Mice in a house.

[David.s]

Hi guys, first off not sure if this is in right place, if not i apologize.

bit of a strange story, my mum was cleaning out a part of our kitchen sort of a corner cupboard section, but the back of it is not enclosed, when she was going through it she found some packets of crisps with the packets torn, looks like its been nibbled by something. seen a thing on the news about field mice wrecking peoples pipes under their floorboards, and wondered if it was the same thing.

so my question is, if it is a mouse how do i catch it so i can release it into a field somewhere, and if its not a mouse how would i catch it anyway ? lol

thanks for any help.

 

[Jodie]

Well... if you go to a hardware shop they should stock fluffy or not-so-fluffy mouse traps.
The ones I have (never caught the mice after all, but they seem to have headed off
elsewhere) are black plastic boxes that trap and hold the animal for later release, cost
about three pounds I think. The less fluffy ones are cheaper - just a vicious looking spring
and a bit of wood.

It's recommended to bait them with a bit of peanut butter and leave them 'set' but check
regularly (every six hours).

I've also heard that putting a bit of wire wool around the skirting board edges discourages
them from wandering around the kitchen but frankly that sounds ludicrous - who has that
much wire wool?! But try it if you happen to have lots to hand

Also, pack everything away to discourage them. If they're not aware of the treats in your
kitchen they'll go elsewhere. If I had, I'd have made sure to take the box far, far away so
that the mice didn't just nip back in while I wasn't looking.

I've seen mice in my kitchen, seen their calling cards and chomp marks yet never
managed to get one in my little black box.

 

[Tengu]

I find dried fruit the best trap bait

Whoever got this notion mice like cheese?

Peanut butter would be good too

 

[SOAR]

I think they like soap, I think!, its either mice or rats or try chocolate, that worked in the rat traps I put down once, not so fluffy ones I'm afraid as the ones we caught were rats, big uns an all, dont want to release those back into the wild.

 

[hedgepig]

Depends where you live and what the species is.

If you live in the country and have yellow-necked mice then catch 'em in a live trap and release them at least a couple of miles (or more) away from nearest habitation. They can travel quite far!

If you live in a town and they are house mice, then I'd be inclined to use poison!

 

[stuartmac5]

Ive always had good success with putting an old fashioned (glass) milk bottle on it's side at about 20-30 degrees off horizontal, in the cupboard with good old cheese in.
The mouth of the bottle is propped up on an old t-shirt or towel to give them some way to climb in and stop the bottle rolling around with a moose struggling frantically to get out.
First thing in the morning, check the bottle, as they can get in but it is too slippery to get out.
then identification is easy
just let it go plenty distance away, or the little boogar will poo in your cornflakes tomorrow

 

[David.s]

Thanks very much for the advise guys, will get some traps/jars later on.

ill probly want to keep it as a pet, i think ill name it mickey lol

 

[jojo]

that's going to be a big bottle

We have 2 cats here and you would think they would keep the little blighters down, but, oh no, one of them brings them in and let them go in the house, maybe the darn cat is keeping her larder stoked up, or she is feeling sorry for the mices, I don't know, I have tried the fluffy traps, mostly don't work so well, although some metal ones have very strong springs and once killed a mousey.

 

[Miggers]

We got overrun with the little b****rs last year when one of our cats brought a pregnant mouse in to 'play' with. Took months to eradicate them, combination of non fluffy traps and one of the electronic scarers.

Nothing now for over a year!

Pete

 

[daved]

I would avoid using poison. The last thing you want is for your little furry squatter to die under a floorboard or somewhere else you can't get to. Mice may be small but they do stink when they rot and the smell lasts for ages, especially if they snuggle up against a hot pipe to die. Some poisons claim that the mice die outside or don't smell but I wouldn't risk it in the house.

If you want to go for the lethal route, then you can't beat the wooden "little nipper" traps where the whole front platform is the trigger. For bait, peanut butter, chocolate and dried fruit all work well.

Act soon before they get too established. Mice may be cute but they can be quite destructive.

 

[commandocal]

Make a deadfall with a hammer

 

[BushTucker]

I would advise against poison as past experience with the little critters prooved they survive long enough to get back to there hideout before they die, the stink can be horrible untill you rip half the house apart to find the dead rotting carcase

 

[Bernie Garland]

the best method to live catch are sticky pads,as they have to cross them on there travels,available on line hope this helps bernie

 

[perpetualelevator]

A trap that I've found works pretty well is a large plastic bucket with a ramp leading up to the lip. Spread some peanut butter on the sides of the bucket so they climb inside to get it. Mice can jump surprisingly high, so make sure it's a deep bucket (like a commercial-sized oil or paint bucket - 10 gallons?), or put some kind of lid on it. Can be made non-fluffy as well, with the addition of a few inches of water in the bottom.

 

[daved]

the best method to live catch are sticky pads,as they have to cross them on there travels,available on line hope this helps bernie

Can you release mice from these sticky pads alive? Sounds like it would be rather more traumatic for the mouse than those box traps. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the sticky pads are considered rather inhumane - as the captive mouse struggles, it's body gets caught in the glue too and they can end up suffocating. Not sure if it is true but I think that a either a lethal snap-trap or a live capture box trap sound like better options.

 

[Bernie Garland]

Can you release mice from these sticky pads alive? Sounds like it would be rather more traumatic for the mouse than those box traps. I seem to remember reading somewhere that the sticky pads are considered rather inhumane - as the captive mouse struggles, it's body gets caught in the glue too and they can end up suffocating. Not sure if it is true but I think that a either a lethal snap-trap or a live capture box trap sound like better options.

personally i have had no probs getting them off the sticky pads and have had no fatalities,but at the end of the day its what method your happy with.
bernie

 

[SOAR]

Thet are good those sticky pads, not good for rats though as they tend to eat each other when one gets stuck on them.

 

[andy_e]

Make a deadfall with a hammer

Hahahaha - if we ever get stuck in the wilderness, remind me not to send you out hunting or it'll be game pancakes all round

 

[Silverback]

If you can run to it get an electric trap - awesome bit of kit and virtually infallible. I have caught hundreds of mice and a good few rats in electric traps - no re-releasing with this method though

 

[grebo247365]

Try keeping a ferret, better than a cat for vermin work and lots of fun!!!