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2torial #0440:
Learn2 Capture a
Mouse
The kind you can't replace with
trackballs!!
If you see a mouse scurrying in the corners of
your domicile, you've probably got more than one
(or will soon). And although the furry critters do
have their charms, you really should evict them
ASAP--through humane methods or otherwise. Mice
reproduce quickly, spread disease and chew their
way through just about anything short of concrete,
leaving an entryway for their less-than-charming
cousin, the rat.
Choose your weapon! There are a number of
mousetraps available at any good-sized hardware
store. The right one for you depends on the kind of
fate you're comfortable imposing on mice:
- Snap traps are the kind that slam a metal or
plastic bar over the back of the creature,
thereby snapping the neck or spine and putting
an end to a mouse's career. When they work as
intended death is instantaneous--but they don't
always work as intended. Brace yourself for some
unpleasant cleanups, and the occasional mercy
killing.
- Humane traps are small cages with doors that
close shut as the mouse eats the bait. They're
clean, painless, and mess-free, but with a
slightly less-effective track record. They
present the issue of disposing of the live
mouse: can you set it free without it turning
into someone else's problem?
Glue traps are not mentioned in this 2torial,
because they're disgusting and cruel. They don't
kill mice--just permanently fuse their flesh and
fur to a sticky surface, making it impossible to do
anything but quiver and starve to death. If you can
bear to throw a still-living creature in the trash,
you might find them convenient...but don't expect
to get invited to any of OUR parties.
 Pick your trap locations
Choosing where to locate your traps is a key
step. You'll want to place them where you believe
the mouse will be--but your pets, children, spouse
and/or housemates will not. Along baseboards, in
corners and behind furniture are good locations,
since mice gravitate to darkness and avoid wide
open spaces. You want places where other factors
aren't likely to set off the traps (such as
rattling doors or thudding feet), but also places
that aren't too hard for you to check, and to
retrieve the traps from.
Try finding the holes from which the mice are
entering your rooms, and placing the traps as close
as possible. These holes probably won't be the
archway-like "mouseholes" you see in the cartoons;
more likely they're the open spaces around the
entry points of plumbing fixtures, or gaps between
the baseboard and the floor. Remember, many mice
can squeeze through an area significantly smaller
than the diameter of a dime.
 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.
 Check the traps
Every morning, check your traps--even if you
didn't hear a snap in the night. If you don't get
results after three days, try locations for your
traps; you may have just misjudged the critter's
movement patterns. If another few days doesn't do
the trick, replace the bait (it's getting
unappetizing by now, yes?) and move on to Step 4.
 If it doesn't work...
- Move the furniture around. This sounds wacky, but it works.
Mice will investigate the new arrangement and will be more inclined
to come across a trap.
- Consider poisoning rather than capturing.
 If it does work...
...you'll need to dispose of the creature. Here
are some suggestions:
- If you're using the "humane" type trap,
you'll have a live mouse wriggling around
inside. Resist the temptation to set it loose in
the vacant lot out back; mice can very easily
find their way back to your home (and theirs).
Instead, go for a drive and find a spot at least
half a mile away from your house (common
courtesy dictates that this spot not be someone
else's residence).
- If you've used a snap trap and the creature
is indisputedly deceased, you can attempt to
remove the body (and save the trap for further
use), or to toss the whole thing. In either
case, the best disposal method is to wrap it in
a plastic bag and dispose of it with the rest of
your trash...unless you feel compelled to give
it a decent burial. Whatever you do, do NOT
flush it down the toilet (yes, people have done
that).
- If the snap trap has trapped but not dispatched the rodent,
you have an ethical choice to make. You can opt to release it
at a remote site (see Tips), but if it's seriously wounded you
may want to "put it out of its misery." In that case, one method
is to place the mouse in a small, airtight jar for a day or so.
The jar must not be too big--mice have tiny lungs, and can survive
a long time even in a closed container.
-end-
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