This mouse is going DOWN

[mapsedge]

Do you expect me to squeak?

No, Mr. Mouse, I expect you to die.

Some of you know that we've been having mouse problems. I blogged about a portion of the experience here.

Recently, though, we've been dealing with a rather special breed of mouse, one that knows how to balance on the snap wire of a traditional mouse trap to clean the trip bar of peanut butter on not one but three traps, not once but twice; a mouse that recognizes and avoids glue traps, both black and yellow. One that thinks, the little bastard.

Tonight, I set up my final attempt, my last offensive before we break out the poison. It's a live-fall trap made from a five gallon bucket and a toilet paper tube, which is baited with peanut butter and precariously balanced on the edge. A ramp provides easy access, and is likewise, smeared with enough peanut butter to get Mr. Mouse's attention. At the bottom of the bucket, just for insurance, a glue trap.

Here's the plan: Mouse smells the peanut butter, climbs the ramp to investigate. Just ahead he sees a morsel of peanut butter and a tiny "Reserved" sign. He walks into the dining area, takes one step past the tipping point and is dropped without fanfare into the bucket - and hopefully onto the trap.

If I could figure out how to reset the trap, that would be awesome, but it's the best I can do in fifteen minutes. The tube is taped to the bucket and the lightest touch tips it one way or the other, so maybe it will reset itself and I can catch mice all night.

Click on the picture for a larger version.

Comments

[rowangolightly.livejournal.com]

Here's hoping that you've built a better mouse trap. Mice are cute and all but *not* inside the house.

Did I ever tell you about the one I caught years and years ago, in a trap that I'd put under the kitchen sink? It had caught him by the tail and I nearly had a heart attack when he crawled, dragging the trap behind him, out the 3" opening I'd left in that cabinet door? Yeah, I felt sorry for the little bugger and didn't have the heart to kill him so picked up the trap by the corner, with his tail still caught and flung him out the front door, minus the trap.

You know, I never had a mouse problem in that apartment again. I figured that he went and told the other mice, "don't go IN there; the crazy woman tortures you, tries to pull off your tail and then LET'S YOU GO!" Worked for me.

[nottygypsy.livejournal.com]

What if the mouse's smarter female sidekick has some dental floss?

[brotherwilliam.livejournal.com]

A little bit of dog food in the bottom of a trash can that the edge can be got to. Mouse will jump in but can't jump out.

[theslice.livejournal.com]

Rube Goldberg would be proud :)

Good Luck

[wyckedgood.livejournal.com]

Yah our mouse is laughing at our mouse traps. I feel your pain.