I'm not having much success luring poor innocent mice into my cruel old-
fashioned mousetrap with a trigger and spring-loaded bale. I've tried raw
bacon for bail with slight success, peanut butter with none. I've tried a
newer trap that lets them in but not out. Worked once over many years.

Other traps? Bait you've used with success? Cats?(Mine died a few years ago
and I've never replaced her - I'm too old. it would long outlive me.)

TIA



--
"Things would be a lot nicer if antique people were valued
as highly as antique furniture!" Anon

"KenK" wrote in message
...
I'm not having much success luring poor innocent mice into my cruel old-
fashioned mousetrap with a trigger and spring-loaded bale. I've tried raw
bacon for bail with slight success, peanut butter with none. I've tried a
newer trap that lets them in but not out. Worked once over many years.

Other traps? Bait you've used with success? Cats?(Mine died a few years
ago
and I've never replaced her - I'm too old. it would long outlive me.)

TIA

do they have access to better food than your bait? Traps work better when
the game is hungry.

KenK wrote:

Other traps? Bait you've used with success? Cats?(Mine died a few years
ago and I've never replaced her - I'm too old. it would long outlive me.)

I made one trap, but it was pretty specialize. We probably could have
peacefully co-existed but the mouse insisted on crapping on the kitchen
counter. I figured I could let gravity do the deed.

The core from a roll of paper towels would work, but not having one handy, I
made a triangular, mouse sized tube about 12" long. Mice love little spaces
like that. Next step is to put the bait in one end. He'd chewed into a loaf
of bread so I figured he liked bread and I sweetened up with a little peanut
butter. Balance the tube perpendicular to the end of the counter and put a
13 gallon trash can (empty) under the tube. The mouse spots the bait, heads
down the inviting tube, and eventually the whole thing overbalances and
falls into the trash can.

It took about 2 hours until I heard the thud and squeaking. Being Christmas
Eve, I just launched the mouse into the great outdoors.

Sadly, it didn't take the mouse too long to find his way back and that time
I used a conventional trap.

Ken:

I once read a magazine artice written by an old exterminator. He said that one of the reasons why traps become less effective over time is because people tend to use the same bait. In the case of peanut butter, the mice soon learn to be afraid of the scent of peanut butter because it kills. So, another peanut butter baited trap will only be effective against wild mice that come into your house looking for food.

Your best bet now might be to set poison out for them to eat.

But, even though you have the poison out, bait some traps with something else, like fried bacon and set them out so the mice become accustomed to eating fried bacon from the traps. Then you can start not only baiting the traps, but setting them too so that they kill the mice that go for the bacon.

KenK wrote in :

I'm not having much success luring poor innocent mice into my cruel old-
fashioned mousetrap with a trigger and spring-loaded bale. I've tried raw
bacon for bail with slight success, peanut butter with none. I've tried a
newer trap that lets them in but not out. Worked once over many years.

Mice are, by nature, herbivores, so one should not expect much success with bacon. And they
can lick peanut butter off without springing the trap.

Try a raisin. Mash it onto the bait pan, don't just lay it there. Mice cannot tug it off of the bait pan
without springing the trap. My success rate using raisins for bait is 100%.

I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack of sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...

I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all the mice survived except the old grey elderly ones.

I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!

Doug Miller wrote:
KenK wrote in
:

I'm not having much success luring poor innocent mice into my cruel
old- fashioned mousetrap with a trigger and spring-loaded bale. I've
tried raw bacon for bail with slight success, peanut butter with
none. I've tried a newer trap that lets them in but not out. Worked
once over many years.

Mice are, by nature, herbivores, so one should not expect much
success with bacon. And they
can lick peanut butter off without springing the trap.

Try a raisin. Mash it onto the bait pan, don't just lay it there.
Mice cannot tug it off of the bait pan without springing the trap. My
success rate using raisins for bait is 100%.

+1

bob haller wrote:
I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack of
sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...

I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all the
mice survived except the old grey elderly ones.

I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!

I hear they make great cat food . Since we got chickens , there's feed and
hay/straw around feed IS in a metal can w/lid and now we got mice .
Currently awaiting the delivery of 2 feline rodent control specialists . The
day I opened my rollaway toolbox drawer to have a mama with 6 attached leap
out at me decided me . They stay outside or they die . There's plenty of
stuff out in the woods for them to eat .

--
Snag

On 6/28/2014 12:13 PM, KenK wrote:
I'm not having much success luring poor innocent mice into my cruel old-
fashioned mousetrap with a trigger and spring-loaded bale. I've tried raw
bacon for bail with slight success, peanut butter with none. I've tried a
newer trap that lets them in but not out. Worked once over many years.

Other traps? Bait you've used with success? Cats?(Mine died a few years ago
and I've never replaced her - I'm too old. it would long outlive me.)

TIA



I like the conventional snap traps that have a higher surface tripper
that looks like a piece of cheese. They have a hair trigger and catch
more mice than the old ones. Just smear with peanut butter.

On 6/28/14, 4:48 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


I hear they make great cat food . Since we got chickens , there's feed and
hay/straw around feed IS in a metal can w/lid and now we got mice .
Currently awaiting the delivery of 2 feline rodent control specialists . The
day I opened my rollaway toolbox drawer to have a mama with 6 attached leap
out at me decided me . They stay outside or they die . There's plenty of
stuff out in the woods for them to eat .

The good, old fashioned, stinky moth balls seem to work as a
repellant. They seem to work ok keeping meeses out of old farm
building cabinets.

bob haller wrote in
:

I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack
of sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...

I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all
the mice survived except the old grey elderly ones.

That's why you had to empty it twice a day: you kept catching and releasing the same ones.

I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!

Killing mice in your house *is* necessary. They spread disease. They carry ticks, lice, and
mites.They destroy property by chewing. They pee and poop indiscriminately. They're
vermin.

Dean Hoffman" wrote:
On 6/28/14, 4:48 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


I hear they make great cat food . Since we got chickens , there's
feed and hay/straw around feed IS in a metal can w/lid and now we
got mice . Currently awaiting the delivery of 2 feline rodent
control specialists . The day I opened my rollaway toolbox drawer to
have a mama with 6 attached leap out at me decided me . They stay
outside or they die . There's plenty of stuff out in the woods for
them to eat .
The good, old fashioned, stinky moth balls seem to work as a
repellant. They seem to work ok keeping meeses out of old farm
building cabinets.

Thanks , I just happen to have some on hand - unless it's all gone away from
sittin' .

--
Snag

Doug Miller wrote:
KenK wrote in
:

I'm not having much success luring poor innocent mice into my cruel
old- fashioned mousetrap with a trigger and spring-loaded bale. I've
tried raw bacon for bail with slight success, peanut butter with
none. I've tried a newer trap that lets them in but not out. Worked
once over many years.

Mice are, by nature, herbivores, so one should not expect much
success with bacon. And they
can lick peanut butter off without springing the trap.

Try a raisin. Mash it onto the bait pan, don't just lay it there.
Mice cannot tug it off of the bait pan without springing the trap. My
success rate using raisins for bait is 100%.

1/2 of a pistachio wedged tight into the trigger, a never fail recipe around
here.

--
PV

"Today's Rain is Tomorrow's Whiskey"
Traditional Scottish Proverb

On 6/28/2014 12:13 PM, KenK wrote:
I'm not having much success luring poor innocent mice into my cruel old-
fashioned mousetrap with a trigger and spring-loaded bale. I've tried raw
bacon for bail with slight success, peanut butter with none. I've tried a
newer trap that lets them in but not out. Worked once over many years.

Other traps? Bait you've used with success? Cats?(Mine died a few years ago
and I've never replaced her - I'm too old. it would long outlive me.)

TIA



For bait, I've had good results with "Motomco Gel Mouse Attractant" (it
also says Tomcat on the label). It's a gel in a small squeeze bottle, so
it's easy to apply to the trap, plus the mice have to work a little to
lick it out and splat. Then there is usually gel left in the trap for
the next one. People on Amazon have widely varying results, but my
particular mice liked it so well that when they got into my pantry
closet, the chewed through the top of a bottle of it to get to it.

For traps, I've had decent results with the plastic ones that sort of
look like big bulldog clips, that you just pinch at one end to set. I've
also used ones that are in little plastic enclosures (good for keeping
my dogs' noses out!) but haven't seen them around lately.

On 6/28/2014 5:31 PM, bob haller wrote:
I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack of sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...

I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all the mice survived except the old grey elderly ones.

I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!

Trap and release, is like scooping water from one
side of the boat, and pour it onto the other side.

Some animals need to be killed.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 6/28/2014 7:27 PM, PV wrote:
Try a raisin. Mash it onto the bait pan, don't just lay it there.
Mice cannot tug it off of the bait pan without springing the trap. My
success rate using raisins for bait is 100%.

1/2 of a pistachio wedged tight into the

trigger, a never fail recipe around
here.


Knew a guy who drilled through almonds, and
wired them to the trigger.


--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On Saturday, June 28, 2014 6:24:26 PM UTC-4, Doug Miller wrote:
bob haller wrote in

:



I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack

of sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...



I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all

the mice survived except the old grey elderly ones.



That's why you had to empty it twice a day: you kept catching and releasing the same ones.



I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!



Killing mice in your house *is* necessary. They spread disease. They carry ticks, lice, and

mites.They destroy property by chewing. They pee and poop indiscriminately. They're

vermin.

Its just as easy to evict them, besides they are kinda cute.

On Saturday, June 28, 2014 8:03:37 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/28/2014 5:31 PM, bob haller wrote:

I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack of sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...



I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all the mice survived except the old grey elderly ones.



I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!



Trap and release, is like scooping water from one

side of the boat, and pour it onto the other side.



Some animals need to be killed.



--

.

Christopher A. Young

Learn about Jesus

www.lds.org

.

You CANT kill enough to make a difference more just move in

bob haller wrote:
On Saturday, June 28, 2014 8:03:37 PM UTC-4, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/28/2014 5:31 PM, bob haller wrote:

I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack of
sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...



I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all
the mice survived except the old grey elderly ones.



I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!



Trap and release, is like scooping water from one

side of the boat, and pour it onto the other side.



Some animals need to be killed.



--

.

Christopher A. Young

Learn about Jesus

www.lds.org

.

You CANT kill enough to make a difference more just move in

Then the cats will be well fed .

--
Snag

bob haller wrote:

I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack of
sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...

I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all the mice
survived except the old grey elderly ones.

I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!

How many repeat offenders did you have? Sounds like mouse heaven to me. Eat
the bait in the live trap, get a trip outside, rinse and repeat.

Fish & Game plays the same game culvert trapping problem bears, At least
they tranq the bear so he wakes up with a hangover and splitting headache
that slows him down on the return to his favorite bird feeder.

bob haller wrote:

Its just as easy to evict them, besides they are kinda cute.

What's a little hantavirus amongst friends. My first response is eviction.
If they don't stay evicted, I escalate.

On 6/29/2014 12:27 AM, rbowman wrote:
bob haller wrote:
I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!

How many repeat offenders did you have? Sounds like mouse heaven to me. Eat
the bait in the live trap, get a trip outside, rinse and repeat.

Fish & Game plays the same game culvert trapping problem bears, At least
they tranq the bear so he wakes up with a hangover and splitting headache
that slows him down on the return to his favorite bird feeder.


And we can mention the TX / Mexico border.

--
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On Sat, 28 Jun 2014 12:23:56 -0600, rbowman wrote:

I made one trap, but it was pretty specialize. We probably could have
peacefully co-existed but the mouse insisted on crapping on the kitchen
counter. I figured I could let gravity do the deed.

That reminds me of the time I inadvertently caught a mouse. Some decades
ago, when I still believed in the vilification of saturated fat, I would
brown my ground beef and pour the fat into a can. I seem to remember
something about the stove top was lower than the counter. Whatever, somehow
the mouse got into a can half filled with fat. It was swimming around and
couldn't get out. I put the can into a few layers of plastic bags and out
with the garbage it went.

Don. www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On Sat, 28 Jun 2014 20:40:32 +0200, nestork wrote:

I once read a magazine artice written by an old exterminator. He said
that one of the reasons why traps become less effective over time is
because people tend to use the same bait. In the case of peanut butter,
the mice soon learn to be afraid of the scent of peanut butter because
it kills.

I have seen multiple mousetraps on the basement floor each with a
mouse in its grip. I'm sure they didn't happen at the same time,
so I conclude that mice are stupid.

bob haller wrote in news:27e6a72d-1fce-41b1-96b4-
:

On Saturday, June 28, 2014 6:24:26 PM UTC-4, Doug Miller wrote:
Killing mice in your house *is* necessary. They spread disease. They carry ticks, lice,
and mites.They destroy property by chewing. They pee and poop indiscriminately.
They're vermin.

Its just as easy to evict them,

Except that they keep coming back.

besides they are kinda cute.

Hey, if you don't mind having mice chewing holes in things in your kitchen, and ****ing all
over your house, that's your business. Just don't invite me over for lunch, OK?

bob haller wrote in news:5baa934b-6b16-4f7f-91a6-18289e783202
@googlegroups.com:


You CANT kill enough to make a difference more just move in

Not if you seal up the holes they're entering through.

On 6/29/2014 12:31 AM, rbowman wrote:
bob haller wrote:

Its just as easy to evict them, besides they are kinda cute.

What's a little hantavirus amongst friends. My first response is eviction.
If they don't stay evicted, I escalate.

Hantavirus isn't a big problem in the U.S.
But leptospirosis is.

It's not the mice, but their urine, that carries it.

So it's not enough to trap the mice. Afterwards, clean the areas they
had infested.


--
Steven L.

On 6/28/2014 8:03 PM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/28/2014 5:31 PM, bob haller wrote:
I had a infestation at one time, after buying a 100 pound sack of
sunflower seeds for winter bird feeding...

I used a live box trap emptied at least twice a day outside. all the
mice survived except the old grey elderly ones.

I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!

Trap and release, is like scooping water from one
side of the boat, and pour it onto the other side.

Some animals need to be killed.

So do some Homo Sapiens.



--
Steven L.

Steven L. wrote:

Hantavirus isn't a big problem in the U.S.
But leptospirosis is.

It's around.

http://www.cdc.gov/hantavirus/survei...-exposure.html
http://unews.utah.edu/old/p/122308-1.html

A couple of people in Utah died in 2012 and there was a confirmed case in
Kane County, UT this spring. I'm not much of a hypochondriac but when I was
cleaning out a shed that a pack rat had taken up residence in I had a few
thoughts about a HazMat suit.

Leptospirosis at about 100 cases a year is a marginally larger problem than
hantovirus at 25-30. Considering 50% of the leptospirosis cases are in
Hawaii and the rest are mainly in the northeast, hantavirus is of more
interest to me.

Don Wiss wrote:

Whatever, somehow
the mouse got into a can half filled with fat. It was swimming around and
couldn't get out. I put the can into a few layers of plastic bags and out
with the garbage it went.

That's a variant on the trash container theme; fill it with a few inches of
water and let the mouse drown. I consider that cruel and unusual compared to
SNAP, you're dead. As a matter of interest, a motivated mouse can jump a
little more than halfway up the standard 13 gallon kitchen trash can.

On 6/28/2014 11:13 AM, KenK wrote:
I'm not having much success luring poor innocent mice into my cruel old-
fashioned mousetrap with a trigger and spring-loaded bale. I've tried raw
bacon for bail with slight success, peanut butter with none. I've tried a
newer trap that lets them in but not out. Worked once over many years.

Other traps? Bait you've used with success? Cats?(Mine died a few years ago
and I've never replaced her - I'm too old. it would long outlive me.)


Electronic traps - I have several years experience with the Rat Zapper
in the shop and in the wife's kitchen garden (chipmunks like her herbsg)

http://www.victorpest.com/store/hot-buys

Didn't think we had much of a problem until we bought these. Set one in
the garage in early December and over the course of three days, killed 9
of the little ****s. Brought one in the house and had two in two days
and then nothing.

Dry dog food nuggets work like a charm for bait or... The chipmunk
nailed today went into an unbaited trap.

Whatever you use... location, location, location. Mice and rats tend to
scurry along walls so place it parallel to the wall, right alongside the
baseboard

On 28 Jun 2014 16:13:57 GMT, KenK wrote:

Other traps? Bait you've used with success? Cats?(Mine died a few years ago
and I've never replaced her - I'm too old. it would long outlive me.)

feral cats?

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---

first SEAL ALL OUTSIDE ENTRY POINTS!

then livetrap and release.... once they cant get back into uor home the problem will go away.

plus dont be stuipd like I was, storing food like sunflower seeds in the basement..

the mice were busy, they had moved much of the 100 pound sack all thruout the basement.

in addition during some kitchen remodeling I put cement around all entry points so mice couldnt use my plumbing as raceways......

Dean Hoffman " wrote in
:

On 6/28/14, 4:48 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


I hear they make great cat food . Since we got chickens , there's
feed and
hay/straw around feed IS in a metal can w/lid and now we got mice .
Currently awaiting the delivery of 2 feline rodent control
specialists . The day I opened my rollaway toolbox drawer to have a
mama with 6 attached leap out at me decided me . They stay outside or
they die . There's plenty of stuff out in the woods for them to eat .

The good, old fashioned, stinky moth balls seem to work as a
repellant. They seem to work ok keeping meeses out of old farm
building cabinets.


I didn't know that! I'll try it! All uncanned food now in plastic storage
containers; shouldn't take much to get them to move out.



--
"Things would be a lot nicer if antique people were valued
as highly as antique furniture!" Anon

Nestor wrote in
:

On 28 Jun 2014 16:13:57 GMT, KenK wrote:

Other traps? Bait you've used with success? Cats?(Mine died a few
years ago and I've never replaced her - I'm too old. it would long
outlive me.)

feral cats?

--- news://freenews.netfront.net/ - complaints: ---


I feed several. Not sure I'd want one in the house though. Decidedly not
very good company. Probably wouldn't use the litter pan. Cat door and let
them freely come in and out? I dunno. Doesn't sound like a very good isea.


--
"Things would be a lot nicer if antique people were valued
as highly as antique furniture!" Anon

On Mon, 30 Jun 2014, bob haller wrote:

plus dont be stuipd like I was, storing food like sunflower seeds in the basement..
the mice were busy, they had moved much of the 100 pound sack all thruout the basement.

100 pound bags are awfully heavy. I was buying this in 50 pound bags. I
stored them inside only one season. They brought me moths. I then moved to
storing them outside. I can put two of them inside a metal garbage can. I
have a spring that goes through the lid handle and connects to each side
handle.

I briefly tried a plastic garbage can. The squirrels tried to chew through
it.

Outside is also very convenient to the bird feeder.

Don. www.donwiss.com (e-mail link at home page bottom).

On 6/29/2014 3:19 PM, rbowman wrote:
Don Wiss wrote:

Whatever, somehow
the mouse got into a can half filled with fat. It was swimming around and
couldn't get out. I put the can into a few layers of plastic bags and out
with the garbage it went.

That's a variant on the trash container theme; fill it with a few inches of
water and let the mouse drown. I consider that cruel and unusual compared to
SNAP, you're dead. As a matter of interest, a motivated mouse can jump a
little more than halfway up the standard 13 gallon kitchen trash can.



Reminds me of a couple of experiences:

SNAP, you're dead is not necessarily so.
Cold night I heard a snap in the furnace room and rather than throw the
mouse out the door, I opted to flush him. He revived in the toilet bowl
and tried to get out but got flushed anyway.
It's more like, snap and suffocate.

Glue traps work but a mouse may gnaw off a leg trying to escape. I've
seen it happen.

Caught one in a glue trap at friends hunting camp and watching him
struggle tossed him and the trap into the firebox. Watching him burn
still burns in my mind after many years.

On 6/29/2014 6:03 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/29/2014 12:27 AM, rbowman wrote:
bob haller wrote:
I DONT BELIEVE IN KILLING ANYTHING UNNECESSARILY!

How many repeat offenders did you have? Sounds like mouse heaven to
me. Eat
the bait in the live trap, get a trip outside, rinse and repeat.

Fish & Game plays the same game culvert trapping problem bears, At least
they tranq the bear so he wakes up with a hangover and splitting headache
that slows him down on the return to his favorite bird feeder.


And we can mention the TX / Mexico border.


Huge mouse traps would solve that problem

KenK wrote in
:

Dean Hoffman " wrote in
:

On 6/28/14, 4:48 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


I hear they make great cat food . Since we got chickens , there's
feed and
hay/straw around feed IS in a metal can w/lid and now we got mice
. Currently awaiting the delivery of 2 feline rodent control
specialists . The day I opened my rollaway toolbox drawer to have a
mama with 6 attached leap out at me decided me . They stay outside
or they die . There's plenty of stuff out in the woods for them to
eat .

The good, old fashioned, stinky moth balls seem to work as a
repellant. They seem to work ok keeping meeses out of old farm
building cabinets.


I didn't know that! I'll try it! All uncanned food now in plastic
storage containers; shouldn't take much to get them to move out.




I researched the moth balls on Google earlier. There seems to be a wide
difference in opinion on whether they work on mice. I bought a package of
moth balls and will try them anyway. AFAIK I have all the mouse-openable
food packages now stored in fairly thick plastic lidded large containers.
Shouldn't take much to encourage them to look for another home.


--
"Things would be a lot nicer if antique people were valued
as highly as antique furniture!" Anon

"KenK" wrote in message
...
KenK wrote in
:

Dean Hoffman " wrote in
:

On 6/28/14, 4:48 PM, Terry Coombs wrote:


I hear they make great cat food . Since we got chickens , there's
feed and
hay/straw around feed IS in a metal can w/lid and now we got mice
. Currently awaiting the delivery of 2 feline rodent control
specialists . The day I opened my rollaway toolbox drawer to have a
mama with 6 attached leap out at me decided me . They stay outside
or they die . There's plenty of stuff out in the woods for them to
eat .

The good, old fashioned, stinky moth balls seem to work as a
repellant. They seem to work ok keeping meeses out of old farm
building cabinets.


I didn't know that! I'll try it! All uncanned food now in plastic
storage containers; shouldn't take much to get them to move out.




I researched the moth balls on Google earlier. There seems to be a wide
difference in opinion on whether they work on mice. I bought a package of
moth balls and will try them anyway. AFAIK I have all the mouse-openable
food packages now stored in fairly thick plastic lidded large containers.
Shouldn't take much to encourage them to look for another home.


Peppermint oil seems to be the current thinking.