That's why they say the second mouse gets the cheese or peanut butter.
Mysterious Rodent?
- Thread starter jvc714
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Help Support House Repair Talk:
Jeff, thank you for the suggestion.
Bill, I have the Tomcat version of those traps. I only caught one adult mouse and they would not dare to eat from the trap again.
I found a trap online like the one attached from an old design and decided to make it. This morning, I caught 1 more adult mice.
I hope both adults are gone only leaving the small ones which appears to walk into a live trap.
Bill, I have the Tomcat version of those traps. I only caught one adult mouse and they would not dare to eat from the trap again.
I found a trap online like the one attached from an old design and decided to make it. This morning, I caught 1 more adult mice.
I hope both adults are gone only leaving the small ones which appears to walk into a live trap.
So far, my experience has not been the same. The cheese gets abandoned and they never touch the trap again. So far, every new mousetrap I put in, I catch only one mouse except for the two babies in the live trap.
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
Are you using peanut butter as bait?
It works very well.
Cheese never worked well for me.
And peanut butter is sticky, so they have to lick the trigger or apply pressure with their front claws to remove it, cheese comes off too easily.
It works very well.
Cheese never worked well for me.
And peanut butter is sticky, so they have to lick the trigger or apply pressure with their front claws to remove it, cheese comes off too easily.
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
I move the traps around the room where mice or droppings have been seen.
Always two traps together, set in a vee pattern.
It is harder for mice to sneak in and gently lick off the peanut butter in this setup.
Sometimes both traps will be set off!
Always two traps together, set in a vee pattern.
It is harder for mice to sneak in and gently lick off the peanut butter in this setup.
Sometimes both traps will be set off!
Jeff, I moved the trap around and tried your "V" pattern like you suggested. The mouse kept on out smarting the trap.
Here is what I have seen over and over again.
Eventually, I glued the food to the trap and got the second one via snap trap. This totals six mice caught.
Hopefully that's the last of them.
Here is what I have seen over and over again.
Eventually, I glued the food to the trap and got the second one via snap trap. This totals six mice caught.
Hopefully that's the last of them.
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
Whatever works!
Keep on fighting!
Keep on fighting!
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
Just watched the video.
You have the vee pattern wrong.
The wider part should be at the wall.
And if you just used a small glob of thick peanut butter as bait, there would be no way for the mouse to just waltz over and lift off the bait.
Use crunchy peanut butter, leave the traps baited without adding fresh bait, older peanut butter dries and is harder to steal.
You seem stubborn and determined to stick to some poor practices, but do whatever you want.
Good luck.
You have the vee pattern wrong.
The wider part should be at the wall.
And if you just used a small glob of thick peanut butter as bait, there would be no way for the mouse to just waltz over and lift off the bait.
Use crunchy peanut butter, leave the traps baited without adding fresh bait, older peanut butter dries and is harder to steal.
You seem stubborn and determined to stick to some poor practices, but do whatever you want.
Good luck.
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
Correction to my last post.
You have the vee pattern wrong, but yes the narrow part does go next to the wall.
But the snap section with the bait should be facing the wall.
Because mice often sneak along the walls for cover.
Although your little guy there does seem pretty bold and unusually cozy wandering around pretty freely, haha.
You have the vee pattern wrong, but yes the narrow part does go next to the wall.
But the snap section with the bait should be facing the wall.
Because mice often sneak along the walls for cover.
Although your little guy there does seem pretty bold and unusually cozy wandering around pretty freely, haha.
Thank you Jeff.
I will try the narrow part of the "V" towards the wall with the jaws facing the wall and will report back.
Yesterday, I tried gluing the bait to the trap and it did manage to catch 2 mice because they had to put pressure on the plate which tripped it.
Later in the day, other mice would not even get near the trap. Maybe they saw the other one die? Like I said, in a previous message about the trap being ineffective once it catches one (two in yesterday's case).
I will try to train them to think it is safe (unset trap) a few times before I set the trap.
I will keep you posted. Thank you.
I will try the narrow part of the "V" towards the wall with the jaws facing the wall and will report back.
Yesterday, I tried gluing the bait to the trap and it did manage to catch 2 mice because they had to put pressure on the plate which tripped it.
Later in the day, other mice would not even get near the trap. Maybe they saw the other one die? Like I said, in a previous message about the trap being ineffective once it catches one (two in yesterday's case).
I will try to train them to think it is safe (unset trap) a few times before I set the trap.
I will keep you posted. Thank you.
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
You can also use small pieces of bologna or pepperoni as bait, and attach them to the trigger with the little rubber bands that are used on braces for teeth.
But thick and stale peanut butter is still easier and unbeatable.
Post some more mouse videos, that was really interesting!
Some mice are really bold, they actually can be smart and friendly if they don’t realize that people want to kill them.
In my last house, most of the mice were in the basement or kitchen, and all the traps were there.
But one clever mouse used to cruise around my living room, looking for dropped crumbs from pizza or snacks.
Sometimes he would just wander over near my couch and sit there, like a dog waiting for a treat.
A few times, I even tossed him a bread crumb and he sat right there and ate it, waiting for more, like a pet.
Very tame and cute.
I think mice only travel about thirty feet from home in their entire lives.
But thick and stale peanut butter is still easier and unbeatable.
Post some more mouse videos, that was really interesting!
Some mice are really bold, they actually can be smart and friendly if they don’t realize that people want to kill them.
In my last house, most of the mice were in the basement or kitchen, and all the traps were there.
But one clever mouse used to cruise around my living room, looking for dropped crumbs from pizza or snacks.
Sometimes he would just wander over near my couch and sit there, like a dog waiting for a treat.
A few times, I even tossed him a bread crumb and he sat right there and ate it, waiting for more, like a pet.
Very tame and cute.
I think mice only travel about thirty feet from home in their entire lives.
Jeff Handy
Well-Known Member
You can try rinsing off a successful trap in hot water, if you think the smell of dead mouse is scaring them.
But I have used some traps successfully for years, never cleaned, and pretty disgusting with what was stuck on them, haha.
But I have used some traps successfully for years, never cleaned, and pretty disgusting with what was stuck on them, haha.
zannej
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Mice can be destructive & persistent little buggers. It's surprising what they can chew/dig through. They can squeeze through some very small spaces. They got into my mother's computer. I had to put fiberglass mesh over all of the holes & I put a little peppermint oil on the chassis. No mice since. Mice don't like the smell of peppermint oil so if you want to repel them you can spray peppermint oil or some pest repellent that contains peppermint and is non-toxic to humans & dogs (although it's toxic to cats).
Jeff, thanks for the suggestions. I tried the "V" shape orientation that you suggested and have noticed the mouse have been trying to get close but always backing away. Perhaps they are not used to the new orientation.
The good news is that I have another snap trap in my kitchen cabinet on the other side of the wall with the jaws facing the wall and it caught a mouse. That makes #8! In the last few days, I have not seen any mouse activity in the restroom. If that continues, I will move the camera under the kitchen sink to see if there is activity there.
Zannej, thanks for the suggestions. I will give it a try once I see more activity on the camera.
The good news is that I have another snap trap in my kitchen cabinet on the other side of the wall with the jaws facing the wall and it caught a mouse. That makes #8! In the last few days, I have not seen any mouse activity in the restroom. If that continues, I will move the camera under the kitchen sink to see if there is activity there.
Zannej, thanks for the suggestions. I will give it a try once I see more activity on the camera.
