The fight against mice has been going on since time immemorial; the very first “weapons” were mousetraps. Ready-made ones are sold in specialized stores and are manufactured. The important question remains how to set a mousetrap so that rodents fall into the trap.
Selecting a location
The presence of mice is indicated by a specific smell, excrement, sawdust, wood dust, plastic, holes in bags of grain, chewed vegetables, fruits. It is advisable to determine the location of the hole, nest, and observe where the pests come from.
Mice always move along known, familiar routes. Marked with feces, urine. They recognize their tracks by smell and color, since urine glows in the dark. If you manage to determine the trajectory, there is no need for much cunning - they set a trap against the movement, and that’s the end of it.
In other cases, you just need to install mousetraps in the expected places of movement. Rodents love to run along baseboards, under walls, and crawl onto window sills and cabinets.
The mouse will not be caught if the room is noisy; there is no point in building a mousetrap during the day. The war is waged in the dark, when pests intensify their activities. The exception is if the room is always dim.
Types of traps
Instructions for using a mousetrap depend on its design, as well as the place where you have to wage war.
- A trap made from plastic bottles can be used in the garden, garden, cellar. The instruction manual does not contain specific rules. It is enough to dig into the ground, or fix it at a slope near steps or shelves. When a mouse falls into a homemade mousetrap, it remains inside and cannot get out due to the slippery walls, which are pre-lubricated with vegetable oil.
- A trap made from a bucket of water does not have to be placed under the wall; it can be made in the middle of the room. To get a mouse into a mousetrap, you need to use a fragrant bait and try to remove other food supplies from the house or room. Grass, leaves, straw, and husks are placed on top of the water. Add a little vegetable oil, scatter grain and seeds. Place a stick next to the bucket; it will act as a ladder.
- A mechanical trap is convenient because it kills the rodent immediately or fatally injures it. There are instructions on how to charge the mousetrap. Place in the chosen location and secure the bait. Move the pin in the opposite direction from the spring. Bend the bracket and secure it.
On a note!
When using a mechanical one, the location of the structure must be changed periodically. Otherwise, the mice will master the new trajectory and will not get caught.
The sticky trap is especially popular. A special substance is applied to a dense base - cardboard, a piece of plastic, oilcloth, plywood. Fixed on a hard surface. has instant fixation and does not dry out within 1-2 weeks from the moment of application. The substance is applied in a continuous line with an interval of 2 cm between the stripes. To catch mice, a mousetrap measuring 10*20 cm is sufficient. The trap is placed in those places where rodents have been seen. Preferably near a hole or nest.
On a note!
A sticky mousetrap is used to control rodents in the garden. Tree bark is processed at heights of up to 50 cm from the ground surface. The trap protects against rodents and harmful insects.
If the mouse is not caught, a mistake has been made somewhere. Instructions for using mousetraps:
- Rodents love twilight, but run to places where light falls. You can install a mousetrap. Point a flashlight at it with a dim light.
- To catch mice, you need . Small rodents love cheese, seeds, grains, cereals, bread, and cookies. They eat sausage, meat, and lard, but without much enthusiasm. This bait is more suitable for rats.
- You need to check your mousetrap often. A caught, killed animal scares away the rest, and the mice will begin to explore another territory. A living mouse in a trap will warn others about the danger with an anxious squeak.
If there are a lot of mice in the room, you need to alternate several different methods struggle. You can handle a large army of rodents.
The appearance of mice in photographs and cartoons evokes affection. However, when gray tailed creatures penetrate a house, outbuildings, or garages, the attitude towards them changes dramatically. After all, rodents not only cause material damage, which is calculated as damage to food, building materials, and electrical wiring. , helminths, which entails serious consequences for human health. Therefore, when rodents are discovered in your possessions, the issue of combating them is beyond doubt. How to make a mousetrap with your own hands and why this method is used most often - the answers to these questions will be useful to novice mouse fighters.
Advantages of mousetraps
The most in a fast way To get rid of rodents at home, the use of rodenticides, that is, poisons, is recognized. But this method has a number of significant disadvantages. In addition to the fact that their use is dangerous when small children or pets live in the house, the death of a rodent can occur in the most unexpected places. A decomposing body will emit a disgusting cadaverous odor for a long time, which is very difficult to get rid of. And the search for the animal carcass itself may end major repairs premises. When using traps, these problems can be avoided.
And these are not all the advantages of mousetraps:
- Even a schoolchild or a representative of the fair sex can make mouse traps with their own hands. After all, most designs in manufacturing do not require soldering skills, technical knowledge or professional use of a hammer and other tools.
- Homemade mousetraps are in no way inferior to industrial versions in terms of efficiency.
- The cost of devices made with your own hands can be several times lower than purchased traps, since most of them are made from improvised materials.
Types of traps
All mousetrap designs are a device in the center of which there is a trap that attracts tailed pests with its aroma. Depending on the type of device, the mouse either dies or continues to exist awaiting its fate. Types of mousetraps that you can make yourself:
- spring, made of wood and metal spokes, act when the spring is triggered;
- a variety of containers, ranging from all kinds of jars to a bucket or pan - the effect is achieved by shifting the center of gravity or simply dropping the mouse from a height;
- live traps - an automatic trap designed by Tishleev, a Zünner trap are more complex for self-made designs can be either single-placed or designed for catching several individuals at once;
- glue traps – modern version live traps are distinguished by their compactness and ease of manufacture and further use; the capture of living creatures is carried out by gluing the rodent to;
- electronic traps operating from the network or other power sources - a bait is placed inside the module, and as soon as the rodent is inside, a powerful electric discharge is released, from which the mouse instantly dies.
The photos of mousetraps presented below will help you appreciate the complexity of the design.
What to do with a caught rodent
The question often arises of what to do with a caught mouse. If the animal remains whole and uninjured, the most humane thing to do is to take the captive to his natural environment a habitat. If it is damaged, it is advisable to feed it to cats or take it to a landfill. Particularly compassionate individuals may first euthanize a mouse in an apartment or house before disposal, for example, by feeding it poison. If a decision is made to keep the gray pest as a pet, it should be taken for examination to a veterinary clinic and only after it is concluded that it is healthy, a new home should be arranged for it.
Whatever manipulations are performed with the captured animal, it is necessary to do it with gloves, since one cannot exclude the possibility that the mouse is a carrier of various diseases or is simply rabid. The room in which it was located must be thoroughly disinfected.
The forums also offer more creative options for solving the fate of a captive animal: feed and eat it, flush it down the toilet, place it with the mother-in-law.
How to make a bottle trap
How far the imagination of folk craftsmen goes when it comes to plastic containers from liquid products. Catching rodents is not complete without them. Trap out plastic bottle can be made in just a few minutes. You can make it from one and a half racks or 2-liter containers. In the absence of the latter, a mouse trap is constructed from a 5-liter bottle. There are several ways to make traps.
Option #1
The step by step guide is as follows:
- Through stationery knife cut off the neck of the plastic vessel, about a third.
- Cut neck with internal sides grease with any vegetable oil.
- Place bait inside the remaining part with the bottom.
- Turn the element with the neck over so that it is directed downwards into the structure and secure it with tape or wire.
The mouse, seduced by the aroma of the bait, freely penetrates through the lubricated neck into the trap, but will not be able to get back out. On the part of the neck where the plug is screwed on, you can make several fan-shaped vertical cuts. This will increase the chances of catching a large rodent.
On a note!
To prevent a plastic bottle mousetrap from turning over, a weighting agent is placed on the bottom: stones, a small bag of sand.
Option No. 2
You can catch a mouse in a bottle even easier:
- Cut off the top of the container where the narrowing ends.
- On the upper edge of the element with the bottom, make cuts 4-5 cm long at intervals of 1.5-2 cm. You will get something like petals that need to be sharpened.
- Bend the pointed edges down so that they look at the bottom.
- Grease the walls of the trap and place bait on the bottom.
For the convenience of the mouse, small boards are attached to the device. The animal will climb up them without hindrance, get into the vessel, and sharp edges and slippery walls will not allow it to leave.
On a note!
A primitive trap can be easily made by placing bait in a bottle of oil after using the product, slightly cutting off the neck and bending it down.
Option No. 3
This type of trap is slightly different from the previous ones:
- Cut off the neck of the bottle and throw it away. This part will no longer be needed.
- In the resulting container, you need to drill two holes and stretch a rope or wire through them, through which the mousetrap will be tied.
- Place the bait on the bottom and place the trap so that part of it hangs from the shelf or countertop. Secure the fastening.
As soon as the mouse gets behind the treat, the center of gravity will shift, and the mousetrap will invariably hang with the captive. Catching pests using bottles is quite convenient. Consumables they cost nothing to make, and captured animals can be disposed of along with the trap, avoiding direct contact with them.
Traps from large containers
Mousetrap from a bucket of water - outrageously simple, but very effective adaptation. With its help, it is possible to catch several representatives of the mouse family in one night. The process of making a mousetrap:
- Drill two holes in the top of the bucket.
- Take a metal rod, the length of which is no less than the diameter of the bucket.
- Place an empty bottle on the axle, having previously coated it with a mixture that is attractive to rodents, so that it can rotate.
- Fix the rod with the threaded bottle in drilled holes. The neck should be as close as possible to the edge of the bucket.
- Fill the bucket one-third full with plain water.
- Attach a kind of ramp made of a board to the trap, along which the mouse will climb to get the bait.
Having felt the aroma, the tailed animal will climb along the bridge to the bottle, which, under its weight, will immediately turn over and throw it into the water. Instead of a bucket, a deep basin or large pan can be used.
The device is designed to catch several individuals at once. The construction process consists of several stages:
- Take wooden beam about 40 cm long. On the end part, drill 6 holes with a diameter of 2-2.5 cm and a depth of at least 1-2 cm. These will be holes for potential captives.
- At a distance of 1 cm on the same side, saw the block lengthwise to the bottom of the notches.
- Drill 2 more holes perpendicular to the holes, into which the springs will then be attached.
- Build a spring mechanism from a knitting needle, and at the end make a loop of strong thin wire.
- Insert the free edge of the spring into the previously prepared hole, secure it to the block, and hide the loop in the cut.
- Pass the thread through the free holes.
- Place bait in the center.
The mouse will try to get to the treat and gnaw the thread, as a result of which the spring mechanism will work, and the rodent will end up in the hole prepared for it.
Adhesive structures
To make a mousetrap you will need small cardboard squares, sheets, each side at least 5 cm. For the base you can use construction remains– plasterboard, MDF panels, fiberboard, chipboard. The second necessary component is glue. You can prepare it with your own hands according to the following recipe: mix rosin, petroleum jelly, pine resin and bitumen pitch. If you don’t want to prepare the adhesive mass yourself, then the simplest way– purchase special glue for rodents in a specialized department.
The further construction of the trap is outrageously simple. Glue is applied pointwise to the workpiece. A fragrant bait is placed in the center. The mouse is firmly fixed to the adhesive mass. The only drawback such structures - the heart-rending squeak of a caught pest.
To or, they often use a mousetrap house. A cardboard frame is made. Internal walls are covered and in the middle is a traditional treat for mice. This design eliminates the risk of an animal smeared with glue moving around the room.
Electronic devices
A do-it-yourself electronic mousetrap can be made according to several schemes. For people with technical education and knowledge of the laws of physics, making such a device will not be difficult. special labor. The simplest trap is a small device with a fragrant treat placed in the center. When the mouse penetrates inside, the resistance of the circuit changes, as a result of which the damper closes and feeds sound signal, warning of the capture of a pest.
In the fall, warm-blooded pests return to their winter quarters, and there are better places than yours warm home there's no way to come up with this. To effectively combat a rodent infestation, you may need dozens of mousetraps. Especially for you, we have compiled several instructions on how to self-assembly traps.
Classic trap design
The basis for the mousetrap will be a board made of 10-15 mm plywood measuring 80x150 mm. All other parts are made of galvanized steel wire with a thickness of 1.5-2.5 mm. Wire is perfect for gas welding; the main thing is not to heat the metal when bending the workpieces.
The main part is a spring clamp. To make it you will need about 45 cm of wire with a thickness of no more than 1.5 mm. You need to tightly clamp a 10 mm round rod in a vice, at the end of which a cut with a depth of about 15 mm is made with a hacksaw. Stepping back 50 mm from the end of the wire, place it in the cut and wind it in tight turns around the rod.
When about 25 cm remains during the winding process, the remainder must be directed in the direction opposite to the initial tail, then stretch the spring to 50 mm. The long tail must be bent with a U-shaped bracket with equal sides 60 mm each. The penultimate corner should not be bent completely at once: the edge should be tucked inside the spring, and the end should be brought out reverse side and turn it to the side, leaving a fold of about 5 cm.
To secure the spring to the base, divide it in half lengthwise and drill a 2mm hole on the center line, 10mm from each edge. Place a 12 cm piece of wire 2.5 mm thick inside the spring, bend the edges down and thread it through the holes. Pass the short tail through the base and bend it on the wrong side along with the spring fastening, driving the ends tightly into the wood.
Scheme of a simple mousetrap-trap. 1. Spring and pressure frame. 2. Loops. 3. Fixing needle. 4. Wooden base mousetraps
It remains to make a few simple parts:
- Two short loops attached to the center of the front and back of the mousetrap.
- A fixing needle about 130 mm long, one end of which is passed into the back loop and wrapped in a ring.
- Hook for bait. It can be made from thinner wire by threading it through the front loop and twisting the ends half a turn. One edge needs to be bent with a hook around the knitting needle, and the other should be moved to the side to install the bait.
After assembling the mousetrap, all that remains is to trim the knitting needle so that in the cocked position the hook with bait is 1-2 mm from the edge.
Hive mousetrap
Second standard design mousetraps are also easy to make. You will need a 50x50 mm block, along the axis of which a hole is drilled blind hole with a diameter of about 30 mm and a depth of 50 mm. On one side of the block, you should pre-mark a longitudinal line and two more parallel to it with an indentation of 15 mm.
Along the side lines with a distance of 15-20 mm from the front edge, you need to drill two through holes about 3.5-4 mm in diameter. The exit holes must be connected by a line along which the cut is made, with a depth of at least to the middle of the hole. It is better to first make a series of small holes, and then cut out the rest with a chisel or mounting knife.
You need to insert a U-shaped bracket made of 2 mm wire into the formed slot. Its width should be 30 mm, and the length of the tails should be about 120 mm. It is important that the clamp freely reaches at least the middle of the hole, and even better - that the clamp can be tightened to 10 mm from the top of the hole.
The edges of the clamp must be bent at right angles and twisted into a loop. From 2 mm wire you need to roll a spring into 4-5 turns with two ends of 70 mm each. One end is rigidly attached to the body of the mousetrap, the second is threaded into the loop of the clamp and bent with a hook.
Two holes need to be drilled at a distance of 30-35 mm from the front edge and 5 mm from the center line. Thread a strong thread through them, compress the spring and tighten a tight knot from above. The bait is placed at the bottom of the hole: trying to get to it, the pest will gnaw the thread, and the spring will be activated.
Scheme of a hive mousetrap.1. Spring. 2. Loop. 3. Thread. 4. Mousetrap body
Humane version of the hive design
Typically, rodent traps are created with slaughter in mind. Pest carcasses should be burned to prevent the spread of diseases; feeding caught animals to pets is strongly discouraged. If you are still concerned about the issue of humanity, the trap can be made non-lethal.
The principle of operation of a hive trap remains the same, only the hole should be deeper - about 100-120 mm. The bait is also placed 20-25 mm from the bottom of the hole and a thread is used as a trigger mechanism, which the mouse chews through.
1. Instead of a loop, a tin plate is used to block the entrance when the mousetrap is triggered. 2. In order for the rodent to fit entirely in the mousetrap, it is necessary to deepen the main chamber
But instead of a U-shaped clamp, a steel plate is used, to which two pieces of thin wire are welded. With the same success, you can use a regular clamp, on which a pair of loops of thinner wire are tied crosswise, forming a locking lattice.
The trap body should have a thickened lower part: about 20-25 mm will be required to hide the locking door in the slot. It is better to cut the leading edge of the block with a flat leading part. This option is somewhat more difficult to manufacture, but the caught animal is guaranteed to remain alive and healthy.
Bottle mousetraps
However, to humanely catch pests, it is not necessary to resort to such complex tricks. The simplest non-lethal mousetraps can be made from an ordinary bottle and even whipped up.
For one of the variations, you will need a deep plastic bucket, along the walls of which the mouse cannot escape. Through liter bottle or a tin can needs to be threaded through a piece of thick steel wire or a regular welding electrode. The trap rests on the sides of the bucket, and the bait is carefully laid out in the center. When approaching it, the rodent will inevitably twist the bottle and fall down.
In a similar way, you can use a bottle with a cut neck, which is secured to the table with a thread in its upper part. The bait is placed on the bottom, and the container itself is located on the edge of the tabletop. When getting to the food, the rodent will fall down along with the container and will not be able to get out along the smooth, steep walls.
The described options have a main drawback: they are very difficult to hide, plus it is necessary to organize a path for the pest to approach the bait. However, if you cut off the top of the bottle, and open the walls into sharp triangular petals 50-60 mm long and bend it inward, such a trap can be placed lying almost anywhere. Oddly enough, but numerous plastic “spikes” really do not allow the animal to escape to freedom.
What baits to use and how
In conclusion, we suggest discussing the issue of proper preparation of baits. To avoid waiting for the mouse to come close to the bait to notice it, it is recommended to use certain types of products that attract prey by smell.
From natural products of general consumption rodents the best way react to dried meats, chocolates, canned corn And crab sticks. Boiled with butter It is also convenient to string pearl barley or peas onto the hook of the trap.
If the mousetrap allows the use of bulk baits, a mixture of equal parts of wheat groats, millet and bran, seasoned with unrefined sunflower oil. When laying bait, wash your hands thoroughly without soap, and keep pets away from the traps; they can scare away pests with their own smell.
Mousetraps should be placed in dark, secluded places, in corners and along walls, where mice usually make their way to explore the territory. The capture of mice is guaranteed in those places where traces of droppings remain: here the rodents eat stolen food and never refuse an additional portion.
Getting rid of mice and rats in the house is not so easy, because... these rodents are prolific and survive even in extreme conditions. If you do not have pets or children in your apartment, it is better to use mousetraps. Yes, and those who big family, which includes pets, can choose a model of mousetrap that will not harm pets, but will help get rid of rats and mice.
Mousetrap - a centuries-old remedy for rodents
Where to put mousetraps
If there are a lot of people at home during the day, it is better to set mousetraps at night. Rats and mice do not like to leave their holes during the day. You can find out that they were in the apartment by the excrement that they leave in the places where they stay. Rodents do not like open spaces, so they move along the walls. That's where you need to place mousetraps.
To enter an apartment, they make holes with a diameter of 4 cm or use any holes, even the size of a coin. Walk through the kitchen, carefully examine all the walls and dark corners. If you find a hole, place a mousetrap near it. Sometimes rodents run after household appliances, behind the furniture. Place traps near holes or along the wall, at a distance of 60-90 cm from each other. You can put one under the oven, in the pan compartment.
How to charge
What is the best mousetrap and how to charge it before use? You can choose any trap. But work carefully, use gloves. Rats and mice have sensitive noses. If the mousetrap or bait itself smells like a person, they will not approach it.
Mechanical mousetrap
This is a simple design that is not expensive and is sold in any hardware store. It can be metal, which is suitable for catching rats, because... most reliable. Wooden ones are used to catch mice. To catch rodents, it must be charged. It will be difficult to do this the first time, so be careful, because... she hits her fingers painfully.
This mousetrap consists of:
- Trigger (1).
- Clamps (2).
- Holder (3).
To load the mousetrap, take the bait and put it on the trigger (it must be attached securely, otherwise the mouse will drag it away and run away). Then we take the clamp and carefully cock it. You need to put a holder on it and insert it into the trigger so that the holder slides off at the slightest touch. Now all that remains is to place it where there are a lot of rats and mice.
How does a mousetrap work? The rodent touches the bait and touches the trigger. At this moment, the holder slides and releases the clamp. It slams shut and presses the mouse. If the mousetrap is not secured and a large rat gets caught in it, it may drag it away with it.
Mousetrap design: the mouse pulls the trigger and the trap slams shut
Other types of mousetraps
- Live trap for mice. It's even easier to charge. The bait is placed in a special hole, and the structure itself is placed on level ground. Once the mouse is caught in the trap, the trap slams shut. It does not kill the rodent, but catches it, and you can then release the mouse away from home.
- Electric mousetraps. They operate from the electrical network. It is opened and placed along the baseboard. Bait is placed inside. The mouse runs inside and receives a powerful electric shock, which kills it. Before this happens, the mousetrap slams shut.
- Cages, containers. IN special device bait is placed. This device helps to catch live mice or rats.
All these types do not need to be charged, just put the bait in a specially designated place.
If the mousetrap smells like a person, the mouse will not approach it.
Types of bait
What food is best to use as bait at home, what do these rodents like? We are taught from childhood that mice and rats prefer cheese. In fact, most rodents are indifferent to cheese. How to lure them into a trap?
- Salo. Choose flavorful pieces of smoked or salted lard. Old, rancid pieces will not attract mice. To make the treat more appetizing, before putting it in the mousetrap, “fry” it a little with a match.
- Vegetable oil. Any kind will do, but the best is unrefined sunflower. They need to anoint a piece of bread. If you have sesame oil in your house, that is also suitable, the smell is very attractive to rodents.
- Bread and pastries. It's good if it's bran bread with a strong smell. Choose fresh and fragrant baked goods.
- Grains. Mice and rats are not indifferent to seeds and cereals. You can pour seeds, wheat, buckwheat or rice into the trap.
- Smoked sausage. Its aroma may attract rodents, but they prefer natural products.
Mousetraps – traditional way getting rid of mice, works great for small quantity rodents For fishing to be successful, you need to choose a trap the right type and the right bait, figure out how to charge the mousetrap and where to install it. Then the pests will not have the slightest chance to survive.
Types of mouse traps
The range of mousetraps is huge; almost all variations cope with their task. All that remains is to choose whether to kill the mouse or release it, see the dead animal, and whether to touch it or not. Also important are the cost of traps, the ability to buy them in large quantities, as well as safety for children and animals.
Modern mousetraps are mostly mechanical; they are activated by a spring, which can forcefully slam the trap or quickly close the door.
With frame
The mechanism in mousetraps with a frame is metal, the base is often made of wood, sometimes of a sheet of metal. A rectangular frame equipped with a spring is fixed in the cocked position using a metal rod placed on a hook. The bait also clings to the same hook. The mouse, pulling the bait, releases the frame that kills the animal. After each rodent caught, this trap must be installed again.
To charge this mousetrap you need:
- put the bait on the hook;
- forcefully move the frame back 180°;
- holding the frame with one hand, turn the rod with the other and place the hook on its edge;
- carefully release the frame.
Since charging this type of mousetrap correctly is not easy, you will have to practice several times. The trap does not trigger unless the hook is at the very edge of the rod. The bait must be hard enough so that the rodent has to tinker and thereby trigger the mechanism.
Wooden mousetraps are not very successful from a hygiene point of view - the blood and urine of rodents are absorbed into the wood, and bacteria multiply over time. A metal mousetrap is much better in this regard - it is easy to wash and treat with antiseptics.
With loop
A rodent trap with a loop is the most simple mousetrap. It is a wooden or plastic block with one or more holes. Inside the hole is a noose made of elastic wire, which is secured with a thread. In the depths there is feeding. The mouse, trying to get to the food, chews the thread, releases the wire and dies in the noose.
To install this mousetrap, you need to use a long needle or wire to thread a thread through the holes, bend the wire with a loop and tie a strong knot on top so that the noose is held in the lower position by the thread.
Traps
The design of this mousetrap is similar to traps for large animals, but the mouse trap is smaller and located horizontally. The arches are usually made of plastic and equipped with teeth along the perimeter. To set a trap, press the clamp at the back, place the bait on the plate inside and release the clamp. Similar traps are also available for rats; they are larger than mouse traps and equipped with a stronger spring.
There is also humane mousetrap, based on the same principle. It is much longer and the feeding is located deep in the structure. The jaws close when the mouse is completely inside, so it does not suffer any damage.
Cells
A mousetrap cage is a box of metal rods with a door that closes with a spring. This design is called a live trap; more often it is used for catching larger animals - minks, muskrats, raccoons. You can catch a rat in such a cage. A live trap for mice is the tiniest of them, but it is designed in the same way: in the middle of the box there is a hook, on one end of which a bait is attached, and the other holds a spring.
Swing
Another trap that does not harm the rodent is based on the swing principle. The design of the mousetrap is extremely simple; it is based on a long rectangular box, curved in the center, like a boomerang. The trap must be installed so that the part closest to the entrance is in a horizontal position. In this case, the door is fixed in open form. Having reached the edge of the mousetrap, the mouse overhangs the swing, the door is released and slams shut.
Pipes
The principle of operation of traps made in the form of pipes is that I don’t see, I don’t touch. They are designed for people who are afraid of mice or have an aversion to them. A mouse running into a plastic opaque pipe is killed by a blow to the head or is simply fixed inside with a slamming lid. You can shake it out of the trap without touching it or seeing the animal.
Electrical traps
The most convenient rodent trap to use is an electric mousetrap. It does not need to be charged, human intervention is minimal, just put the bait and plug the cord into an outlet. The mouse, getting inside, closes the contacts with its paws and instantly dies from a discharge of current. Unlike mechanical models, which may not trigger at the right time, an electronic mousetrap is 100% effective.
There are lights on the device that indicate whether the trap is empty or whether a rodent has already been caught in it. In some models, signal diodes are located at the end of a long cord so that you can slide the mousetrap deep under the sofa and monitor the catching of mice without removing the device.
Destruction systems
Reusable electronic traps are called rodent control systems. Without a doubt, this is the best mousetrap - a plastic box small size equipped with an electric chamber and a reversible bottom. The instructions describe in detail the principle of operation - after destruction, the mouse automatically ends up in the container, and the trap is ready for use again. In the morning, all that remains is to remove the container and shake out the pests from it.
There is only one drawback to using destruction systems - their cost. For the price paid for one device, you can buy a hundred fairly effective simple mousetraps.
Bait selection
The right bait is the basis for successful rodent control. Even the most best traps will be powerless if the mouse is not interested in the food offered. The prevailing opinion that mice are madly fond of cheese is not true. This product is far down the list of rodent preferences; the first lines are occupied by completely different baits.
A list of what to put in a mousetrap to be sure to lure a mouse:
- a little unrefined sunflower on a piece of bread;
- deliciously smelling bread and fragrant pastries;
- sunflower seeds and peanuts;
- pieces of lard, slightly charred on the fire;
- pumpkin seeds;
- smoked sausage.
For traps without a trigger, you can use industrial mouse trap attractant baits; they are made from food products with the addition of odorous substances that attract rodents.
The rodent does not pay attention to the bait in the mousetrap if it does not suit its tastes. In this case, the product must be replaced. Also, mice do not react to something tasty in a charged trap when they have access to human food - loosely covered food containers or a pile of crumbs on the table and under their feet. You should only touch mousetraps with gloves, so there will be no human odor left on them, which could alert the mouse.
Installation locations
In rooms where children and pets live, it is better not to catch mice with devices open type, since there is always a chance that what is caught will not be a rodent at all. Traps with a loop are also not the best a good option– a thin wire easily cuts the skin. In these cases, it is better to install a mouse trap or a model of similar action from plastic pipes and boxes.
You can catch rodents anywhere in the apartment, even in remote corners you will still encounter them from time to time, but for greater efficiency, the chosen mousetrap is installed along the routes of pests from nests to products.
Mice prefer to hide under cabinets, in drawers, between furniture, in floor and wall cavities.
Modern renovation with an abundance of drywall is a dream for any rodent. The nest can also be located outside the house - in an adjacent shed or garage, in the attic, in the basement, in bushes or a pile of branches near the wall, in cracks in the foundation. Then burrows lead into the room - small holes near the floor. You can also determine where mice are by looking at the excrement left behind and spoiled food.
Traps are placed near these places along baseboards and between furniture. It is better if there are several mousetraps, since mice are caught mainly at night, and it will not be possible to immediately recharge the devices.
