It's fall and the deer mice in Hole in the Wall are all looking for warm winter homes. When night falls, you can find them running outside the cabin walls, climbing on the picnic table and exploring our wood storage barrels. Wayne and I don't like to kill our animal neighbors, even mice. So we've decided on a catch and release program as ridiculous as it may sound.
We've been very lucky that mice haven't gotten into the cabin and we want to keep it that way.
Earlier I shared about using a
Havahart live trap to capture and relocate mice. It works fine, but at one mouse a night it could take a long time to get rid of the problem.
One night I couldn't sleep and came up with a brainstorm I call
Margy's Mousie Mechanism. With this "better" mouse trap we can capture multiple mice in one night. The design is simple. It starts with a large plastic tub. We have lots of these around the cabin for a variety of purposes. Some scrap lumber was used to fashion a ramp and "diving board" into the tub. A few dabs of peanut butter completes the trap and it's ready to set up on the mouse trail along the cabin wall.
On the first night we caught three mice in one fell swoop. In the morning, they all got a quick boat ride to nearby sandy beach with lots of hidey-holes and natural food sources. A perfect place to build a warm winter home. That's much better than poison or a kill trap for sure. -- Margy
It's fall and the deer mice in Hole in the Wall are all looking for warm winter homes. When night falls, you can find them running outside the cabin walls, climbing on the picnic table and exploring our wood storage barrels. Wayne and I don't like to kill our animal neighbors, even mice. So we've decided on a catch and release program as ridiculous as it may sound.
We've been very lucky that mice haven't gotten into the cabin and we want to keep it that way. Earlier I shared about using a Havahart live trap to capture and relocate mice. It works fine, but at one mouse a night it could take a long time to get rid of the problem.
One night I couldn't sleep and came up with a brainstorm I call Margy's Mousie Mechanism. With this "better" mouse trap we can capture multiple mice in one night. The design is simple. It starts with a large plastic tub. We have lots of these around the cabin for a variety of purposes. Some scrap lumber was used to fashion a ramp and "diving board" into the tub. A few dabs of peanut butter completes the trap and it's ready to set up on the mouse trail along the cabin wall.
On the first night we caught three mice in one fell swoop. In the morning, they all got a quick boat ride to nearby sandy beach with lots of hidey-holes and natural food sources. A perfect place to build a warm winter home. That's much better than poison or a kill trap for sure. -- Margy
Clever and kind . . . hope it works well for you . . . AND the mice.
ReplyDelete8-)
M IS FOR MAPLES AND MONUMENTS, at NICKERS AND INK
That's funny and pretty cool! A humane way to deal with the Squirrel relatives!
ReplyDeleteCheers, Klaus
This is a grand idea! I am not a fan of mice but I don't like the regular kill traps...drives my husband nuts when the season changes from warm to cold....some always find their way into our basement.....and thus the fun begins in how to be rid of them!
ReplyDeleteAnd here I thought you were posting about your computer Mouse.
ReplyDeleteThe joke's on me.
Bear((( )))
Oh My! MOusey problems!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, Margy! Now if only I could do that with the rats around here! ICK!!!
ReplyDeleteVery creative disposal system. So far no mousy problems here. The cats that live on either side of us probably take care of any intruders.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting my blog and leaving such a nice comment.
what a great idea.
ReplyDeleteaha..unfortunately I hate mice. They destroy the house, cupboard and eat just anything. Once they even bite my toes while I was sleeping. That was during my younger days and it's population were so huge until you have to find all ways and means to kill them. They are next to termites.
ReplyDeleteTo build a better mouse trap
ReplyDeleteShalom Margy, thandks for your comment; the feeling is mutual--I'd LOVE to visit your neck of the woods someday.
ReplyDeleteYour humaneness with the mice is impressive. Nice new and better mouse trap.
At Heifer Ranch, Arkansas (www.heifer.org) the mice were eating holes into the 50 lb. bags of feed in the rabbitry. So I used a trap like your bucket, but with water inside. Sorry, but there was no "mainland" to relocate live mice to.
Does the sound of mice in your walls keep you awake?
I hope the motor provides relible transportation for the mice - ferry services should be regular.
ReplyDeleteSome poeple came to the island having bought a 2nd hand Evinrude... we eventually got it going but the pump went and he didn't notice the smell of burning paint. It seized.
Very ingenious! Simple, but effective!
ReplyDeleteWe had a problem with mice here before we did the house renovations. I used a similar type of trap to the Havahart, and there were some nights when I'd be catching two mice per trap! Putting in concrete floors solved the problem.
Now I have to go find out where you live, that the mice need a boat ride!
ooohhh! I hope they don't trap my mouse in there!
ReplyDeleteI have to say they are pretty cute! You are so kind...
ReplyDeleteI owe Evinrude an apology. D'star reminded me it was a Johnson.
ReplyDeleteUgh. Mice. I don't want them in my house, but I, too, prefer kinder means of removing them!
ReplyDeleteHahahaha! Clever mouse mechanism! Was it effective?
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I am here to tell you how important your comment is. It is so important that it is equal to a dollar donation to feed the hungry! So please don't be shy and leave a comment! Tell your blogging friends to do so too PLEASE! Thank you! We only got until Friday!
Mousehunter :-D
ReplyDeleteVery original post, I love it.
Great mind(s) that thought that up.
ReplyDeleteI don't like killing them either.
The KISS- Keep It Simple, Stupid, theory works everytime. You did good!! I will remember it!
ReplyDeleteThank you for not killing the mice. I love your humane approach.
ReplyDeleteWe used to makes something similar, try using a roller smeared in peanut butter a little ways away, that way they reach across and it rolls. It keeps their little bodies from wiping away the bait as they fall into the bucket :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment and feedback Anonymous. It's a fun site to keep adding to as I live the experiences. - Margy
ReplyDelete