Author Topic: A tail of two mousetraps....  (Read 31636 times)

Offline B.D.F.

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A tail of two mousetraps....
« on: November 21, 2013, 10:11:24 PM »
So I am at the local store and stop to pick up some mouse traps. I have several set in the garage in an effort to keep the little pests from building nests in my bike (some more) but the triggers are getting sticky and the mice keep eating all the bait and not setting off the trap. You know, basically outsmarting the whole human race, which puts me off a bit. So, to get back in the game with the little fellows. I was perusing through the various devices, all guaranteed to dispatch the pesky critters fast, easy, etc. etc. when I saw two traps types being sold side by side. One advertised "Kills mice quick!" while the other claimed to "Kills mice dead". Hmmmmm. What to do, did I want them killed quick or killed dead? I looked around to see if there was a third brand that maybe, just maybe would kill them fast and dead but alas, no such product. I could not decide so bought a package of both (two traps in a package). Now one was pretty conventional, had an upper jaw with teeth (that must be the part that results in the killed AND dead aspect!) while the other one had a safety mouse killing bar.... which I though was a nice touch although I am not sure what it does. Whatever, that was the fast one. But that one had a little trick which I really came to appreciate. Rather than having a trigger the mouse had to step on or tug, the bait well was fully covered with a small plastic dome that the mouse had to lift to get to the bait, and it was this lifting which triggered the trap. Now I thought that cleaver because the mouse could not begin eating before raising the cover and bringing the 'killing bar' down on his body, which apparently killed him.... and fast! So I set both up on the counter, got a butter knife and pretended it was a mouse along for a free meal. I must say, given the butter knife test only, the fast killing trap with the bait cover worked very well. The butter knife snuck up little by little on the trap, checking around and even behind it often for predators (pesky cats!). But when actually touching the trap, there was just no way to get his little head (the tip of the butter knife) to the bait without tripping the trap. Very ingenious! That butter knife never had a chance!

So now both traps are baited and set, side by side. We shall see.

Brian
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Offline Pilgrim

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #1 on: November 22, 2013, 03:44:24 AM »


What are you using for bait?

       

Offline pistole

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #2 on: November 22, 2013, 04:08:20 AM »
testicles

Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #3 on: November 22, 2013, 04:25:30 AM »
Just caught one last night.  My mice have a penchant for peanut butter.  I use the simple mouse traps baited with that.  It works every time...
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Offline tweeter55

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #4 on: November 22, 2013, 04:46:58 AM »
Sounds all fine and dandy. But will it get this fella? http://youtu.be/Plz9JxsnhH4
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Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #5 on: November 22, 2013, 04:55:51 AM »
Possibly not...
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Offline Conrad

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #6 on: November 22, 2013, 04:58:23 AM »
snip...

So I set both up on the counter, got a butter knife and pretended it was a mouse along for a free meal. I must say, given the butter knife test only, the fast killing trap with the bait cover worked very well. The butter knife snuck up little by little on the trap, checking around and even behind it often for predators (pesky cats!). But when actually touching the trap, there was just no way to get his little head (the tip of the butter knife) to the bait without tripping the trap. Very ingenious! That butter knife never had a chance!

So now both traps are baited and set, side by side. We shall see.

Brian

 :rotflmao:

The quick and the dead?

I'm having this same issue in my garage. Those rodents aren't getting after my bike (yet) but I found a nest under the engine cover of my Jetta along with some insulation that the little bastards must have pulled from the car somewhere.  >:(

[smg id=608]

The problem that I seemed to be having is that the mice there are VERY small and they're eating the peanut butter without springing the trap. I decided to make one of those 5 gallon bucket traps.

Bucket Mouse and Rat Trap

I set the trap before I went to work one day last week and when I got home I had me a mouse! I may be too tender hearted and as such I didn't want to drown the lil critter. My plan was to catch them and carry them over to the corn field down the block from me. So after I went into the house to let the dogs out I came back out to the garage to deal with the mouse. The damn thing was gone! No way he climbed up the inside of the bucket so he must have been able to jump to freedom.

[smg id=609]

No problem, I'll just use I taller bucket. That seems to have done the trick because the next day I had another mouse. This one wasn't the same as the lil one who escaped relocation, he was a larger mouse which did get relocated. I'm still hoping to catch that lil one who got away.
« Last Edit: November 22, 2013, 07:23:13 AM by Conrad »
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #7 on: November 22, 2013, 05:16:55 AM »
Say, has anyone seen Conrad? Maybe he is over there in his new corn silo. That's not a corn silo, that is his mousetrap....

Brian

:rotflmao:

<snip>

 The damn thing was gone! No way he climbed up the inside of the bucket so he must have been able to jump to freedom. No problem, I'll just use I taller bucket. That seems to have done the trick because the next day I had another mouse.

<snip>

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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #8 on: November 22, 2013, 05:17:56 AM »
Peanut butter. But lately it has been more of a form of 'mouse chow' than bait.

Brian


What are you using for bait?

       
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Offline Gumby

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #9 on: November 22, 2013, 08:35:56 AM »
 :popcorn:  Great stuff.

Offline VirginiaJim

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #10 on: November 22, 2013, 08:42:43 AM »
On the plus side of peanut butter as a bait, if they just eat it and don't set off the trap, then it will bind them up so they can't deposit anything on my workbench.  That should kill them as well but will take more time.
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Offline Rhino

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #11 on: November 22, 2013, 08:43:34 AM »
Basic Victor trap for me. I clamp a piece of almond in the jaw and put a little peanut butter under the trigger. Then put them along the wall with the trigger facing the wall so as they scurry along the wall they are forced to go over or around but they will smell that peanut butter. And if they carefully lick it off they still want a bite of the almond. Works every time.


Offline Conrad

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #12 on: November 22, 2013, 08:47:29 AM »
Basic Victor trap for me. I clamp a piece of almond in the jaw and put a little peanut butter under the trigger. Then put them along the wall with the trigger facing the wall so as they scurry along the wall they are forced to go over or around but they will smell that peanut butter. And if they carefully lick it off they still want a bite of the almond. Works every time.



Those are the same traps that I have except the metal trigger isn't, it's plastic. Maybe I'll try the trick with the peanut butter under the trigger and hot melt glue an almond to the plastic trigger. I place my traps just as you described.
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Offline Rhino

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #13 on: November 22, 2013, 08:56:05 AM »
those little metal triggers are the best because if it is moved in any direction it goes off. Left, right, up or down. the newer cheese looking plastic triggers only work when pressed down.


Good




Not as good

Offline gPink

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #14 on: November 22, 2013, 09:02:28 AM »
Do you double dip the peanut butter jar when you're reloading the traps?  ::)

Offline Conrad

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #15 on: November 22, 2013, 09:14:45 AM »
Do you double dip the peanut butter jar when you're reloading the traps?  ::)

The mice don't seem to mind at all.    ;)
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Offline gPink

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #16 on: November 22, 2013, 09:28:20 AM »
The mice don't seem to mind at all.    ;)
I don't eat peanut butter so it doesn't bother me either.

Offline Conrad

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #17 on: November 22, 2013, 09:39:53 AM »
Do you double dip the peanut butter jar when you're reloading the traps?  ::)

My wife asked me that same question. I had many a witty reply in mind. I played it safe and went with no.
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #18 on: November 22, 2013, 09:40:48 AM »
I had a woman watch me baiting two traps to take out into the garage one night. She watched me open the packages containing the mouse traps and so knew they were new. Then she watched me take a butter knife out of the drawer to use to bait the traps.... and then she said something like 'Well, I guess I won't be eating any peanut butter here!'  I asked her what part of putting a clean utinsel into a jar of peanut butter bothered her and she said it was 'just skeevy'. Go figure.

Then again, maybe it IS skeevy and that is why the mice eat the peanut butter off the trigger (easy boys!) slowly and therefore don't set off the trap.

I have had really bad luck with the old type, trigger traps, at least using peanut butter. Maybe clamping a nut in there is a good idea. I mean a nut from a tree, not the mouse's ...... nevermind.

Brian

Do you double dip the peanut butter jar when you're reloading the traps?  ::)
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Offline B.D.F.

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Re: A tail of two mousetraps....
« Reply #19 on: November 22, 2013, 09:42:36 AM »
You mean like 'No honey, but I didn't want to get my fingers all peanut- buttery so I used my XXXXX.'

Brian

My wife asked me that same question. I had many a witty reply in mind. I played it safe and went with no.
Homo Sapiens Sapiens and just a tad of Neanderthal but it usually does not show....  My Private mail is blocked; it is not you, it is me, just like that dating partner said all those years ago. Please send an e-mail if you want to contact me privately.

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