Introduction: Effective & Humane Mouse Trap

By Exterminators Newham
About: I've got a lot of spare time during which I like to at least try and be productive, which is why I'm on instructables! I work part-time as a photographer for several commercial businesses in London, nothing ex…

Okay, so here is my story: I'm normally not all that sophisticated of a guy and I've got a tolerance pretty high for most things. I've suspected there might be mice on my property for some time but they didn't really bother me because the thing with mice is you don't get to see them that often (they're smart).

Well, it was fine until a week ago anyway. When I found one of them UNDER THE HOOD of my car in the garage.. and I just lost it (see: gif).

Now, given that I work for a pest control company and I could get people from Newham to come over straight away, it might seem strange that I spent 2 hours crafting a trap for mice. But this was personal for me. Mostly it was that the pest controllers would show up only on the next day, start sealing cracks and searching for mice nesting grounds - and I really needed a solution for the night. My car was at stake.

Here you go - the secret to how I trapped three mice in one night and achieved the self-esteem of an omnipotent mastermind.

Step 1: Mouse Trap Equipment

Things you need:

1x 5 Gallon (18ltr) Bucket

1x Roll of tape

1x 12'' (30cm) stick for support

3x Small Weights for support

1x 9'' (20cm) flat surface

1x Tube of Super Glue

1x 5 ft Wooden Plank

H1x 2ft Wooden Plank for support

1x Spoon of Peanut Butter

Step 2: Construction

1. Fill one third of the bucket with water

2. Tape the 12'' stick/nail (whatever you've got laying around) to the top of the bucket

3. Glue the 9'' flat surface to it - it's okay if a fold is formed

Step 3: Create Support

Support your newly made nightmare machine with the two wooden planks, like in the photo. Use the weights to support the bottom of the shorter plank.

Step 4: Put the Bait

A spoon of peanut butter at the end of the flat surface is enough to get the mouse into a pirate-hostage-like scenario. Regular butter works too, I guess.

Cheese is not effective, mice don't like it as they actually have a sweet tooth.

Step 5: Choose a Location

I put mine in the garage for obvious reasons. Research by pest controllers shows that a mouse trap works best if it's against a wall.

Step 6: Figure Out What to Do With the Mice

Image from Flickr

The mice don't die when they fall into the water, they just can't come out. So trapping them is actually the easy part - you have to decide upon their fate.

Personally I decided to take them into my car (ironic, I know), drive about 15km to a nearby park and release them there. I picked them with gloves and put them in a box. I'm not particularly squeamish, just trying to avoid getting bitten.

Tip: if you have a neighbour that you hate, this is a perfect opportunity. Just saying.

As for me, the trap is still there and I plan to repeat this process as long as it works. I was quite pleased with the result - three of them in one night! Try it for yourself.