# Set mouse traps..first time in my life



## Marie5656 (Nov 12, 2016)

*Yep..at the age of 62 I set 3 mouse traps all on my own.  Did not ask my husband for help.  Only snapped it down on my thumb once.  Already caught one.  It was THEN I went all girly and made my husband recover it.*


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## fureverywhere (Nov 12, 2016)

See on one paw I understand the frustration of tossing a whole loaf of bread because the middle has been eaten out of it. But intentionally setting out something designed to break a neck, glue them down till they die, or poison a small furry creature...nope I won't do it. I'd rather hide the food. barricade places they get in, catch them alive...anything but kill them.

Centipedes and slugs I can mush or flush to oblivion.


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## NancyNGA (Nov 12, 2016)

Marie5656 said:


> *Yep..at the age of 62 I set 3 mouse traps all on my own.  Did not ask my husband for help.  Only snapped it down on my thumb once.  Already caught one.  It was THEN I went all girly and made my husband recover it.*



:yougogirl:  

They get in our cabin every fall. There is no food in the place.  They just come in and decide to set up nests.  Tear up everything, all the towels, paper items, chewed to pieces for nesting material. It's hard to keep them out.  Sometimes they chew their way in.   Which reminds me, I better go check on the place Monday.


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## WhatInThe (Nov 13, 2016)

NancyNGA said:


> :yougogirl:
> 
> They get in our cabin every fall. There is no food in the place.  They just come in and decide to set up nests.  Tear up everything, all the towels, paper items, chewed to pieces for nesting material. It's hard to keep them out.  Sometimes they chew their way in.   Which reminds me, I better go check on the place Monday.



Mice want to stay warm or cool along with finding shelter. Yes changing of the seasons or extreme heat/cold can chase rodents inside. I guarantee you could find many of the entrance points. But that would require crawling around the cabin I know.  They only need a quarter size hole some even smaller. I've found cedar mulch to be quite effective for mice & ants. It should only take a couple of bags of to put about a 4-6 swath around the entire cabin. Stir up the mulch a couple times a year to keep the smell fresh. If you have electric I'd get some electric/sonic devices. I've used small ones to stick in outlets and used a large box in evenings/at dark during extreme weather & changes.


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## Marie5656 (Nov 13, 2016)

Those are some good suggestions.  Will have to try them at home.  I have also been told that plugging some interior holes with steel wool helps too.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 13, 2016)

I haven't used any mousetraps since we got our kitten a few years ago, basically because I didn't want him going into the garage and getting hurt by them, that's where they were all located with cheese for bait.  Got quite a few of them over the years, and I just sweep the whole trap onto a dustpan and throw it out.  They were becoming very destructive, chewing everything up and soiling everywhere.  

Besides the gray field mice, we also had the tan mice with white bellies that supposedly carried the Hanta Virus, so that was a concern.  Since the cat, we've only had a few.  They say Peppermint Oil on cotton balls placed in lots of areas will deter them.  Interesting about the cedar mulch, seems like a good way to keep them at bay.


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## WhatInThe (Nov 13, 2016)

Marie5656 said:


> Those are some good suggestions.  Will have to try them at home.  I have also been told that plugging some interior holes with steel wool helps too.



Steel wool is an excellent plugger. It's not just about plugging entrances either it's about cutting down their mobility or highway system if you will so plugging in the house is just as important. You'd be stunned at the number space, openings and holes in kitchens & kitchen cabinets especially. In the past I've taken styrafoam packing, the big pieces you might get in a new tv or computer box for many of those openings. Also keep clean not just to cut down food smell but many creatures use minor scents to mark a trail. 

If the food supply goes away so do the critters.


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## Marie5656 (Nov 13, 2016)

We are having new countertops and a new sink put in the kitchen within the next few weeks.  I think I will take that time to have the guys may sure all holes are blocked.  I seem to remember reading, either here or on Facebook that mice do not like mint, and mint leaves or oil will also send them packing.


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## debodun (Nov 13, 2016)

fureverywhere said:


> See on one paw I understand the frustration of tossing a whole loaf of bread because the middle has been eaten out of it. But intentionally setting out something designed to break a neck, glue them down till they die, or poison a small furry creature...nope I won't do it. I'd rather hide the food. barricade places they get in, catch them alive...anything but kill them.



Just how I feel. Have-a-heart trap, then release out in the countryside (away from populated area - why make it somebody else's problem).

I designed my own no-kill. Used a styrofoam tray like meat comes in at the store. Duct-taped a construction paper tunnel at the "business" end and tip-balance it on the edge of a counter over a tall trash can (be sure to balance AFTER placing bait at the very end of the tray (over the trash can). The problem is trying to get the mouse out of the trash can. The first one I caught, I used a quart yogurt container with holes punched in the lid. The second time when I tried to scoop up the mouse, it ran up my arm, jumped on my shoulder and skittered away under the kitchen counter. I have a very small car and couldn't fit the trash can in it. You might not have that problem with a larger car or SUV.


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