Do you suspect that a mouse has snuck into your home? Do you want to get rid of it without harming it but you don’t know how? In this article we tell you about different options with which you can kill these small rodents in a compassionate and respectful way. Forget the classic mouse traps and poisons, which not only kill them but also cause them great suffering.
Mice do not sneak into the house to harm you, they only come in search of food and will never dare to approach or confront you, so you should not be afraid of them; it is their way of surviving. However, they can become a big problem if they reproduce, as it will be much more difficult to get them out of the house.
Learn about the best traps for live mice and how they work. You can buy them or make them yourself. Depending on the number of rodents you have, one option or the other will be more recommendable. In addition, we tell you the advantages of this type of traps and some tricks to keep these small animals away from home.
Homemade mouse traps
You can make your own deathless mousetrap, from a very simple one to more elaborate ones. Here are some of them:
Bowl and coin
Use a clear plastic or glass bowl upside down. Put appetizing food inside and hold it up with the help of a large coin, placing the edge of the coin on the rim of the bowl. When the mouse reaches in to get the food, the bowl will destabilize and fall out, trapping him.
Bulb
Unplug the electrical connector of a light bulb so that it is open. You must lay it down by placing some heavy object to keep it horizontal. Put food inside to attract the mouse. When the mouse enters, it will be trapped inside the bulb.
Container and ramp
This homemade mouse trap has several versions; you can use a paint bucket, an aquarium or any tall container that they cannot get out of. The idea is to put food inside and create a path for them to climb up and access easily. The mouse will jump inside to get the food and will be trapped. You can use a wooden plank or create a ladder with books for the access ramp, whatever you can think of! This is one of the simplest and most effective homemade mouse traps.
Towel and wastebasket
If you suddenly find a mouse in the open and you can catch it, you can throw a towel at it and then place a bucket or a wastebasket on top of it to prevent it from escaping. If you have succeeded, slide something flat like cardboard underneath to catch it and turn the bucket upside down. Now you have him inside, hold the “lid” tightly so he can’t get out and carry him as far as you can to free him. This method is more than a trap, it is a quick way to capture it if you find it at home and you will need to be very agile to do so. On the internet you will find a lot of videos on how to make different homemade live mouse traps step by step.
Mouse traps without killing them
There are a lot of different models that you can find in specialized stores. All of them are based on the same mechanism: catch and release. That is to say, their operation consists of making the mouse get inside, with the help of a bait, and prevent it from getting out so that you can later release it in the field.
No-kill mouse traps can be either single-capture or multi-capture. In single-capture traps, the flap closes when the mouse enters the trap; multi-capture traps have a special mechanism whereby the flap opens and closes each time a mouse enters, allowing mice to continue to enter but preventing those already inside from leaving. Some are large enough to catch up to 15 mice at a time. Then all you have to do is take the box, go to the field and open it to release them.
It is very important that you release the mice at least 8 km away, otherwise they may find their way back and return. Try to take them to a safe area, away from houses but where they have some shelter. Remember to check these traps several times a day to see if any mice have fallen into them. If you leave them in too long, they may die from stress or dehydration. Also, when you no longer need them, clean them well before storing them to eliminate any food odors that may attract more rodents.
Advantages of live mouse traps:
- Ethics
- No harm to the animal
- Multicapture
- Automatic
- Effective
- Easy to use
- Reusable
- Secure
- Economic
- They are not dangerous for other animals
Traditional mouse traps
Classic mousetraps cause a lot of suffering to the animal before it dies. They range from the well-known spring-loaded traps (spring trap) to “sticky” traps, in which the mouse is strongly stuck trying to escape until it dies. These types of traps make the mice feel terror and pain as they struggle to free themselves.
You can also find poisons, rodenticides… None of these options are humane or produce immediate death. Some subject the mice to a high level of stress and others cause them great pain and slow agony until they die. Furthermore, he believes that killing the rodents is not even an effective solution as it will not prevent new ones from coming in.
Tips to scare mice away from the house
Prevent the appearance of these small rodents at home by taking simple preventive measures that will scare them away, without having to use poisons or mouse traps. As always, it is better to prevent them from entering than to chase them away.
Cleanliness:
Cleanliness and food storage is very important. Close all food tightly and avoid leaving leftovers on the table or crumbs on the floor to avoid attracting them. If you have animals, try to keep their food in airtight containers so that, one, they do not give off odor and, two, they do not break the bag and access it. In Tiendanimal you can find containers for food. Also try to be as hygienic as possible with the garbage. Throw it away frequently and keep the bucket always closed.
Peppermint oil:
Its intense odor not only scares them away, but also disguises the aromas of food. Pour a few drops on cotton balls and place them in strategic places such as near the garbage can or the place where you think they will enter. You can also place plants directly at the entrance of the house.
Vinegar:
You can use it as a repellent, as well as mint. Soak a few cotton balls and place them where you think the mouse is hiding or where you have found traces of feces.
Ammonia:
Rodents hate their odor so you can soak some rags and place them in passage areas.
Specific gardening products:
Use this type of product specifically but with a repellent effect.
Ultrasound:
There are electronic devices that emit a sound signal inaudible to us but annoying to mice. They are also an alternative to mouse traps without killing them.
Snake feces:
If you can get a stool from a pet store, a friend who has one as a pet, or a reptile center, it will also keep them away.
Cats:
Normally, a mouse will never enter a house where there are cats, unless it is very absent-minded. You can also use containers with used cat litter; the smell of their urine will scare them away.
Cover the entry holes to the home:
Locate the place where they gain access and close it. Be aware that these animals can squeeze through tiny holes and slots. Make sure there are none inside before sealing. Mice are intelligent animals and have the same ability to sense as dogs and cats. Use mouse traps without killing them to release them so they can continue to live elsewhere, away from your home.
