Got Mice? – How to Get the Mouse Out of Your House
Mouse Cube ~
The Mouse Cube is a humane live trap. It looks like a little square tunnel, but it has a one-way plastic door. You put something tasty in the far end, and when the mouse goes in to eat it, the door shuts, trapping him inside. Now it’s up to you what to do with him. If you leave him in the Cube, he’ll eventually die (because there’s no water in there). If you take the Cube outside, you can release the mouse to ‘the wild’ of your yard (or the neighbor’s yard). The downside is that he will probably find his way back into your house within a day or so.
Sticky Traps ~
Sticky traps are also considered ‘humane’ in that they don’t kill the mouse outright. They do, however, kind of torture them. The sticky trap is literally a piece on paper with a sticky film on one side. You lay it sticky side up and wait for the mouse to walk over it. Then his little paws get stuck to the strong adhesive. The instructions say that you should then ‘dispose’ of the trap. So you’ve got a panicking, squeaking, struggling mouse stuck to a piece of paper in your garbage can until trash pick-up day.
Snap Traps ~
This spring-loaded classic mouse trap clamps down on the mouse’s arm when he reaches for the bait. Actually, it sometimes clamps down on his head. It all depends on what angle he steps onto the trap from. Having it snap on his head is actually nicer, because it usually kills on impact. If only an arm gets caught, you’re back to having to dispose of a hysterical (and now wounded) mouse.
Poison ~
This option, while effective, should not be used in homes where small children or pets could get a hold of it. The poison comes in little cardboard trays, and you slide them under furniture and into the backs of cabinets where you’ve seen mouse droppings. The poison is green, and soon you will start seeing green mouse poop. That let’s you know they’re eating it. The poison is actually just a super-strong anti-coagulant. Anyone who eats it will start bleeding internally, because their blood is basically leaking out the cell walls. The mice tend to crawl away to die in private, but you may find the dead bodies later, if you ever move the furniture.
Keep in mind that the bodies will also be contaminated. Don’t touch them with bare hands, and don’t let pets eat them. That anti-coagulant is still present, and can kill humans and pets who absorb or consume it.
Cats ~
Some cats eat mice. If you add a good ‘mouser’ to your household, he’ll keep your mouse problem under control, and enjoy the job. Just be sure you don’t get a ‘Garfield’ type cat that the mice will learn they can walk right by with no fear.
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