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.