Managing Your Rodent Infestation: An Ongoing Series
Last time in Managing Your Rodent Infestation, my roommate and I identified that we had a problem, sampled several implements of torture, and asked for help. I think that's pretty good progress. But despite our three-pronged assault (poison! stick! snap!) , with efforts concentrated largely in the Kitchen Theatre, the yet-to-be-named mouse is still using our basement as a giant mouse playground/poop depository. It grows bolder: Earlier this week, my roommate heard it investigating her closet. I'm afraid it may be time to extend our efforts to the bedrooms.
For now, though, we've decided to stay the course in the kitchen: this time, with upgraded snap traps. Yesterday, we replaced these:
With these:
Sure, these traps may look the same to you . . . if you are the dumb mouse we intend to catch with it! Now that the mouse has grown comfortable stealing bait straight from the trap, my roommate and I are hoping it has let its guard down and will succumb to this more sensitive model. In place of the first trap's plastic swiss cheese bait apparatus, this new trap holds mouse bait on a smaller metallic platform which takes significantly less pressure to set off. We're still using peanut butter.
Result: Failure. The human side has suffered casualties (non-fatal). My roommate caught her finger in the traps several times while setting them (once, causing her to swear loudly!). Later, when I set one trap off on accident, the snapping noise was really loud and it hurt my ears. Still, despite the traps' significant effects on humans, they've yet to lure our mouse to its death. This morning, we found one trap licked clean of its peanut butter bait. The trap remained unsnapped.
Next time: Will these makeshift rodent dungeons finally spell fin for our basement Speedy Gonzalez? Okay, okay--he still needs a name!
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2:46 pm
Amanda:
The snap traps are dangerous to humans, and really messy for the mouse (once you catch it).
The sticky traps you showed in the article are for INSECTS. You need mouse/RAT sticky traps. They have enough stickiness to get your 'friend.' Continue to use a SMALL amout of peanut butter.
I caught 41 mice in one winter in this old house we rented a few years back. Long story there, but worth telling some day.
Happy Weekend!
Go get 'em Tiger.
3:43 pm
We used PB on the snap traps too! Alas, V set it off one day and it lay, splayed out on our counter for a while - getting peanut butter everywhere.
I also came face-to-face with our friend last evening. After several hours of Law & Order on the couch, I think he assumed no one was home. Our is rather polite though, never leaves his poop around.
I will stop by the hardware store by work today and see if they have any RAT paper, as JT suggests above. Will share the bounty if it works.
3:43 pm
Get a cat!
3:59 pm
My roommate is allergic!
5:44 pm
You could shave your newly adopted cat!
http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh/images/04/catshave.htm
10:31 pm
Exterminator!
9:14 am
You have the "replaced trap" incorrectly set. That cheese "tongue" should not be sticking straight up in the air. Instead of inserting the rod where you did in the picture, it needs to go just above the pivot point of the tongue.
Wood traps aren't the way to go anyway ... there are a ton of better traps to use.
This being one to kill: http://www.tomcatbrand.com/product/18-mouse-snap-trap
This being one if you want to live catch (which I don't know why ANYONE would want to)...
http://www.tomcatbrand.com/product/23-single-catch-mouse-trap
5:25 pm
Either learn more about your adversary or call a professional pest control company. Here's a page of information that may help you understand mice a little better.
http://www.propestcontroller.com/rodents.html
8:30 am
i am very happy with this site.iam an environmental health technologiest inview in school of hygiene kano-nigeria.and i am currently conducting my research in rodent infestation control.however i wish to have some researches pertaining rodent infestation. thanks