Catch a mouse

Video: A Bowl Of Peanut Oil Catches 7 Mice In 1 Night - Motion Camera Footage

Content

To step
Part 1 of 3: Choosing and setting traps
Part 3 of 3: Making an animal-friendly trap
Tips
Warnings
Necessities

Have you seen elongated droppings or heard scratching and squeaking in the walls? You will probably have an uninvited guest and maybe even several. Mice are an intrusive type of pest. They gnaw on household items and can also spread deadly diseases.You can fight the rodents with store-bought mechanical traps or more animal-friendly, homemade traps. To catch a mouse, set a trap with attractive bait such as peanut butter, set the trap against a wall or balance it over a bucket, then release the live, trapped mouse from somewhere away.

To step

Part 1 of 3: Choosing and setting traps

Buy multiple traps. The way the different types of traps catch mice differs, but in principle you use them all in the same way. You can buy the different types of traps at most DIY stores or over the internet. Multiple traps are useful for catching one mouse, but mice disperse at lightning speed, so chances are you have more than one in the house anyway.
- Avoid using poison. If you use poison, the mouse will eat it and die in a hidden place. In addition, you run the risk of your children or pets accidentally eating the poison.
- Glue traps are the least animal-friendly. The mouse will either starve to death or it will bite off its own leg and then hide and die there.
Choose the bait. Forget the idea that mice eat cheese. Cheese may work, but in the wild, mice eat grains, fruits, and seeds. Peanut butter is a common household food that mice love. High-fat, high-protein, and high-sugar foods, such as bacon and chocolate, also attract them. The stronger it smells and the softer it is, the more likely the mouse will respond to it.
Trap the bait. Be careful not to use too much bait. Limit yourself to a ball the size of a pea and attach it firmly in the trap. Many people make the mistake of trapping too much bait. When using a classic spring trap, too much bait allows the mouse to eat from it without stepping on the trap.
- It's best to trap the bait before setting it. With spring clamps, there is a good chance that you will accidentally activate the mechanism and that your fingers will get caught in between.
- By keeping the bait thin, you also ensure that the mouse has to work harder to eat it. For example, if you apply peanut butter in a thin layer, it will start to dry up after a while.
Find a place where you think there are mice. Mice like to be in dark, closed spaces, such as in cupboards or under furniture. When they wander around, they often walk close to the walls. You may find mouse droppings or smell the scent of their urine. EXPERT TIP
Set a trap. Go to the place where you saw the tracks left by the mouse. Now place the trap flat against the wall. The bait area or opening with the bait should be against the wall. In a normal spring trap, the mechanical part of the trap must face away from the wall. Mice walk along the wall, so this way they are more likely to be attracted to the trap and also, if the trap is perpendicular to the wall, prevent them from triggering it prematurely.
Set several traps. Set another trap about half a meter to a little less than a meter from the wall. Repeat this in both directions until all areas where a lot of mice walk are covered with traps. Of course, the chance that you catch one mouse is greater if you set multiple traps. Just keep in mind that if one mouse has entered your house, it is likely that several mice have been tracked and they reproduce quickly.
- There may be several places in your house where a lot of mice roam. Make sure all those areas have traps.
Check the traps every day. Check regularly to see if the trap has been activated. If you have caught a mouse, you must quickly throw it away or the mouse will start to decompose, giving off a terrible stench that attracts other pests and bacteria.
Discard the mouse. Put on protective gloves and, if necessary, put on a breathing mask. Dispose of disposable traps and take them to the garbage heap to prevent the smell from lingering in your home.
- If you need to be thrifty, you can reuse the traps. While still wearing the disposable gloves, scrub the traps thoroughly with soapy water. Before setting down the traps, throw away the gloves.
But clean any contaminated areas thoroughly. Always wash your hands after coming into contact with a mouse and clean your home. Pick up feces with paper towels, wash cloths and scrub surfaces with soapy water so they are not exposed to harmful bacteria.

Part 3 of 3: Making an animal-friendly trap

Take a paper towel roll. Save the empty cardboard tube from a kitchen or toilet paper roll. You can also use another similar object, as long as it is large enough for the mouse to fit in it, but at the same time so thin that it cannot support the weight of the mouse.
- There are also stores that sell animal-friendly traps. Ask for it at your local DIY store or check the internet.
Flatten one side of the tube. Run your finger on one side of the sleeve along the length of the tube as you press it. When done, the cooker should be flat side down on a table or counter.
Supply the tube with bait. Put some bait on one end of the tube. A dollop of peanut butter, some biscuit crumbs or a piece of bacon is in principle enough to lure the mouse. Peanut butter works well because it sticks to the inside of the roll.
Balance the roll on the edge of the counter or of a table. Choose an edge that is a few feet from the ground, but at the same time make sure that there is some space right under the pipe on the ground. Lay the tube flat side down, making sure the end with the bait is away from the brim. Then push the tube so that it is half over the edge.
- If you are unable to keep the tube stationary or balance it, you can partially tape it with some tape. Just don't tape the tube so tightly that it wouldn't move with the mouse inside.
- If you can't find a suitable table or counter, you can assemble a ramp that leads to the top of the bucket instead. You can use a variety of materials, such as cardboard or a stack of planks, as long as the slope is firm enough to support the weight of the mouse.
Grab a bucket or trash can. Find an empty bucket or other tall container to hold the mouse in. Choose a bucket or bin that is at least six feet high, otherwise the mouse may jump out of the trap.
Place the bucket under the tube. The catch bucket is placed directly under the end of the tube that balances over the edge of the table above the ground. As soon as the mouse starts moving to get to the bait, its weight will cause the tube to fall off the table and into the bucket.
Check the trap regularly. Check at least once a day to see if the tube is still in place, if the bait has been eaten, and if there is perhaps a mouse in the bucket. Adjust the construction if necessary, for example by rebalancing the tube. If you have caught a mouse, move it as soon as possible or it will starve to death. Mice that are at risk of starving will eventually eat each other.
Release the mouse outside. You have to release the mouse at least a mile away. That way you prevent the mouse from returning to your house. Just don't release the mouse more than four kilometers away or it could be eaten by predators. Find an area with a canopy, such as a forest, wooden posts, or rocky ground, and possibly leave some food where you release the mouse so it can settle there.
- As food you can include uncooked oatmeal, peanuts, birdseed and dry pet food.
Disinfect all surfaces that the mouse has walked on. Wherever it has been, the mouse may have left behind harmful bacteria. Pick up the droppings with kitchen paper and scrub the surfaces thoroughly with soapy water. Don't forget to wash your hands afterwards.

Tips

Wearing gloves while trapping the bait increases the chance that the mouse will hit it by blocking out your own odor.
Pouring some oil into the bottom of the bucket will make it more difficult for the mouse to jump out.
If you know you're dealing with a large mouse, use a larger bucket.
To prevent further contamination, keep your home clean and tidy. In particular, make sure that all food is kept in closed containers so that it is not left uncovered outside the refrigerator overnight.
You can check where the mice have been based on the excrement and urine stains, but you can also make these spots visible in the dark with the help of a UV lamp.
Mice are attracted to pet food. To avoid feeding your mice, keep your pet's food in closed containers, wipe up any crumbs and leftovers from the food, and remove the container when your pet has finished eating.
Remember to check carefully how the mice may have entered your home. Close all possible accesses, even if you are not sure if you have already removed all mice.
Remove all possible living areas for mice outdoors. These are, for example, dense and shady places such as cracks, vents and pipes.

Warnings

After visiting mice or if you have come into contact with a mouse, always clean everything thoroughly and wash yourself well.
Don't use poison. Poison doesn't kill quickly and leaves a mess that you won't find until it starts to smell. If you use poison you also run the risk that your children or pets will eat it.
Avoid glue traps. Glue traps are usually not animal-friendly at all and also not very effective because the mouse can rip its paw off and die elsewhere if it does not starve first.