps aren't working? | Quora
See Rodent Control Products | Twin Home Experts
The 7 Best Mouse Traps of 2024 | the spruce>
Terminix mouse control resources

The plastic bait peddle in new model is a little harder to set than the old metal catch.

UCatch Rat Trap - tunneled
A friend has these and likes them.

• 100% Kill Rate - Beveled columns also help to keep the mouse in place over the trigger plate to prevent escapes
• Humane, High-Voltage Shock - Once inside, the circuit triggers a high-voltage shock, humanely killing the mouse in seconds
• Built-in Safety Features - A safety switch automatically deactivates the trap when opened, helping to protect children and pets
• No Touch, No See - The removable kill chamber allows you to easily discard dead rodents without ever having to touch or view it
• LED Alerts – A green LED light notifies you of a catch, so you know when it’s time to empty the trap without having to check manually

Grandpa Gus's mouse repellant pouches
Essential oils: peppermint oil and cinnamon oil.

TomCat rodent repellant spray
Inside and outside, Peppermint oil 0.5%, Cinnamon oil 0.25%, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) 1.5%

SLS is what’s known as a "surfactant." It lowers the surface tension between ingredients.
Some are outdoor only, so read the label.

Purcor Pest Solutions
Essential oils that may be helpful in repelling rats and mice include peppermint oil, lemon oil, citronella oil, and eucalyptus oil. You can make an essential oil spray by mixing 2 teaspoons of oil with 1 cup of water or rubbing alcohol in a spray bottle. Repellants should be replaced every 30 days. TomCat Rodent Preventer granules - Outdoor
Peppermint oil 2%, Cinnamon oil 1%, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate .95%

TomCat Rodent Repeller plugin diffuser

ouroilyhouse.com/mouse-repellent/

• 4 oz Glass spray bottle
• 15 drops of peppermint essential oil
• Equal parts unscented witch hazel & water

Ultrasonic sound repellants. They are of questionable effectiveness. See ultrasonic Pest Repellers

There are several types of poisons, anticoagulants, and several other types that work in diffent ways.

‡ Dehydration - d-Con DOES NOT advertise that dehydration will make mice go outside in search of water. The features they advertise are:
1. Typically, rodents begin to die about three days after feeding on the bait. Nice to know: Because mice don’t die on the spot after eating the bait, you won’t have to deal with disposing of the dead pests.
2. They don't have anti-coagulants or neurotoxins, so they are less dangerous if your pet of child eats them.

Poison does NOT cause the rodent to go out to drink, and thus die outside. See Does Poison Make Rats Thirsty And Die Outside? | Salt Lake City Wildlife

• Anticoagulants:
  Our livers make a special enzyme that allows our bodies to recycle Vitamin K. Our bodies need Vitamin K to make the blood clotting agents that protect us from bleeding too much. Anticoagulants stop this enzyme from doing its job. Our bodies store an extra supply, but if we are exposed to enough anticoagulant, the supply will run out and internal bleeding may begin.
  In 2020 the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) banned Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) due to their threat to mountain lions and other wildlife.
• Bromethalin (TomCat) First registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) in 1984.4 It stops the cells in the central nervous system from producing energy. The nerve cells swell, this puts pressure on the brain, and paralysis and death soon follow Bromethalin ingestion causes muscle tremors, seizures, heightened sensitivity to light or noise, and hyperexcitability if the animal eats more than a lethal dose. The onset of signs depends on the dose. If a lethal dose is eaten, signs may develop 8 to 12 hours or several days after ingestion and progress over a period of a week or longer. In this case, animals lose their ability to control their hind legs or sense where their hind legs are. Animals may also vomit, lose interest in food, or adopt strange postures.
• Cholecalciferol (dCon) - First registered as a rodenticide in the United States in 1984.4 Cholecalciferol is vitamin D3.13 Vitamin D helps the body maintain calcium balance by enhancing absorption of calcium from the gut and kidneys.13 Toxic doses of cholecalciferol lead to too much calcium in the blood, which can affect the central nervous system, muscles, the gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system, and the kidneys.13 The body's ability to maintain proper calcium levels must be overwhelmed before cholecalciferol becomes toxic. Rodents must eat several doses of this rodenticide.
  

  Signs in animals include weakness, depression, and loss of appetite. Signs progress to include vomiting, increased thirst, more frequent urination, dehydration, and constipation.13 Vomiting, diarrhea, loss of appetite, and depression may develop within 12 to 36 hours after exposure and the kidneys may fail within one or two days.

How to Kill Mice and Rats Using Tomcat® Disposable Bait Stations

FASTEST Way To Get Rid Of A Lot Of Rats! | Twin
Most People And Even Pest Controllers Make These Huge Mistakes When Trying To Get Rid Of A Lot Of Rats:

• Immediately set a bunch of traps
• Set up poison bait boxes on the perimeter of the home.
• DO NOT perform a proper in-depth inspection of the affected structure.
• Never pinpoint the rat’s entry point into the home or structure.
• Never identify species of the rats ( roof rat or Norway rat).

Smell:
The decomposition of the carcass depends on the weather. A dead mouse will start letting off a powerful smell in one or two days in the summer. In the winter, the scent can take up to a week to become evident. But it lingers for longer because the body decomposes much slower in cold weather.
How To Identify & Get Rid Of A Dead Mouse Smell

• One in Woodland said they'd hire a contractor to go find and fill any openings in house, then put bate cubes around.
• Western Exterminators which services North Tahoe said they'd come out and look for openings into you house or openings into places like a pantry and close theml
• Critter Bros - CA and NV.- (916) 257-8739
• Others
• Sierra Wildlife Control (916) 367-0718
• Twin Home Experts CA, SC , AZ, & UT - (877)713-6895

COMPLETE RODENT CONTROL - SMOKE TESTING EXPLAINED. Truly Nolen | YouTube