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Sunday, March 14th, 2010 01:32 pm
Caught the mouse. Not sure if he's going to make it, but at least this way he'll be hawk food if nothing else. Circle of life and all that.

I really need to just bite the bullet and order a Have-A-Heart trap. Because the biggest problem with the ones I have is that 1) it doesn't 'breath' well, so if you don't get the mouse out fairly fast they die, and 2) it's not see-though, so it's really hard to see when you have a mouse. I've also tried the Mouse Cube, and a similar one, and they're rubbish. The mice can get out too easily.

What I really need is a combination of the Have-A-Heart trap and the one I have. Basically, a big metal cage with the one-way door, idea for catching multiple mice. You could, if you wanted, put a little food and water in that puppy and toss it up in an attic, and you wouldn't even have to check it every day!

There are a million 'build a better mousetrap' websites out there. I tried the one with the pop bottle, where you cut off the top, and nothing happened. Never caught a single mouse.

There's also this site, which is intriguing, as far as the one-way wheel goes. I wonder if that would really work, or if the behavior of the pet 'test mice' is different from wild mice? Also, I don't think you could use a plastic wheel for the entrance, as a wild mouse would gnaw through that faster than you can say... okay, well, quickly, anyway. Also, it would have to be a very close fit with the ground, or a wild mouse will squeeze right out of it.

I still think the tippy ramp on the ones I have is probably the easiest and best access point. I just need it to lead to a better trap. Because as long as I have a dog (and dog food) there will be mice. :/
Monday, March 15th, 2010 01:50 am (UTC)
My grandfather made a game of catching mice and rats.. Not live catch though :) He would take a plastic bucket with a tight lid.. 5 gallon bucket.. he would cut a flap in the top and using clothespin springs and the plastic he removed. He would use part of the wooden clothespin and cover it in peanut butter sticking it to the underside of the flap.. Mice would walk on to get the PB, fall in, and land in about an inch of water and rat poison..

Clever simple design.