Here's an alternative to killing the mouse if you don't have a hav-a-heart trap. Keep a black umbrella on hand. If you see a mouse, open the umbrella with part of it flat towards the ground. Have someone else chase the mouse towards the umbrella. When the mouse runs into the umbrella, close it.

Put the closed umbrella in a shoe box with holes (if a small umbrella) or put a rubber band around the top. Then dispose of it at least half a mile away from your house. Mice can very easily find their way back to your home (and theirs).

2torial #0440: Learn2 Capture a Mouse (Continued) Bait and place the traps First, add the appropriate bait to the trap. You don't need a large amount, just a lump well under the size of a marble. You're not providing a meal for them, just something that smells appetizing. If you're using a snap trap, avoid getting smeary bait on the latching mechanism (the little metal ridge that keeps the trap from springing prematurely). When placing the traps, try not to touch things in the area any more than necessary, or to introduce anything that might bear your scent. You want to mice to smell the bait, not you. And orient the traps so that the bait is as close to the wall as possible: mice really don't travel any more than they have to, and placing the bait four inches away may cause them to pass it up.   Step 3