So I have a mouse in my house

unclebob123

unclebob123

unclebob123

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For the last week, on a nightly basis I have seen a mouse flitting about. Infact I just saw it about 5 mins ago in my room but it then belted off.

Ive been looking at some home made mouse traps on the internet because I am cheap. I was wondering if anyone had any experience in building their own trap and on which design worked for you. The spinning cans suspended over a bucket seems to be a popular choise for the amature mouse catcher. Something along these lines - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyQX-aVwCf0.

Failing that, what highstreet shops actually sell traps?
 
You should be able to find them in hardware stores, like Wilkos... or maybe pound shops. They're really cheap, like 50p or £1 for three.

Edit - they're a lot nicer than drowning the poor critter as well, the death is instant with a standard spring trap.
 
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cactuscake said:
You should be able to find them in hardware stores, like Wilkos... or maybe pound shops. They're really cheap, like 50p or £1 for three.

Edit - they're a lot nicer than drowning the poor critter as well, the death is instant with a standard spring trap.
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I've never got a cat from here.

Which box were you looking in.
 
You can get a pack of spring-loaded mouse traps from most household utility stores. Set them and place them close to any open entrances such as fireplaces etc. and load them with chocolate. Mice go bananas for it.

Remember, where you've seen one, there's 20 you haven't.

We had quite a bad lot about 10 years ago, and this was in the city! Infestation of field mice during the winter. Our bedroom had a fireplace where they were coming from. One night, I was lying in bed and heard the trap shut, and for about 5 seconds afterwards a rapid "scuff-fff-f-f-f-f-f-f--f-fff" noise.

Got up in the morning and found it'd gotten two of them. The first went for the chocolate and got its neck/skull crushed by the trap. The second got whapped right down the nose/front of the head, but not actually in the trap. Must have went into some kind of horrid fit after getting whacked, which is what I heard.
 
im having the same issue, ive installed one of those sonic devices but they don't work, i even see the damn thing dart pass it. Im gonna pick up some of those glue traps sometime and set them up....mousetraps seem to old fashioned :D

A part of me just wants to set up some bait and shoot it :o
 
Rodents (especially rats, but to an extent mice) are neophobic. That means they're very wary indeed of new objects. With this in mind, you'll need:

Spring loaded traps (vary number according to the size of your place, 2 a room is OK)
Poison bait stations (Rentakill or The Big Cheese etc)
Chunky peanut butter and/or Nuttella (cheese is a myth, but rodents go mad for these!)

Bait the traps with a generous dollop of peanut butter/Nuttella and set along skirting, close to the wall and preferably behind objects (wardrobe, fridge, cooker, washer etc) where you've seen rodent activity. Put the baited end closest to the wall. Set bait stations in similar locations for maximum effect, but don't place a trap AND a bait station in the exact same space.

Remove ALL food sources from the floors (unsealed bins, bags of dog/cat/animal food, etc). Then, survey the OUTSIDE of your property - they're getting in somewhere. Any hole big enough to fit a biro in is big enough for mice to enter. Buy a roll of weldmesh/fly screen and a can of expanding foam. Stuff a piece of mesh just bigger than the hole into each one to make a tight fit, then fill the hole with enough foam to slightly over-fill it. Double check around pipe entrances, gas meters, phone/sky/aerial cables etc. Make sure you close ALL holes.

The rodents are now trapped in your house with no escape. They will be forced to seek food and water inside your home rather than being free to enter and leave at will. The only food and water supply they'll have is the traps and bait stations.

Wait. :D DO NOT disturb any traps or touch bait stations once they're laid. They'll need to be left to become part of the 'fixtures and fittings' before rodents will consider going near them. If they are disturbed regularly they'll have a 'new' scent about them and stink of human (which you don't want!). Only touch a trap if it's caught a mouse, in which case bin it and set another, or (if reusable) release the rodent into a bag and bin it before relaying the trap.

Good luck. :)
 
Rainmaker said:
Wait. :D DO NOT disturb any traps or touch bait stations once they're laid. They'll need to be left to become part of the 'fixtures and fittings' before rodents will consider going near them. If they are disturbed regularly they'll have a 'new' scent about them and stink of human (which you don't want!). Only touch a trap if it's caught a mouse, in which case bin it and set another, or (if reusable) release the rodent into a bag and bin it before relaying the trap.

Good luck. :)
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I've usually had day one success with mouse traps, none of the bedding in period you must have some pretty nervous mice in your area! If always found peanut butter the best bait the smell must be iresistable to them and it's quite powerfull so probably masks some of the human scent.
 
a1ex2001 said:
I've usually had day one success with mouse traps, none of the bedding in period you must have some pretty nervous mice in your area! If always found peanut butter the best bait the smell must be iresistable to them and it's quite powerfull so probably masks some of the human scent.
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True, urban mice are often more casual since they're used to hanging around humans and their dwellings. Being overly cautious never hurts though, hence my original advice. :)

Lostkat said:
Lies. Our cat brings them in live, lets them go, chases them for a bit and then goes off for a kip. She's a lover, not a fighter. :mad:

The humane traps are also rubbish. I recommend dynamite.
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A decent terrier would cure both your cat and mouse problem pdq. :p But yeah I agree, forget 'humane' traps just put spring based traps down.
 
£1 from wilkinsons, peanut butter and a bit of kit kat. Just get it done and dump it's lifeless corpse in the street.
 
Set up any trap really just make sure there is no food about for it to eat then its bound to either leave the house or end up going for food on trap and getting caught
 
Get a cheap disposable trap, put some peanut butter in it, and leave it out for a few days. You probably have more than one mouse though!
 
Or do what they do on the simpsons but just add a little.

Get a cat to kill the mouse.
Get a dog to kill the cat.
Get snakes to kill the dog.
get bears to kill the snakes.

wait for winter to come on by...

???

Profit
 
slowly earn it's trust, keep it in your pocket for a few weeks

then all of a sudden pet it too hard, like in Of Mice and Men
 
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