This week is a test...this morning I SAW a mouse on my parts counter!

[Marg's Man]

Seriously folks, the old style 'break back' trap is still the most ecologically sound (no poisons, etc) and humane way of getting rid of rats and mice.

After cleaning away the suffering bodies of some caught by those @#$%! 'humane' sticky traps for an elderly neighbour I swore they would never be used by me and mine EVER. The poor things (there were three) were effectively glued down. One had chewed its own leg off in attempt to escape, another was suffocating slowly as the material was wrapped around its muzzle so it couldn't breathe and the third was just slowly dying of dehydration because none of them could get to water. I don't like pest rodents and will kill them (cleanly) without a qualm but there is no way I will willingly inflict this sort of suffering on them. I also have a horror of poisons because I have seen the suffering the various poisons cause. These are even worse than the sticky traps but I spare the more squeamish among you the details.

The old style trap is not 100% effective but I'll go with the 95+% success rate I get my way over these other methods of torture before a slow death, even for vermin. One last note, bait it by rubbing the trigger with peanut butter. It doesn't need much and if they have to push a bit to get the peanut butter off it is more likely to trigger properly and avoid a painful glancing blow.

Marg's Man

 

[Star*]

We got glue traps once. For (when I had not had them as pets but invasive critters) rats. Never again. In the trap was a fur coat and somewhere in my house was now what I would deduce a very angry, cold, infected rat - with a vengeance. Blargh and Yick. As far as an attractant? My domestic rats didn't care for peanut butter, but every time we held out hull-less puffed cheese doodles? I felt like a drug dealer. We referred to it as "rat crack". Haven't met a rat yet that didn't snatch and run when offered a piece of it. Problem is it could blow away in a snap trap, so you may have to add a dab of syrup to keep it in place.

As far as severe mice infestation? I like the live traps that spin. They go in and you literally hear a vrrrrrrrrr sound. Then you simply put on gloves ( i do not but whatever) and put the little mouse in your car and then drive the furry bugger down the road and release him elsewhere - at least five miles from your home because I have had them find their way directly back to our door when released a mile from home. (no kidding and wasn't DF thrilled - picked the little bugger up by the tail and said 'IS THIS ONE OF YOUR BOTTLE FED WILD RATS?') While I was tickled to see the fuzzy little guy - I was amazed that he made it all the way home and in record time. Incredible creatures.

I know D3 - not so incredible - lol. (and he did it without doughnuts)