Mice are annoying, persistent rodents and are often difficult to get rid of. This tutorial describes several methods of catching them and keeping your home free from pests.
Steps
Method 1 of 4: Find the Mice
Step 1. Check where they nest
Before placing the traps, you need to identify the "areas that the mice frequent" or the areas between their nest and the food source. If you notice any excrement or gnawed food residue (or have actually seen mice) in a particular area of the house, start there and narrow down to these other "risk" areas:
- Hidden corners.
- Under the wardrobes.
- Among the furniture.
- In attics and empty spaces on walls, especially near heat sources.
- In the basement.
- In the tunnels of the air conditioners.
- In cluttered areas of the office or desk drawers.
- Garage.
Step 2. Check the outdoor spaces adjacent to the house and the attic
The nest may not be in the house, but just outside. You also need to check:
- Dead fruit trees
- Air spaces between the walls, the floors of the upper floors or in the attic.
- Under the low shrubs
- In the walls where a brick is missing, in the foundations.
- Along the utility lines.
- Under the arcades or verandas.
Step 3. Once you have identified the infested areas, you are ready to install the traps, which should be placed along the walls or baseboards
Mice generally do not walk in the center of the rooms, but always along the peripheral walls. Placing traps along these paths will increase the chances of catching them.
Keep traps out of your way to avoid accidents
Method 2 of 4: Install Non-Deadly Traps
Step 1. Choose a non-fatal trap by price range
There is a wide variety of "non-cruel traps" on the market, which catch mice without killing them, but they all work on the same basic principle. Generally, they consist of a metal cage or plastic tube with a port on each end. When the mouse enters the cage or tube to eat the food you placed in it, the trap closes, capturing the mouse safely.
Step 2. Place the trap in the area you have located
Open one or both entrances, activating the mechanism (usually a small lever) that keeps the doors open.
Step 3. Insert the bait
The most common baits are apples, peanut butter and cheese.
Step 4. Check the trap regularly
If you are hoping to catch live mice, you should make sure to check them out often.
If rats are trapped together they have a tendency to eat each other
Step 5. Release the mouse in a safe area
- Do not release it in the yard or near other houses where it could settle again.
- Find a wooded area or park where you can freely release it.
Method 3 of 4: Install Snap Traps
Step 1. Choose a reusable or disposable snap trap
If you have no difficulty in handling and repeatedly reusing a trap with dead mouse inside, know that there are various solutions and high quality products. These are reliable traps, but they require more contact with the mouse.
There are cheap disposable wooden snap traps on the market, sold in packs of three or five and are an interesting solution if you have a serious infestation problem
Step 2. Place the trap in the area you have located
Remember: the more traps you can install in areas particularly frequented by rodents, the more effective they will be.
Step 3. First, prepare the bait under the snap spring with a small amount of peanut butter or cheese
It is important to arm the trap with the bait first, because it would be advisable to handle it as little as possible once positioned.
Step 4. Extend the pin at the end of the spring path
Step 5. Pull the metal hook towards the pin
Keep a firm grip so the trap doesn't snap onto your finger.
Step 6. Hold the metal hook that catches the mouse with one hand and fix the pin on it with the other
Press and hold the hook firmly until it snaps into place.
Step 7. Insert the pin into the hole on the metal plate at the other end
This will hold the hook in place, but it is very sensitive, be very careful.
Step 8. Carefully hold the metal plate and let go of the latch mechanism
Method 4 of 4: Install a Housewife Trap
Step 1. Try making a simple trap yourself using a bucket
For this you need:
- 20 liter plastic bucket.
- Wooden or metal rod.
- Tin or aluminum can.
- Peanut butter or other bait of your choice.
- Small wooden board enough to ramp from the ground to the edge of the bucket.
Step 2. Make two holes in the top of the bucket, on the 2 opposite sides
Make sure they are large enough to allow the rod to pass through.
Step 3. Make holes in the center of each flat side of the can
Pay particular attention to the crinkled edges that form when making holes.
Step 4. Insert the rod through the can and fix it on the bucket
Make sure that the shaft fits securely and that it does not come loose or come off due to bumps. The mouse will try to walk along the rod to reach the bait.
Step 5. Spread peanut butter on the can and place the wooden board against the bucket to ramp the mouse up
If you intend to kill the mouse, fill the bottom of the bucket with a few inches of water, otherwise leave it empty if you want to free the live mouse.
