I Need Mousetrap Ideas!

[JohnDB]

Cookies in a mousetrap on the nightstand?

 

[stovebolts]

True Story: When my wife and I were first married a mouse apparently died underneath our bed. Sure the room had an odd smell for a little while, but it went away and we didn't think much of it. Later one of was cleaning out from under the bed and found what we thought was a big dust bunny. Nope. Still had the fur on it.

We had a big fat rat get between the insulation and the floor next to the heater vent... We thought something died in the hvac.
I started removing the insulation in the basement to take the hvac apart and it fell to the floor....it was almost in a liquid state...i puked. Literally...

We now have two rat terriers and two cats. Not only do we not have an issue with rats, mice or snakes, but we don't have problems with the moles either.

What we do have a problem with is squirrels in our attic. The dogs get at least a half dozen squirrel a year, but we always get them in out attic. Drives me nuts.

 

[JohnDB]

Nice, like other more simple creatures can have a genetic memory or preference for certain foods...
Like cookies.
Peanut butter has been used in traps for a while...and all mice who like it are probably dead.

But mice that eat cookies aren't...it's a safe food for them and the generations that grew up eating them procreated.

So try cookies as bait...see what happens

 

[Luminous_Rose]

I made one of these already and it turned out very nice and he would have to get inside to get to the food or get cooked. He would not get in to it. Too smart.

And I wont get a kitty cat, I just wont. I have nothing against cats, I'm just a dog kind of guy and always have been.

But last night was the last straw! That lone mouse is getting bold. He came into my bedroom and climbed up onto my nightstand which is right beside my bed...while I slept...and ate my cookies! That is going too far and I am out for revenge.

I forgive him, but I can't let it go. He has to want to move away or he has to give up the ghost. That is all there is too it.

He's wise to conventional snap traps, he was wise to my home made electric zap trap, he wouold not let himself get trapped in my 5 gal bucket water trap...and I even tried mixing some Baking Soda and Flour together and setting little dishes of that around for him with some water near (I read that Mice can not burp or fart so the baking soda expands to a gas inside them and they die...I never heard that before but was willing to try...He didn't like it. I saw one disturbance in it, where he put his snoot in it to see what it was but he left it alone and untouched after that)...

So nothing has worked so far. What I need, is a type of home made trap that he has never seen before and will not suspect.

I have one idea. To climb up onto my nightstand, he had to climb up the cord for the lamp. I think I will (unplug) the lamp and make some grab points on it to help him climb...but they will be hot and 120v so when he grabs both sides, he will (hopefully) die from electrocution. I'll do this while I wait on ideas from my Brothers & Sisters here on the board. And I'll leave some real good smelling goodies on the nightstand that he can smell and want some...

Havent any of you all here made a home made mouse trap before of your own design? I need something a little out of the ordinary and not common that this mouse has seen before in the neighborhood, ya know?

I never had to make my own, the only one I can think of is that shoebox idea I mentioned earlier. You already tried the 5 gallon bucket.

 

[Edward]

Cookies in a mousetrap on the nightstand?

I thought of that! I'll prolly do just that tonight!

 

[Knotical]

We had a big fat rat get between the insulation and the floor next to the heater vent... We thought something died in the hvac.
I started removing the insulation in the basement to take the hvac apart and it fell to the floor....it was almost in a liquid state...i puked. Literally...

We now have two rat terriers and two cats. Not only do we not have an issue with rats, mice or snakes, but we don't have problems with the moles either.

What we do have a problem with is squirrels in our attic. The dogs get at least a half dozen squirrel a year, but we always get them in out attic. Drives me nuts.

Sounds like you need to a better job at sealing your attic.

 

[Knotical]

Nice, like other more simple creatures can have a genetic memory or preference for certain foods...
Like cookies.
Peanut butter has been used in traps for a while...and all mice who like it are probably dead.

But mice that eat cookies aren't...it's a safe food for them and the generations that grew up eating them procreated.

So try cookies as bait...see what happens

The last dozen mice I have gotten were done in with peanut butter. Apparently, West Texas mice still have the predeliction.

 

[stovebolts]

Sounds like you need to a better job at sealing your attic.

More than just the attic. The house is going on 120 years. I've spent many hours sealing the attic to keep the bats out, and that hadn't paid off either...

 

[daninthelionsden]

I made one of these already and it turned out very nice and he would have to get inside to get to the food or get cooked. He would not get in to it. Too smart.

And I wont get a kitty cat, I just wont. I have nothing against cats, I'm just a dog kind of guy and always have been.

But last night was the last straw! That lone mouse is getting bold. He came into my bedroom and climbed up onto my nightstand which is right beside my bed...while I slept...and ate my cookies! That is going too far and I am out for revenge.

I forgive him, but I can't let it go. He has to want to move away or he has to give up the ghost. That is all there is too it.

He's wise to conventional snap traps, he was wise to my home made electric zap trap, he wouold not let himself get trapped in my 5 gal bucket water trap...and I even tried mixing some Baking Soda and Flour together and setting little dishes of that around for him with some water near (I read that Mice can not burp or fart so the baking soda expands to a gas inside them and they die...I never heard that before but was willing to try...He didn't like it. I saw one disturbance in it, where he put his snoot in it to see what it was but he left it alone and untouched after that)...

So nothing has worked so far. What I need, is a type of home made trap that he has never seen before and will not suspect.

I have one idea. To climb up onto my nightstand, he had to climb up the cord for the lamp. I think I will (unplug) the lamp and make some grab points on it to help him climb...but they will be hot and 120v so when he grabs both sides, he will (hopefully) die from electrocution. I'll do this while I wait on ideas from my Brothers & Sisters here on the board. And I'll leave some real good smelling goodies on the nightstand that he can smell and want some...

Havent any of you all here made a home made mouse trap before of your own design? I need something a little out of the ordinary and not common that this mouse has seen before in the neighborhood, ya know?

The glue trap works.....it's like flypaper on steroids. They sell them in stores. Mouse goes in never comes out then u throw the whole thing in the trash. Problem solved.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

We had a big fat rat get between the insulation and the floor next to the heater vent... We thought something died in the hvac.
I started removing the insulation in the basement to take the hvac apart and it fell to the floor....it was almost in a liquid state...i puked. Literally...

We now have two rat terriers and two cats. Not only do we not have an issue with rats, mice or snakes, but we don't have problems with the moles either.

What we do have a problem with is squirrels in our attic. The dogs get at least a half dozen squirrel a year, but we always get them in out attic. Drives me nuts.

Believe it or not you just reminded me of this video lol!

 

[Edward]

Sounds like you need to a better job at sealing your attic.

My attic?! is that where they come in? I didn't realize that! I know the attic needs sealed and I do work on it sometimes but I thought I was sealing for air leaks. I have been scouting around the perimeter of the ground floor trying to see where they could get in and seal those up too.

I have a big walk around attic and lacking a garage I have cleaned it all out and have been moving things up there for storage. Stuff I'll hardly ever need to get to but good stuff that I don't want a bunch of mice living in either!

I'm glad I started this thread!

 

[Knotical]

Just found out we have another mouse in the house. Looks like I will be setting up yet another trap in the laundry room (that's where all of ours come from).

 

[stovebolts]

My attic?! is that where they come in? I didn't realize that! I know the attic needs sealed and I do work on it sometimes but I thought I was sealing for air leaks. I have been scouting around the perimeter of the ground floor trying to see where they could get in and seal those up too.

I have a big walk around attic and lacking a garage I have cleaned it all out and have been moving things up there for storage. Stuff I'll hardly ever need to get to but good stuff that I don't want a bunch of mice living in either!

I'm glad I started this thread!

They can get in the smallest of places.
From a building perspective, my house has vertical trusses with horizontal planks spaced randomly for the original cedar planks. When we tore off the five layers years ago, I put OSB on too of the horizontal planks.

The drip edge covers the OSB and the planks. However, there is that big gap between the OSB and the planks. The squirrels and bats squeeze between the drip edge and then slide between the gap to enter the attic.

 

[daninthelionsden]

This thread is funny because way back in the first chapter of my book my character has to deal with a smart elusive mouse.

 

[Luminous_Rose]

Is the mouse still at large? Did the cookies work?

(Lol reminds me of this).

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

I forgot to mention yesterday that my mom used to read me that book when I was little.

 

[Luminous_Rose]

I forgot to mention yesterday that my mom used to read me that book when I was little.

The books were good. I remember them. I didn't know they had a show until one of my kids wanted to watch it. It kind of drives me nuts. That theme song still gets stuck in my head from time to time, but I think it is quoted from the book.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

The books were good. I remember them. I didn't know they had a show until one of my kids wanted to watch it. It kind of drives me nuts. That theme song still gets stuck in my head from time to time, but I think it is quoted from the book.

Yeah, I only know the intro of the book since it's been forever since that book was read to me.

 

[HeIsRisen2018]

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that it looks like we have a little Mickey (or Minnie) in our house again as well. It's been making a terrible mess of things by shredding toilet paper and even stealing cat food from our kitty!

 

[Luminous_Rose]

Hey guys, I just wanted to let you know that it looks like we have a little Mickey (or Minnie) in our house again as well. It's been making a terrible mess of things by shredding toilet paper and even stealing cat food from our kitty!

Maybe the cold is driving them indoors.