Getting rid of mice humanely

[Nicola3]

I have been reading another member has been having probs with mice in her garden. I also have mice living underneath one of my sheds. They have nibbled underneath the shed and made a hole so that they can now get into the shed.

How can I get rid of these mice humanely. I don't want to poison them or use snap traps. I wondered about using humane traps, putting some food inside and then releasing them somewhere else. Can you catch several mice in one trap or do you need one trap per mouse?

Any other suggestions?

Hugs,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

 

[HS]

I think it's one mouse per trap (they love milk chocolate :wink: ) and you have to deposit them quite a way (a couple of miles at least) away or they will come back.

 

[kayjay]

As I said in the other post we used these humane traps but they just wouldn't go into them. One did but then died, I think of fright. And I think you have to go quite a distance before releasing them or they come home again. We bought one trap that you could catch up to about 6 mice in, it had a little trap door that once the mouse went in the door shut behind and he couldn't get out again but more could get in. We put it in my son's bedroom as he had mice scampering around but not one went in. Since then I'm convinced the ony way to get rid of them is to kill them, which I know is awful and I felt so guilty at first but when you're sitting in your lounge and they're scampering around and in the morning your kitchen is full of mouse poo, you start to feel less guilty. They are cute though

I did see Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on River Cottage do a vegan method of lighting special candles and asking them to leave. He scoffed at it, but it worked! (I think he only did it as they are one of the few creatures he doesn't kill and eat :shock: )

 

[Nicola3]

Oh that's a shame. There are quite a few of them. They are cute little things but I don't want them to pose a threat to the rabbits health.

I wondered whether you could buy a trap where the mice can get in the trap but once in can't get out so that would allow more mice to be caught in the one trap. Not sure if such a trap exists tho.

I wouldn't be able to kill them. I take in injured birds occassionally and they must be attracted to the bird feed.

Big hugs,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

 

[kayjay]

Oh that's a shame. There are quite a few of them. They are cute little things but I don't want them to pose a threat to the rabbits health.

I wondered whether you could buy a trap where the mice can get in the trap but once in can't get out so that would allow more mice to be caught in the one trap. Not sure if such a trap exists tho.

I wouldn't be able to kill them. I take in injured birds occassionally and they must be attracted to the bird feed.

Big hugs,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

We only bought such a trap last year from a local hardware shop, it was about 6 inches long by 3 inches and was less than £10, so I'm sure you could still get one. The problem is that if there's other food around they might not go in, these traps work by attracting them to the food you put in. They ended up eating my sons (nuts/seed/pasta) collage in his cupboard rather than going in the trap :lol:

 

[Nicola3]

Hi Kathryn,

Thanks for that. It has to be worth a go. I'll keep me eyes open for one of those traps you used and try and entice them with lots of goodies .

Hugs,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

 

[Rallybunny]

My neighbour has the same problem in his kitchen (I go round and clean for him twice a week for a bit of pocket money). I have seen the little fella in the living room, and we have had a humane trap out for ages.....it just won't go in. Had one of those plug in things, and the mouse seems to be immune to that too!!! Didn't want to anyway, but we can't put down poison because my neighbour tends to leave food uncover, and didn't want a mouse tramping poison over everything. I've stopped it from going into the hard to reach corners but putting greaseproof paper down, which it doesn't seem to like standing on, but I'd like to know how how to get rid of the little beastie indoors too.

 

[kayjay]

I'd like to know how how to get rid of the little beastie indoors too.

Kill it :lol:

I used to be so soft about mice, a neighbour drowned one she'd been trying to catch for weeks in her water butt and I was horrified but now I've been plagued by them I'm awful, I'd set a snap trap at night and kill the little ****** (I can't check the trap myself however, my OH does it or I shriek for the builder next door :lol: )

 

[Suzanne]

We had one under the hutches and our cat killed it. I was a bit upset but I didn't want sick bunnies and for the cat it was just a natural instinct.

 

[kayjay]

We've considered getting a cat but we don't really want one and we think it's not fair to get one purely to be a mouser although of course I'm sure we'd love it once we got one. Plus we live on a main road and I can't face it being killed on it, although there are miles of fields behind us so it would be cat heaven if it went 'out back'. I keep being offered cats from friends who live on farms whose cats breed :roll: and whenever I say about the road they just say, well get another one if it gets killed, but I can't view animals like that, if we had one it would be part of the family. Mind you the first mouse I see I'll probably take up their offer :lol: although in many ways at least a snapper trap is quick whereas cats can torture them for ages can't they

 

[Happy Hopping]

I started another topic on that in General chat about 1 mth. back. I use the long metal wire cage, the plan was, catch it and drive 3 miles and let the mouse go to some spots off my house.

The metal mouse trap is simple, it's about 1.5 ft. long and 6 in. in square as width and ht., but in the end, no mouse was ever there. Either my neighbour cat killed it, or it's not falling for the trap

 

[sezzy5889]

I have used humane mouse traps, but you can only use them in the summer months, as when they get caught they can't go back to their nests and the cold night kills them

I leave them alone now, we have a few living down the garage, i secured all rabbit, guinea and bird food in big bins and i sweep the floor every night so theres no scraps.

There is sometimes left overs in the waste bin and i have seen a little mouse pinching food from the guinea pigs bowl :lol:

But as long as they can't get to any food they shouldn't be a prob, obviously they find stuff but if you keep it to a minimal then they can't keep reproducing and living as there isn't enough food, we have a few but since i tidied up everything and all scraps were sealed away the numbers have stayed down, i used to see 3 at once on the floor running around, they became really tame and i knew there were loads about, now i see maybe one but not very often.

I just can't harm the little blighters, i even have one in the house at the moment, a baby that must have wondered from the nest and couldn't get back, hes soo cute, this happens at least once a year, they become our little pets, seeing as they only live a year, we're not bothered rescuing them

I'll stop blabbering now...

 

[Nicola3]

Hi Sezzy ,

I was going to put the trap in the shed where they keep going. I was hoping that if I do it that way they won't die from the cold.

Then it's just finding somewhere safe to relocate them. There's a woodland a while away from me. I was going to try and find somewhere there to put them. Do you think they'll be o.k there?

Hugs,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

 

[Happy Hopping]

I found a dead mouse in my recycle box in the garage the other day. Very, very tiny. Don't know how that ****** get in the box. There is no bite mark on the box, or along the bottom of the box.

Don't know why he stuck inside, surely his teeth can bite thru the cardboard easily and out.

 

[Beebop]

We have tried and tried again with humane traps, but they don't go into them, but definetlyDO try them as I hate the kill ones, its not their fault, they are only trying to survive. My dad sets the snap traps and those awful sticky ones despite my pleading. We live near fields, so they just come down off the fields where it is warmer and theres more food. They are intelligent little boogers and don't always head for the traps. Peanut butter and mars bars are definetly their favs, and you need to drive 3 miles away or they will comeback......

I like the ickle critters, but at the same time, I cannot have them spreading Tyzzers disease to my hamsters, or vhd and myxo to my bunnies (the buns are vaccinated, but its not a guarantee obviously).

Anyone with hamsters, gerbils or pet mice please please ensure that wild mice cannot squeeze into the cage or contaminate their food, as they can pass of Tyzzers disease, gerbils and mice seem to be partically prone.

 

[Nicola3]

Goin to try and buy one of those humane traps at the w/e and see what happens.

Hugs,

Nicola and Harvey xxx

 

[kayjay]

We have tried and tried again with humane traps, but they don't go into them, but definetlyDO try them as I hate the kill ones, its not their fault, they are only trying to survive. My dad sets the snap traps and those awful sticky ones despite my pleading. We live near fields, so they just come down off the fields where it is warmer and theres more food. They are intelligent little boogers and don't always head for the traps. Peanut butter and mars bars are definetly their favs, and you need to drive 3 miles away or they will comeback......

I like the ickle critters, but at the same time, I cannot have them spreading Tyzzers disease to my hamsters, or vhd and myxo to my bunnies (the buns are vaccinated, but its not a guarantee obviously).

Anyone with hamsters, gerbils or pet mice please please ensure that wild mice cannot squeeze into the cage or contaminate their food, as they can pass of Tyzzers disease, gerbils and mice seem to be partically prone.

My OH came home with a sticky pad but once I'd explained how they work he went green and it went in the bin, I've read of awful injuries caused to the mice on them, I think they're cruel. At least with the snap traps they're dead, I have heard that they can injure but not kill too but when we used them the mice were dead It is awful because they're really sweet and as you say only trying to survive the winter but we live backing onto fields too and we've blocked up outside holes etc but they still find their way in.

 

[Beebop]

My dad knows how they work, although have to say he hasn't used them in several years and hopefully won't again. The only reason he used them was because that year the mice seemed to learn to take the food off the spring traps without getting caught, and we had literally a dozen running around. Not one went into a humane trap.
Our mice come up the chimney from outside and we have NO idea how they get it from there, they can literally squeeze themselves flat so can get under more or less anything, even doors.
Has anyone had sucess with humane traps, and if so, what brand?

 

[Sue&Sooty]

I used to have a ickle mouse that lived in the cupboard under the stairs I used to store all my hamster food bedding etc in there and he used to live the life of Reily :lol: He was so little and sweet I just couldn't kill him so I used a humane trap to catch him and took him to the local wildlife area which was about 2miles away but he kept coming back. I knew it was him cos he had a bend in his tail. In the end he became really tame so he ended up as a pet with his own cage etc!! :lol:

 

[Nicola3]

Awww that is so sweet. How does a little mouse find his way back home from over 2 miles away. I think it's amazing.

I do think they are dear little things. I still haven't bought a human trap but as soon as I get one I'll see if I manage to catch any of them.

Not sure what kind of environment to relocate them to. There is a woodland not too far away but far enough. Do you think they'll be o.k there?

Hugs,

Nicola and Harvey xxx