My son's first haul

[Arachnodisiac]

Oh my, he would be pretty excited about having a mount.

I can't imagine it's in the budget though.

And... drumroll... SUCCESS!



Only one, but it's a start. Also caught four in the wood pile as well, in the regular traps.

Would love to have a trail cam on that bucket to find out if any were getting a free meal and living.

[colin455]

Originally Posted by Arachnodisiac

Wow! Great idea!

So, the roller is a couple of inches away from the ramp, and the mouse jumps onto it, and then drowns.

I will craft this tonight, and then I will take a photo and post it here to ensure I've done it correctly, if you don't mind checking back.

How many would one bucket like that get in a night, do you figure?

As a kid we used this when we went on trips to keep the population down in the farmhouse. No roller though. Just a taught small diameter string stretched accross the pail and about 1/2 full water. The real key is the peanut butter. They can smell that quite aways away. Not great little tight rope walkers.
I think I can rember being in to the teens or low twenties for a 5 day trip once. Just throw out the water and mice in one shot. Clean.

Your little guy could pay off a bike in no time with numbers like that!

[Arachnodisiac]

He seems to think he needs to save for a .22...

A bike would be nice too!

[just_dave]

Looks like it tried to gain buoyancy at least eight times.

Why so many mice kickin' around?

[Arachnodisiac]

Dave,

I honestly don't know if this is "so many" or not.

We just moved out here a few months ago, and until two nights ago, we didn't have a cat, either.

We live on a quarter section with plenty of good rodent habitat. And I didn't give it too much thought because we don't have any in the house. But then I did an article on hantavirus, and the victim I profiled contracted it as a result of her wood pile.

I checked mine, and it was full of scat. And then I noticed droppings on our front door step. I assume mice when cold were taking shelter against our door for the warmth that was escaping.

And then I declared war.

[just_dave]

Right. I'm guessing since I'm right next to a crop field, that I have a few rodents running around the perimeter as well. Tons of rabbits kick it around here. So I guess mice can be easily supported around here as well.

Mabey I should cut the owl that hangs around here some slack. Damn thing has been hooting it up during sleepytime and getting on my nerves. But if it's keeping mouse numbers down, he/she be a'ight wit me.

I want to try the bucket method just for the heck of it. But if I do catch a mouse or something creepier, I'll never feel secure in my own home again.

[Arachnodisiac]

Do it!

Wait until you see what I rigged up for tonight!

And what could you find that would be creepier?!

I admit, I'm sort of shocked at how many we're getting.

[Arachnodisiac]

And thanks to the input and advice from this thread, I present tonight's traps!



(I'm having way too much fun with this.)

[Reeves1]

Made this kind of mouse trap for many years.
I drill a hole through each side near the top.
Use a section of coat hanger for wire.
Beer/Pop can. Drill hole in center bottom.
Center on the top is normally through where the pull tab was attached to the can.
PB on the can all the way around so it spins easy.

I put used motor oil in so it works year round. Also so it contains any rotting smells. Empty twice a year onto stuff in my burn barrel.

[Arachnodisiac]

Reeves! That's fantastic!

I will build one tomorrow –*have to go to town to get a can!

How much motor oil do I put in the can, and doesn't it just leak out?

Actually, I am going to have to buy motor oil too, unless I can use power steering fluid.

[Reeves1]

I put about 3" of oil in the bottom. No leaks: don't use a pail with holes in the bottom !

re: town for can. Likely find one in the ditch near home !

Any oil should work. Oil keeps them weighted down so they cannot jump. Then they sink.
If you see a fat floater.....it's going to "pop". Dump pail. Happens in the heat of summer.
No big deal.....trap is for outside/shop/barn etc.

[Snowdog]

the farm i hunted on in Australia has a mouse plague one year, we did the pail trick but with 40gal drums 1/2 full of water, 2 days the drum would be full and the mice on top would be escaping (1000's of mice in there), they were soooo thick you couldnt walk without stepping on them, we had sheet metal 24" high nailed across the bottom of all the doors to stop them flooding in when you went in or out, cats gave up and just watched!

[Arachnodisiac]

Reeves, I thought the oil was for inside the can. Oops!

Snowdog, if my mice ever get that bad, I will just move. That's frightening.

[colin455]

If you want to see creepy mice, youtube something like mice invasion and you'll see what he means in Aussie land. The whole ground is moving. I remember a scene where they lift a sheet of plywood on the ground and several hundred make a break for it! OMFG!

[just_dave]

Originally Posted by Arachnodisiac

And what could you find that would be creepier?!

Oh, there is bound to be something.

I always thought crickets were creepy enough as they were. And then I stepped on one that was infested with horsehair worms. The creepy factor was taken up a notch. And if that wasn't enough, I later remembered as kids, we would play with these horsehair worms while swimming in lakes not knowing what they were.

[bb356]

Originally Posted by Reeves1

Made this kind of mouse trap for many years.
I drill a hole through each side near the top.
Use a section of coat hanger for wire.
Beer/Pop can. Drill hole in center bottom.
Center on the top is normally through where the pull tab was attached to the can.
PB on the can all the way around so it spins easy.

I put used motor oil in so it works year round. Also so it contains any rotting smells. Empty twice a year onto stuff in my burn barrel.

Cool ......... It's amazing what a guy can do with old junk !!!

[m1garandguy]

how this for creepier.......http://messybeast.com/extinct/thylacine.htm well at least i find them creepy if anything

[Arachnodisiac]

One mouse, two traps...

[mudbug]

Originally Posted by Arachnodisiac

One mouse, two traps...

Don't see that happen very often