Dog proofing and baiting a mousetrap? Edit - more help needed

wallbash

sirbrainy wrote: »

Spring traps don't really make any mess at all.

You're better off killing them with a broken back than going down the humane route.

Why ?...........

sirbrainy

They are vermin and should be killed :cool:

ladylouise62

elsien wrote: »

I've borrowed a couple of humane traps, so I'll give those a go to start with. I really don't fancy finishing off half dead mouses, and mutt is likely to be completely useless. The only food that is accessible is the 15 kg bag of dried dog food which I really have nowhere else to put. Unless they are likely to clamber up to my top cupboards?
(Does seem like a waste of good chocolate in the trap though.)

Off to brush up on my domestic skills - sigh.

Rats and mice manage to find their ways up to things - which is why I have them in my roof
I have found Peanut butter very good as a bait, but be warned that they are very persistent and have even chewed at the top of my peanut butter jar lid
I gave up on the humane ones as you need to go half a mile away, and didn't want to put them near anyone elses house even if it's a mile from mine... and I can asure you that it gets old very quickly (especially as I have no car!! I went through the snap ones (which worked well, killed them quickly and neatly) but am now on an electric one which is even easier and will hopefully catch a rat as well.

Gloomendoom

I've never had to clean up a mess with spring mouse traps, nor have I had to finish off any half dead mice... and I have caught dozens and dozens of the little beggars. I did catch a mouse in a spring rat trap once. It cut it clean in half.

I use chocolate or peanut butter for bait. It need to be changed regularly to remain effective.

Unless it is very stupid, the dog will only mess with the traps once.

elsien

Where there is food concerned, mutt doesn't have a learning curve unfortunately.
I've put the traps on the work surfaces for now, as that's where most of the droppings seem to be. I'll have to look into getting a bin for the dog food, but will save the sprung traps for if I really have to. I'm one of those sad people who put loo roll ladders in the bath for the spiders to get out.:o

glasgowdan

Some sort of sticky chocolate product is best - mars bars for example. Smear it all over the trap so the mouse can't just grab a corner and run off without tripping the spring.

No mess... just a problem solved.

peter_the_piper

Spring traps with peanuts on them, guaranteed. Sometimes you can reuse them two or three times with the same nut, very MSE

emiff6

sirbrainy wrote: »

They are vermin and should be killed :cool:

This is 'flowers and weeds' in animal form, isnt it? A mouse in the house is vermin, but a mouse out where it belongs, in the countryside, is part of the ecological cycle, eating seeds, fruits, insects, worms, snails and fungi, and being a food source in their turn for owls, kestrels, etc.

sirbrainy

OK I agree with that, sorry I was dismissive

wallbash

It brings up an interesting point .

Rats = Vermin

Very small rat = mouse = cute?

Rat + bushy tail = Squirrel = cute.


Or is it wallbash getting carried away?