better mouse trap

[BrokenolMarine]

We have had some mice invading the Coop and Feed Room at the barn. I have seen evidence in the woodshop, but not too bad. Miss Tina has been looking and was going to build one of the peanut butter traps with the 2 liter bottles and five gallon buckets but saw an amazon offering and ordered four since they were not a bad price. She set a couple up, one in the coop, one in the feed room, and I put one in the woodshop. We'll report in the next couple days. They look slick, we'll let you know how they work. You pay for the top and ladder, you supply the buckets, which we had on hand already.

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The peanut butter is placed on the underside at the back of the "tunnel" and the mice run up the ladder, walk around the lid and onto the black platform into the "tunnel." The platform tilts down at the back and springs back up after dropping the unsuspecting mouse into the pool below. 4" to 6" deep is recommended.

By simply removing the top and dumping the water, you never have to touch the mice. We'll dump ours into the pond, feeding the bass and catfish... Circle of Life. Checking the buckets every morning, they will likely still be swimming, or freshly NOT swimming... so good for the fish. Rinse the bucket, refill to the depth and re-butter.

[rickhem]

I was not aware that you could buy a bucket trap.
I'll be interested to hear how it works for you.

[markiver54]

I've seen that method used in YouTube videos. I'll be interested to hear about your results. I also was un-aware you could purchase them.

[BrokenolMarine]

So were we...
We will let you know...

[cooperhawk]

I have on. You can get them at Menard's around here.

[BrokenolMarine]

I have on. You can get them at Menard's around here.

Does yours work well?

[BrokenolMarine]

Well, checked mine this morning and lo and behold, success.

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Little bugger was in there, and NOT swimming. I'll reset 'er tonight.
Perhaps move it to the boathouse side where I think there are more moving around at night.
Check again in the morning.

I'll keep you posted.

[fortyshooter]

Well that is a cool idea!

[BrokenolMarine]

Dumped it, rinsed it, reset it. Will see how it goes.

[Sir Henry]

I would have to use RV antifreeze here in Wisconsin.

[BrokenolMarine]

I would have to use RV antifreeze here in Wisconsin.

You could, but then you'd likely want to fish out the mice and dump them rather than just pouring out the anti-freeze and refilling. Although, you could use a 50/50 mix, still dip out, and pour out the mix, or recycle when it gets nasty. (The mice tend to relieve themselves while they swim that losing battle.)

We are two for two in my shops. Another one bit the dust last night. Dumped the bucket, rinsed and reset for another try.

Reducing the number of mice might also lower the number of SNAKES around the shop. We have seen a few. The other day Miss Tina came out to tell me she was going to run to town and a 6' Rat Snake was laying on the concrete outside the door. She used the 3' wide push broom to urge him to crawl off into the hayfield in search of mice. He struck at her several times before giving up and leaving. Luckily the shop push broom had a six foot handle.

They both left the encounter unscathed. I'd hate to step out and find one of the venomous ones sunning themselves.
I have encountered a few since we moved to Oklahoma. (But it's not like we didn't have them in Virginia as well.)

[rickhem]

From some other posts, I doubt Miss Tina has any problems sweeping that snake away with a load of #9s, so he should consider himself lucky.

I'm going to see about one of these bucket traps now. The big draw for me is that they keep working even after a few fall victim to it. The spring traps are one-and-done till you reset it.

[Sir Henry]

From some other posts, I doubt Miss Tina has any problems sweeping that snake away with a load of #9s, so he should consider himself lucky.

I'm going to see about one of these bucket traps now. The big draw for me is that they keep working even after a few fall victim to it. The spring traps are one-and-done till you reset it.

I’m thinking Mouse-X.

[BrokenolMarine]

Checked it today, not occupied.

[Mags]

A few years ago I made a DIY one from an empty 5gal paint bucket, a small pineapple juice can and dowel. The outside of the can was smeared with peanut butter. The mice would get on the can and the can would rotate around the dowel dumping the mice into the water in the bucket. Worked great but I found the setup troublesome being in the way and frequently stumbled over. I went back to using glue pads in out of the way corners either side of the garage doors.

[BrokenolMarine]

A few years ago I made a DIY one from an empty 5gal paint bucket, a small pineapple juice can and dowel. The outside of the can was smeared with peanut butter. The mice would get on the can and the can would rotate around the dowel dumping the mice into the water in the bucket. Worked great but I found the setup troublesome being in the way and frequently stumbled over. I went back to using glue pads in out of the way corners either side of the garage doors.

I don't have to be in the boathouse space connected to my workshop often, it's storage, for wood, kayaks, machines and tools rarely used. The bucket trap is off to the side and I'll check it once a day, or every other day. The advantage is the mice CAN'T drag the trap off under something, or as with a glue strip, (happened in an outbuilding in VA,) into the wall, and die. Smell then takes a long time to go away.

[Mags]

... The advantage is the mice CAN'T drag the trap off under something, or as with a glue strip, (happened in an outbuilding in VA,) into the wall, and die...

I put little chalking under the glue pad. It's strong enough to hold the glue pad in place so it doesn't wander off yet is easy pick off the concrete floor and replace.

[BrokenolMarine]

Smart

[Hatchdog]

Slightly off topic but I have an interesting report on my new mole trap. Was at a neighbor’s a few days ago and she showed my a mole trap she has been having good success with. I’ve had a problem with them digging their tunnels around some shrubs I planted a few years ago. So I picked up a couple of the traps she showed me and yesterday I killed three of the little pests. Simple but effective trap, find a fresh pile of dirt, use the trowel to make a 5-6” deep hole, use the probe to find the tunnel and align the jaws of the trap to it. No bait needed. I haven’t checked the trap yet this morning but I bet it’s sprung.

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[rickhem]

I’m thinking Mouse-X.

I shy away from the poison baits since they're non-discriminatory killers. Putting one in the bucket is a great idea if you don't want to use water. Having a rodent eat poison and expire someplace out-of-reach would lead to foul odors that I'd rather not deal with. As it is, I think I can smell them in my basement loading room, and it is not plesant.