I got a mouse problem. Need help, geniuses.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

OK, I did the trap with peanut butter on it.

The little barsted manages to get the peanut butter off the trap, without springing it!!!

:banghead:

What to do???

[kentauros]

1. Get a cat? ;)

Mine wouldn't do much more than basically "point" at one, as in, sit in the general area, staring at the hiding place :P

What about those "no kill" traps? I thought they were supposed to capture the mouse inside of a cage-like device...

[AsahinaKimi]

GET One of these, used them for years..

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Pest+control+II&hl=en&safe=off&prmd=ivns&resnum=3&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=5398228267305789027&ei=eI82TfLbHo26sQO2o4nkAQ&sa=X&oi=product_catalog_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CHgQ8wIwAA#

[jobycom]

3. Looks startlingly like a Cyberman.

[AsahinaKimi]

2. DUPE

[jobycom]

4. Get an optical mouse and then the peanut butter won't mess up that little ball thingie.

If you mean the furry kind, I'm the wrong person to ask. The last time I found a mouse, I made friends and named it. Cute little guy. He even got to where he'd come out at night and watch me work, though if I got too close he'd scurry back a little. He used to steal my pistachios, and one day when my printer jammed I found that he had been storing them in the paper tray. This was at my office at work--my cats aren't as friendly as I am to the little critters.

[MiddleFingerMom]

5. My ex and I lived in a little tiny A-frame house in the middle of some woods...

.
.
.
,,,on the Kentucky/Tennessee border. Set about 10 feet off the ground
on posts, there was a little, tiny creeklet that ran underneath it.
.
In the winter when we'd take a bath, you could hear the field mice
scurrying around under the tub -- soaking up the warmth.
.
.
.
In Pennsylvania, I had a "pet" squirrel. I noticed this squirrel with a
really sad-looking bent punk-hairdo tail would sit on my second-floor
windowsill and stare in at me (there was a tiny wooded grotto in the
backyard of the music store I was living over. I started leaving some
honey-roasted peanuts out there... and opened the window 4-5 inches
and started leaving a trail of them leading across an end table right up
to a pile of them on the arm of the sofa where I usually sat studying.
He (she?) gradually got to a point of trust where he would sit RIGHT by
my shoulder and nosh contentedly. I never tried to pet him... and he
never took his eyes off me when close... but we became sort of close
but wary buds.
.
.
.

[Crystal Clarity]

15. Aww cute story.

I like squirrels. Not necessarily in my house (lol) but I love to watch them and don't mind that they raid the bird feeders or eat the seed I put out on my deck railing... 'the runway' I call it, because it reminds me of one the way the birds come in for a landing.

Anyway the runway is a great place to watch the squirrels. From this computer, I can look out on them only feet away. For some unknown reason, both my SO and our dog hate the cute little guys though. If it wasn't for me my SO would "blister their asses" just so he can let the dumb dog think he actually got one. The two jokers did it once but their moment of fun and games came to an abrupt and painful ending once I caught them.

I know they won't be pulling THAT stunt again :evilgrin:

[Lasher]

6. I had that same problem. I took it as a challenge and declared war.

My mouse traps look like this:



The little bastards were licking off the peanut butter without springing the traps. I sprayed WD-40 on the trigger area to make it more slippery and then I caught one. Then I put two traps side by side, thinking they have to stand somewhere while they lick. I scored a double that night.

Don't give up. Try something different. But you can't do any better than peanut butter for bait.

[seabeyond]

7. every fall i have had mice, for over a decade. started feeding feral cats. first year, no mice

i am all for the cat solution.

hubby used a bb gun once. peanut butter wraped in a little bacon. or cheese. amazing how some little mice are so clever they are tough to catch taking weeks.... it seems.

[hobbit709]

8. Let a couple of these live under your house

[pintobean]

9. This guy has a few ideas that might help

[WilliamPitt]

10. Cat.

[meow2u3]

11. Get a cat--or two!

Mama kitties are very good at catching mice, not only to feed their kittens, but also to teach them how to catch their own mice. Even better, get two cats so they'll work in shifts :)

Caveat: not all cats are good mousers. Be careful when choosing your cat. Stay away from little kittens (they don't have the mousing experience). Also, choose a female over a male. Boy kitties will be too busy trying to snuggle up to you to be catching vermin.

Source: personal experience.

[DainBramaged]

12. Gallon milk bottle with seeds in it, air holes, on cardboard.

when he goes in, you tip it up on the spout to keep him in, pick it up with cardboard, and then put the bugger outside.

[hobbit709]

13. And then they come right back in.

[NNadir]

23. Get an owl or a falcon.

Keep them in the bathroom, and let 'em out at night.

OK, just let the owl out at night. Use the falcon for day jobs.

If I knew how to solve the mouse problem for real, I wouldn't have mice.

One winter we had a snowy owl around here, and as I recall, we actually didn't have a mouse problem.

[Mopar151]

14. Wire (or twist-tie) a peanut on the trigger

Smear a little peanut butter on it - Ratso may be able to lick the peanut butter off without triggering the trap, but biting the peanut and trying to take it - Bang:nuke: no more Ratso!

[bif]

16. This works every time for me

Put a big dollop of peanut butter on the trigger pad. Then carefully wrap some string around it and make sure it's embedded into the peanut butter. Sometimes I also ake a pair of pliers and slightly flatten the slot the pin hooks into so it's like a hair trigger release. I've bagged every mouse that's invaded our house.

[Kali]

17. that is actually good

now it knows and will be less careful

moosh the peanut butter onto the trigger better - also a piece of bacon or a chocolate chip pressed well into the PB is very attractive to them

some traps are just crappier than others - you can play around with how it is set or just try a different trap, but the fact that you have it taking the bait is excellent - you will catch it soon

[bif]

18. Also remember, where there's a mouse, there are usually two

So once you've bagged one, keep setting a trap. Actually, I've gotten 5 or 6 in a row.

[Kali]

20. I think the rule of thumb is 10!

for every one you see there are 10 more

[LynneSin]

19. When you find the geniuses will you let us know

thank you!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

44. YOU GUYS are supposed to be the geniuses!!

That's why I asked!

:rofl:

[Frosty1]

21. Glue traps

Gets them every time, then I drown them in the toilet. It takes about 1 minute but its better than letting them suffer.

[Kali]

32. seriously?

hours stuck in glue and a minute drowning vs instant death from a snap trap?

and if the basis is the objection to cruelty, live trap and release is only a feel-good exercise for the human involved as it is almost certain to result in territorial competition or death by predation or exposure. (if not re-entry or trouble for some other home owner)

[Frosty1]

37. I have 4 snap traps 2 live traps and 2 glue traps

The only trap that is actually catching the mice is the glue trap. Mice have chewed the wiring, ruined food in the pantry and chewed holes in my winter boots in the closet. At this point it's me or the mice I WIN .
Oh and I have 2 cats who seem to only want to catch mice outdoors.

[Blue-Jay]

43. Seriously. Glue traps work.

If the idea of a mouse suffering is too much for you to bear, I'd suggest feeding it and giving it a name like Steve, Claire, or Patrice.

Check your traps frequently and when you catch one, stick it in a plastic bag and bash it on the sidewalk as quickly as possible. I know that sounds horrible, but you gotta do what you gotta do.

[Frosty1]

52. That is if the snap trap kills them

More than once it caught the mouse by the leg and broke its leg the mouse then used its other 3 legs to run and hide then I had to go searching for the mouse and the snap trap.

Mice are really smart. A snap trap is pretty much a one shot deal. If you don't catch the mouse the first time the mouse will learn to avoid it in the future. Same thing with the live traps I keep in the kitchen. They worked real good at first but the mice started avoiding them.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

22. kick

[Kaleva]

24. I live trap them and bring them to an old barn where I let them loose and leave some food

Some years ago, my wife had set out some glue traps and one was caught. The Mrs. told me to drown the critter in a bucket of water in the garage. I filled the bucket and put the glue trap with the live mouse in and held the critter under water. I could see it looking up at me as it struggled. I pulled it out of the water and very carefully removed the mouse from the glue trap. I then brought it to the old barn on another piece of property we own along with a small can of sunflower seeds. I let the mouse loose and dumped the seeds on the floor and left.

Ever since then, I only live trap mice in the house and then bring them to the old barn.

[Frosty1]

38. Good grief

Do you feed flies and mosquitoes too?

[Kaleva]

47. Well, I rescue drowning worms out of pools of water in the driveway.

[Frosty1]

51. At least worms have a purpose in life

They aerate an fertilize the soil plus make good bait for fishing. They are not destructive like mice but, the first time I catch a worm chewing my wiring it's a goner.

[orleans]

25. get a nice cage, a couple wheels they can run on, some nice

multi-colored bedding, an editable "hut" and some fiesta strawberry yogurt chips--they really like those.

my daughter has five mice. they are adorable.

[Kali]

31. they are adorable in a cage or on your hand as a pet...

in your cupboards pissing and shitting on your food, the insulation of your oven, or shredding your things in the dresser, desk, or closet? not so much

[Frosty1]

53. Tell you what

I will send all my mice to you OK?
:evilgrin:

[darkstar3]

26. If you're gonna get a cat, GET TWO. One of each sex.

In my experience, as another poster said, females are better mousers, but they tend to catch even more mice when there is a male around. I think it's because they're so incensed at the lazy fat ass soaking in the human attention.

[MissB]

49. Bahaha

That must be why my female cat is always so pissy. The male cat just sprawls out on the floor, looking for someone to rub his fat belly.

[pamela]

27. this works

Take a paper plate and smear a bit of peanut butter near the edge of one side. Place the plate on your kitchen counter with half of the plate (the half with the peanut butter) hanging off the counter. Place a tall, empty garbage can under the over-hanging plate. The mouse will run onto the plate and fall in the garbage can. This actually works and you can release the mouse into the wild if you are feeling charitable or drown it if you are feeling mean.

[Frosty1]

54. Charity my ass

If I let the little bastard live they just go out and fuck around and make more baby mice who now know the best eats are at my house. Charity is for people and animals who don't mess with me.

[BlueJazz]

28. Get one of these. >>

[raccoon]

29. I was going to suggest, open it, remove the ball and clean the rollers.

Then I read your message and realized that wouldn't help you.

Do you have a cat? :hi:

[rbnyc]

30. Glue Traps and...

...put brillo pads in any cracks where they might be getting in and out. The mice will chew the steel wool and it will rip up their insides and they will die.

[GreenPartyVoter]

33. Set a couple more traps. I had one that the critter kept eating off of and then one day, without it

being baited, it got the little guy. (I also caught one mouse in two traps and two babies in one trap)

I hate, hate, hate doing it but I can't have them messing all over my kitchen and putting my family at risk for illness.

[Broderick]

34. Get a cat

[Blue-Jay]

46. Not all cats catch mice.

Mostly they eat and shit. Sometimes they also keep your lap warm and do stupid stuff that makes you laugh.

[Submariner]

35. Hostess Cup Cakes

I once left a pack of the cream-filled cupcakes in my desk at work, and went on a field trip for a month. I cam back and all that was left were the cream centers. The mouse burrowed a little hole in the wrapper, ate all the chocolate cake and frosting with swirls, but rejected the cream.

There were little teeth mark scrapes on the now stale cream cylinders standing alone inside the cellophane packet.

I always have wondered if that mouse was sending me a message about the toxicity of the cream filling if even he/she wouldn't eat it.

[Brickbat]

36. Chocolate frosting, and put some on the underside of the tab. It'll push the tab to get under it

and spring the trap. The only thing is, it won't always be a clean kill and might flop around a little bit. Just warning ya.

[Hotler]

39. Use very little peanut butter.......

use a toothpick or something to smear it way inside so they have to stick their mouth in there to get at it. If its a Victor trap you can squeeze the bait end closed a little more. You can bend the tab that holds the lever over a bit more to make the trap more sensitive. Very little is all it takes. Watch your fingers. hold the trap by the sides. Always recycle your dead mice. Throw them out by the bird feeders.

[WilliamPitt]

40. Cat yet?

[Curmudgeoness]

41. Make sure the trap is not a cheap one. I only use Victor

after buying some of the cheaper ones that do not spring easily or with enough force (that is way too sad).

I put peanut butter on the trip then stick a chocolate chip in the peanut butter. I always get my mouse (I have had up to 20 in a year). But I had one mouse I dubbed Mensa Mouse, sounds like you have one of those. I took a couple of weeks, but in the end, I won. It didn't feel good though. That was one ornery mouse.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

42. Cat.

The best mousetrap there is. Body disposal is included (usually, and mostly).

[Curmudgeoness]

45. Not if it ends up being a cat like I have.

Or the ones I had before. Different reasons. This one (and the one that just passed away) have no clue what a mouse is or why they should care.

The other cats loved eating mice. And then hacking them back up. I will take the trap any day. Gross. :puke:

[MissB]

48. We have a tall plastic garbage can under our sink.

When we found mice, we eventually figured out to take the plastic bag out each night, leaving only the trap at the bottom. Mouse would scurry along the water pipes to get in, but could.not.get.out. The plastic can was too tall. They'd either trigger the trap or be in there in the morning, scared to death.

Easy cheap solution after trying every freaking trap.

We have two cats. One will eat EVERYTHING but the mouse tail (kindly leaving the tail on our bathmat) and the other one will disembowel it and leave it on the floor. The garbage can is cleaner, oddly enough.

[zen_bohemian]

50. borrow a couple of cats from someone for the weekend or

try sandwich cheese, really smash it down on the trigger part of the trap.

[ornotna]

55. Get a rat zapper

http://www.amazon.com/Agri-Zap-RZCOO1-Zapper-Classic/dp/B002665ZTC/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1296269827&sr=8-2

[Frosty1]

56. That sounds like a good Idea n/t

:hi:
I wonder if it could be a fire hazard?

[applegrove]

57. bacon.