Have you tried to catch a mouse with little or no success? Many have. This is because mice are very cautious creatures. If you slap a mouse trap down with a little cheese on it, there is a good chance that trap will be licked clean in the morning, and you’ll have no mouse to show for it. This can be frustrating. Really frustrating. So, let’s walk through some of the DON’Ts to mouse catching, and see if we can solve the problem.
Don’t put the traps on your counters. First of all, you won’t catch many mice. And, if you do, you could have a dead mouse laying on your counter all night.
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Don’t put the trap in the middle of the floor. Mice crawl along the wall, because it makes them feel safe to have one side protected when they’re in the open.
Don’t use cheese. Mice are very cautious creatures, and able to slowly lick that cheese until the trap is clean.
Peanut butter is only a little better. Using peanut butter will yield better results, but you can still wake up to a clean trap and no mouse. Mice take little delicate licks that can even get peanut butter directly from the latch. Some people use cooked rice smashed into the latch. You’ll catch more mice with this, because mice nibble grain food, instead of licking.
Don’t use one trap by itself. Even a nibbling mouse can escape a trap. They move like lightning. So, unless they are on top of the food, they’ll leap away. This leads to no mouse, and sometimes, no trap, when you check in the morning. No trap? Yes. Sometimes, a trap will only catch the leg or the tail, and the mouse will drag the trap away. Other times, you might find a body part in the trap, but the rest of the mouse is gone. If you want to kill a mouse, you need to get a large portion of the mouse in the trap–or at least the neck. This is why many mousers put down two or more traps in one location. So, when the first trap doesn’t get them, they leap into the second trap with their full body.
Don’t do it yourself. With proper techniques, you can catch a mouse or two with traps, but you’re not really getting rid of the problem. Mice are filthy creatures that scrounge through septic pipes and dumpster, and bring bacteria into your cabinets. They spread disease, illness, and parasites. And, chew through wires, insulation, and the wood of your home. Using a trap on mice might get a few, but it won’t protect you from them. You need to seal your home, disinfect the contaminated areas, and remove nests. You need to know that your house is free of mice. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself fighting with illness, and not even realize the sickness is coming from urine, droppings, or bacteria smeared on your silverware, plates, and food packaging. Call a professional to safely dispose of your mouse problem, and to show you how to keep mice out for good.
Contact Wil-Kil for rodent control.