how to make a mouse trap better?

[sofob0909]

hey guys. what improvements would you make to the pre-existing mousetrap to make it better?

 

[TA^Guy]

I'm at work and can't access YouTube but this was brought up on another forum before and IIRC they posted some interesting videos they found online.

 

[Tom2]

Never had a problem with a regular old mouse trap - as long as they are place perpendicular to the wall/baseboard. Otherwise mice can get mangled in them, etc.. Not as clean of a kill.

 

[bazzateer]

Stronger spring?

Add some 'teeth' to the cross-bar?

 

[bluesman2a]

I'll have to go with the old stand-by: there is no problem that cannot be solved by the application of suitable amounts of high explosives.

 

[Bigmansm]

Use Peanut Butter as bait.
Get a bigger trap that needed. They work, trust me.

Just take the poor ******* out of his misery once he is stuck.

 

[Mike83]

I caught one of the little bastards in my garage yesterday. PB does the trick for sure!

 

[OccupantRJ]

Sounds gross, but it works great. Once a new mousetrap has caught a mouse, don't throw the trap away as some people do. Use a pair of neoprene gloves and get rid of him, then reset the same trap in the same place with peanut butter. Once the fields were harvested at my old house in the country, I have caught as many as nine in a week. They follow each other's scent trails, and will go right to where another mouse has been before.

 

[Stuey]

http://www.telovation.com/articles/better-mousetrap.html

 

[Mike83]

Sounds gross, but it works great. Once a new mousetrap has caught a mouse, don't throw the trap away as some people do. Use a pair of neoprene gloves and get rid of him, then reset the same trap in the same place with peanut butter. Once the fields were harvested at my old house in the country, I have caught as many as nine in a week. They follow each other's scent trails, and will go right to where another mouse has been before.

I'm thinking that replacing the trap with a new one baited with PB will be just as effective since the scent trail will take them there and PB will do the rest.

Although if I caught that many mice I would save the traps too.

 

[38Chevy454]

Why change what has worked for many years? Use peanut butter as bait and they work great. One snap and dead.

 

[onemoretry]

I didn't realize that PB Blaster was that good of a bait...
I saw about six of the suckers running around the garage this weekend. I am currently looking for some high explosives.

 

[brokenknee]

Here is one a guy built on another forum I am a member. His wife didn't want to hurt the little things so he came up with his own design to capture and release them far away.

http://www.diychatroom.com/f49/yes-dear-ill-build-you-better-mousetrap-49185/

 

[brokenknee]

It seemed to work out pretty well for him, two fer one.

 

[brokenknee]

A less complicated mouse trap.

 

[Stuey]

A less complicated mouse trap.

The simplest solution is often the best solution!

 

[Doug B]

I make 2 adjustments to the standard Victor mouse trap: I screw it to a block of 2x4. I've had leg caught mice drag them into an inaccessable place. On the trigger,where you hook the rod underneath,I bend that catch in a little to make it flatter,giving it a hair trigger effect.
I don't really like the newer Victors with the cheese looking triggers...

 

[Kev442]

This fall, the 'ol Victor couldn't do the job, the little light weights were robbing it. Got a sticky trap with a block of poison put in the middle, stuck 2 in 24 hours.

 

[scotte]

on the traditional mousetrap with the curled metal trigger i have had some mice that got smart and would lick the peanut butter off of the trigger (i had it set as hair trigger as i could without it going off bc i walked thru the room

so anyway i put a mini marshmellow in the microwave for 20 seconds till its soft

mold it over the trigger, let it cool and spread peanut butter on it

now when i get one the marshmellow is licked clean and the mouse is biting down on the trigger and trying to take it with him

 

[BackAgain]

Wait quietly next to it with one of these...

 

[51rider]

Wait quietly next to it with one of these...

I like your style

Might that just be an apt description for overkill LOL

 

[JamieK]

 

[ihredo4]

Wait quietly next to it with one of these...

Been there...Done that. basement of the house we have a woodburner for our heat. All the wood was stacked outside the sliding basement door. Dad and I would take turns picking of the mice that would run from one log pile to the next.

 

[Jononon]

I'll have to go with the old stand-by: there is no problem that cannot be solved by the application of suitable amounts of high explosives.

Nitrogen triiodide in lieu of peanut butter?

 

[Mickey O]

The cat is probably the best solution. I hate those catch and release ones, used to accidentally run over them with a fork lift, what a mess. At a food packaging place I worked years ago the boss made one for a stubborn rat we couldn't catch, we tried that sticky stuff on boards and it didn't work so he made one out of a steel plate with spikes (like a bed of nails, though more spread out) and an electric eye to activate a solenoid holding the spiked steel plat overhead, didn't work, but it was cool.

 

[engineer2]

I think I got mice in my unfinished attic. Don't want to send the cat up there because of the fiberglas insulation. Any ideas?

 

[buddyboy]

marshmellow is a great idea,

I always put honey on the trigger, let it dry and then peanutbutter for the same effect of getting the mouse to bite the trigger

but that marshmellow sounds like it might have mine beat

 

[bazzateer]

I think I got mice in my unfinished attic. Don't want to send the cat up there because of the fiberglas insulation. Any ideas?

Tell the cat to wear gloves, goggles and a mask and the fibreglass shouldn't affect him. Maybe a high viz jacket and a hard hat too?

 

[Mickey O]

I think I got mice in my unfinished attic. Don't want to send the cat up there because of the fiberglas insulation. Any ideas?

Leave food out downstairs, the mice will come.

 

[mdoolittle]

Back in my drinkin days............ a Texas fifth of Black Velvet and a pellet gun. Now it's gotta be a Victor brand trap with peanut butter.

 

[mad57]

ive said it in another post go to pet shop and get used snake sheds and put them around gets rid of them rats/mice quick no mess. put sheddings in ur project cars as well save ur interiors.

 

[tdkkart]

on the traditional mousetrap with the curled metal trigger i have had some mice that got smart and would lick the peanut butter off of the trigger

If you find the triggers licked clean you have a mouse that is brighter than most. The trick is to use chunky peanut butter, cram a peanut chunk or two in the holes of the trigger, they'll have a tougher time getting it out putting more pressure on the trigger till WHAM!!!