What is the BEST way to catch an elusive crafty mouse?

Question

I've tried sticky traps, enclosed traps (it just ate the peanut butter and didn't set the trap off), and am at my wits end. I love animals, but not ones that poop all over the kitchen. Any personal experience in this matter would be most helpful! This is one smart mousie!

Answer 1

This may be too long for the Spell Check so please excuse the misspelling.
Years ago I had a rodent problem. I had a Jack Russ and a Chow both excelent mouse vermen hunters. They chased that/them all over the kitchen and in and out of two other rooms. It got so bad that I could smell the rat poop in the kitchen.
What I discovered was that the mice were eating and storing the dog food in there nest. I let the dogs sniff and I would move things and locate the nest. They had made nest in the inside side walls of my stove, underneath the floor of the top of it, behind it, and under the sink.
I found entry holes, placed steal wool in side and covered it with "Great Stuff" filler. I took the stove apart cleaned out all the insulation and packed it with new insulation,after washing it down with disenfect. I disenfected/cleaned all floor areas. I found that they will follow other mice sent as an open inventation.
I started closing my patio door at night cause I leave my dog food in a bowl so they can eat as they need.
Then I went to Lowe's and bought three of those electronic noise mouse chasers. I put one on each side faceing the patio path and one behind the stove. No more mice in the house.
I tried traps at first with the same results as you did. They are very smart but maybe your traps were for rats and not mice. If the mouse is too light then they can eat without setting it off.
Two other things I have found very usefull is 1. I spray a mixture of pure Lavender oil and grain alchohol. 2 If you have no kids or pets you can also put moth balls in a plastic container with holes punched out on sides and top.
I find it keeps all small critters, possoms, rabbits, moles, mice etc away cause they don't like the smell. I use both in my storage sheds with no sign of rats.
It also helps to have ratter dogs. I woke up one morning and my chow (she loves to sleep out all night) had killed three Norwedgin/wood rats. She had ligned them up side by side on their backs where I could see them. I praised her and gave her cheese treats. Oh, the bodies of the rates were 12inches long. I thought they were beavers at first.
Good luck, some/all of the above should help.

Answer 2

We had this same problem a few years ago. Like you, we heard and tried the same remedies to no avail. F

Finally, an older gentleman in a feed and farm supply store told me what to do and it worked perfectly. Indoors it still involved traps, but it we used a different BAIT and METHOD (i'm emphasizing not shouting:) )and got perfect results.

1. make sure it is a mouse and not a rat (check the pellet size and remember that wild rat pellets are just a tiny bit bigger than a mouse).

2. Place the traps horizontally along the edges or baseboards of the room. Mice and rats almost always use the same paths and will stick to the edges of the wall and baseboards instinctively to be seen less and to provide an easier escape.

3. Traps should also be placed just outside of the entry doors to your kitchen.

4. This is the most important part: DONT use peanut butter. They are able to lick it off without any pressure and therefore the trap isn't set off. Use fresh frutit such as a firm strawberry or piece of broccoli that must be tugged at rather than licked.

5. Exercise patience for a few days (2-4) because rodents are smart and suspicious of new things. they will take time to make sure it is not a threat. After a few days, you will reap benefits for your patience!!!!!

6. Change where you put out the traps on the perimeters after every mouse is caught. They are smart etc as mentioned before, and they will not go back to where another was caught for quite a while.

7. LASTLY, don't reuse the traps as they can smell the chemical change from the earlier caught mouse as well as health hazards for yourself. AND remember that for every mouse you see or catch, professional estimates are that there are 8 more. So keep setting traps for a few weeks after the last caught one.

This method really worked for us and for another friend we told it too. Best of luck!

You can also, take peanut butter and wipe it over a piece of fruit and then wipe it off. The aroma will linger and when they go to lick it off and don't get any, they will try more diligently and use their teeth to grab at the fruit for the peanut butter/fruit.

Also, look for dime sized holes for entrances to your kitchen or your other room. Also, if you use a black light (long flourescent kind from home depot) you will see mouse (or any other pet) urine in small droplets on the floor or carpet. This often will lead your right to their nest so that you can close off their entry. It floreses as bright white.

Answer 3

How to catch a crafty mouse? With gift certificates to a fabric store, of course. No, wait, that's what works for me. Here is a way that is both humane and involves that great passion of mice: peanut butter. The down side is that it requires a fair bit of patience and sitting still. Empty and clean out a tall-ish kitchen trash can, lay it on its side with a piece of paper smeared with peanut butter. You sit next to it, keeping very still and quiet. When the mouse comes to check out the peanut butter, you quickly tip the trash can back to an upright position. This traps the mouse at the bottom, and you can take it outside for a release into the wild.

Answer 4

If and when you set traps and are being eaten..then that's the spot you should put the new method to work. Haven't been affected by such infestation..regular cleaning will help am sure. A cat in the home is worth two mice in the hall..ask any Top cat. I think my neighbour had a plague years ago and he used the sticky tape method..they eat a bit of it and take it back to their hold and get belly aches before falling asleep. I don't like the idea of having poisonous aids in the house and keep clean of them by remaining calm and cool and tackling the problem with sensibility. Obviously I do have a sense of humor and so does Tom..he's as crafty as a fox at times. That's why I like Chicken George..did I get him, did I get him? And get a whack on the head to boot. Life huh?! Good luck with your efforts in any case.

Answer 5

I have the SAME question. Ours has eaten the peanut butter off the trap about 3 or more times.... Try the mouse poison, or the humane traps... OR... Put a sticky trap right outside the door for the mouse poison... Should work.... I hate to hurt them ,too, but I'm about ready to get serious with this mouse!!!!
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Answer 6

I have 3 cats. And last year we had a couple of mice. My cats will catch the mouse then play with it. So we just take the mouse and put it back outside.

Answer 7

Buy several traps and NEVER reuse one after it has caught a mouse!!!!! Put some peanut butter on the bait area and even if he eats it this time, one of these times he will get lazy and careless and won't eat any more!

Answer 8

Decon pellets. Just place them in the backs of cupboards, behind refrigerators, dryers, etc. Places where they are not accessible to kids or pets. Mouse problem, GONE!!!!

Answer 9

When they were building a house next to mine I got them too. I bought some boxes of little green pills in them and put them around the house... they were soo good and quick, I bought them at kmart. sorry don't remember the name I think it's A-gone? good luck.

Answer 10

The traps to big for the little guy>And use cheeze with a tiny bit of PB as they can't lick it off>