Mouse traps

Yes, a post a few days ago said that it is that time of year. Well, I am not posting about what is the best way, or the best trap, but I am here to tell you all that the new version of the little old wooden Victor trap is a major advance. The pad that you put the bait on is polyethylene instead of plated steel. The old standard with the steel tab would get a little oxidation on it and the trigger would be much less sensitive than when new. These new ones won't rust, and are actually difficult to just walk with let alone set it on the floor. No more mice stealing the bait, they get caught immediately.

They?ve been getting a workout at our place this fall. Still
some getting past to the bait stations though.

Wait till it gets used a couple of times.
Mine became so sensitive you could not set them.

AND the best success I have had is with a raisin - yes a raisin. If you smoosh it into the bait holder you can get up to 4 wins.

Those with polyethylene have been around here for a number of years. I use peanut butter for bate and if having trouble catching them in
trap I set two traps with pedal ends end to end.

Here at work not even two hours ago. KA SNAP!!! Peanut butter.

We have been having trouble with immigration here the last couple of weeks to. even though we have a dedicated boarder patrol doing
constant surveillance. refugees are still moving in on us , demanding free food and lodging. Sound familiar ? My wife has been running a
trap line , using the Victor traps with the little plastic trigger, baited with peanut butter. Once caught , the unwanted visitors are
turned over to the boarder patrol team .
Mice are just part of life in the country in the fall. For reasons that I do not understand , the rat population has also taken off this
year. While we haven't had any wanting to move in the house yet, I see the cats with rats more often. And and friends are also seeing more
and more rats.

I agree raisins are great bait -- much harder for mice to lick off than peanut butter (which also usually works OK). I've also had good luck squishing a soft juju-type of candy into the bait pedal. It's lick-proof.

jeffcat PETA will be after you that is cruel and inhumane.

The early bird gets the worm but the second mouse gets the cheese.. or peanut butter or raisin-- if they can ignore their buddy's demise lol.

We have a number of them which still have the metal trigger. I take a short piece of string and tie it to the trigger to form a good sized knot. Then work the peanut butter into the knotted string. Then, instead of licking the peanut butter off, they will start chewing and tugging on the string, which will set the trap off.

Are you are having problems with mice taking the bate of metal victor traps and not getting
caught ???? What I do is get some string like used for tying up packages. Take a short pice and
wrap it around the bait trigger/pad and tie it off--- do it several times so that it is a small
ball. Then take your peanut butter and mash it into the sting ball making a point to add it to
the underside of the pad. The mice cannot lick it clean and start chewing at the sting ---
especially so if it is on the under side --- worked for me !
I also use the tincat traps -- metal box with trap doors but find that half of the mice around
here are hoodie escape artists --- but even if it catches some I am ahead .
The best trap that I have found is the 5 gallon/20 liter plastic bucket used for motor oil. Take
a coke can/beer can and punch holes in both ends. Then run a coat hanger wire through the holes
so that it makes a crude roller . fashion the ends of the wire to grip the sides of the pail so
that the "roller " is suspended over the center of the top of the pail . Smear the roller with
peanut butter . Lastly fill the pail with about 3 inches of water and place it so that mice have
access to the pail--- if in the middle of the floor then make a ramp out of a board for them and
rub some peanut butter into the wood as well . After a few drown DONT change the stinking water
as it seems to draw them like a magnet . For winter use I replace the water with antifreeze but
be sure that none of your pets will drink it --- it is a big attraction with the peanut butter
and all . There is a lot of vids about this trap on youtube . Lots of surveillance pis as well
and the one guy determined that a sticky roller worked better than a roller that spun freely . It
allows the mouse to feel safe climbing out on the roller . One way to make the roller hard to
turn is to add a small round pebal/ball bearing to the can before putting the wire through
I also use warfaren -- well actually some thing that sounds like warfaren but is spelled
different -- it does work but only for awhile as the tray of bait will never empty . You fill it
and a year later there will be still a 1/4 of it left and it never changes --- so I guess word
gets out that mice shouldent eat it --- or it looses it attractiveness some how .

Ever notice it looks their eyes BULGE OUT REAL BIG when they get caught!?

Well, you know the old expression ..... "Build a better mousetrap and ...... (continue with the link below)
Build a better mousetrap ....

I just changed to these traps, they work great, easy to set up, and easy to dispose of the dead mouse.

Just got some myself. Work great ! I super glue a chocolate
chip to the bait holder. Learned that from someone on here.
Can't remember who though. Works like a charm !

I have made several 5 gallon bucket/coke can over the years. Never been successful. Right now I have one along a wall where mice are known to frequent. Sitting atop a 3 story rabbit cage. There is a small tray next to the base where the mice are devistating 3 to 4 icecube sized cubes of mice poison nightly. Opened second 9 pound of mouse bait this morning. There're eating me into the poor house. Nary a mouse in the trap. Conventional mouse traps not terribly successful either. Those little lickers can clean the peanut butter off the trap and never trip it. Must be a mouse factory upstairs in the haymow.

Make sure the glue you use isn't poisonous, that can get a guy into all sorts of trouble !!!

Stopped at wally world today and all of the halloween vandy is 50%. I
really like Mary Jane candys and they had bags of molasses kisses.
Picked up a bag ans I think I will squish a piece of kiss into the
trap trigger. Bet that will get some action.

I prefer the dollar store variety where the tab/trigger is pivoted on the cross rod where the springs are rather than the Victor which have the bait tab/trigger is attached to a separate staple. More durable, and easier for mouse to trigger the trap due to longer lever arm.

A buddy's demise doesn't bother them.

In the 60's, the dealership Daddy worked at moved to an old millwork factory. It was heavily infested with rats. He set a bunch of traps in the bottom of the freight elevator shaft one day. Sat down to eat lunch, and heard one go off. Figured he'd finish eating, but another snap, followed by a bunch of squealing got his attention. He sent the elevator up, and took a look. First trap only had skeletal remains. Second trap had caught one, but he was still alive. Didn't bother his buddies, though. They were eating him alive!

I have seen mice do the same thing in one of those tin cat traps!