Back to All Topics

Sensor Placement

Learn where to position your sensors for optimal coverage

~10 minutes 6 steps

Proper sensor placement is critical for effective rodent detection. This guide covers where to place your base station and each sensor for maximum coverage.

1

Survey the Area

~5 min

Rodents are creatures of habit and typically follow predictable paths. Understanding these patterns helps you place sensors effectively:

• Rodents prefer to travel along walls rather than across open spaces
• They follow the same routes repeatedly, creating "runways"
• They seek cover and avoid well-lit, exposed areas
• Common entry points include gaps around pipes, vents, and doors

Walk the space and look for signs of existing activity:

• Droppings
• Gnaw marks
• Grease marks along walls
• Nesting materials

These spots are your starting points for sensor placement.
💡 Tip: While reviewing the area, have in mind where the sensors will go. Your sketch should be just detailed enough to show the location for all the devices. No reason to add an area to your sketch (next step) that won't have a sensor.
Is that poop from 3 years ago, or last night?

Is that poop from 3 years ago, or last night?

2

Sketch the Area

~5 min

• Draw a rough outline on paper while on-site
• Mark walls, doors, pipes, major features
• Note where you spotted signs of activity
💡 Tip: Keep it simple — a rough outline is fine. You're not an architect, you're marking sensor locations. A rectangle with a few lines for walls and an X for each sensor spot is plenty.
Rough sketch

Rough sketch

3

Choose Your Mounts

~2 min

Most sensors can be placed on a flat surface with no mount
For harder-to-view areas, choose the right mount:

GripMount: wraps around pipes (drains, water lines, gas pipes)
TiltMount: angles up from the floor, or flips over to hang down from a joist

See the full Sensor Placement Guide for mounting details and photos
💡 Tip: In most cases, placing the sensor on a flat surface with no mount will be enough. For harder-to-view areas — like overhead pipes or looking up at joists — choose between the GripMount (wraps around pipes) or TiltMount (angles up from the floor or hangs down from a joist).
TiltMount when you need to look up or down (can be screwed into joist and tilted to look down as well).

TiltMount when you need to look up or down (can be screwed into joist and tilted to look down as well).

4

Initial Sensor Placement

~3 min

• Place sensors a few feet away from walls, pointed at the wall
• This reduces false triggers from human activity
• Rodents travel along walls, not through open space — your sensor will catch them on their route
• Don't worry about perfect placement yet — the goal is to detect where activity is happening

High-priority locations to consider:

Kitchen/food areas: behind refrigerator, under/behind stove, near pantry, along baseboards near cabinets
Entry points: near exterior doors, around pipe penetrations, by HVAC vents or ducts, garage entry points
Storage areas: basement corners, garage perimeter, utility room edges, attic access points
💡 Tip: Rodents travel along edges, not through open space. If a sensor is in the middle of a room pointed at nothing, it's probably in the wrong spot.
Sensor focused on an area rodents suspected of travelling, using the GripMount harness.

Sensor focused on an area rodents suspected of travelling, using the GripMount harness.

5

Mark Sensor Positions on Your Sketch

~3 min

On the paper sketch you made earlier, mark where each sensor was placed
Label each position with its sensor letter (A through H)
Take the sketch back to your desk or turn it in to your supervisor
💡 Tip: Take a photo of your completed sketch as a backup before leaving the site.
Write down where you placed the sensors on your sketch you drew earlier.

Write down where you placed the sensors on your sketch you drew earlier.

6

Review & Adjust (after detecting motion)

• Check playback to see which sensors detected motion
• Move sensors toward the active areas
• Follow the data — let the rodents show you their routes
• Update your floor plan as you reposition sensors
💡 Tip: Don't move all sensors at once. Move one or two toward the action, then check playback again the next morning. Small adjustments add up.

Image coming soon
Next: Create Your Floor Plan
How was this guide?