Pages

Social Spark

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Simple Yet Effective Mouse Trap

I told a friend about how our house was pest with mice.  He shared to me how he made a mouse trap using a toothpaste packaging box.  It was so uncomplicated and 100% made up of recyclable materials, thereby no cost involved.  So there's no way I'm not going to try it especially how the mice made a mess in our kitchen, dining room, bed room... well, I guess almost everywhere.  I don't have problems with mice per se but when they begun to chew things they should not be chewing and poo and urinate in places that should have been sanitary, that's when they cross the line.

One night, my wife and kids were asking me why am I filling an old pail with water?  I told them just wait and see.  The toothpaste carton package dropped, and there it was, our first catch, a mouse inside the pail of water.  Confused? Let me explain and give you a step by step procedure in making the trap.

For the materials, you will be needing the following:
  • Empty box of toothpaste or alike packaging;
  • A pair of scissors or cutter;
  • String;
  • Any adhesive (tape, epoxy, or alike); and
  • An old pail or container.

Here's how to do it:

  1. Cut the loose portion of the toothpaste box on both ends using scissors.  Both openings should be cleared of hindrance so the mouse can easily slip in and out.
  2. Make a tiny hole anywhere in the tip of the box where you can tie the string.  Tie the other end of the string to a chair or any object that can support the weight of the box.
  3. Inside the tip of the box, paste or tape a small cheese or any food that can attract  mice.  The tape will secure the food when the box falls, so you won't necessary refill it every time you catch a mouse.
  4. Put the box in the edge of the table in a balancing position where half of it's body should be protruding, or just enough that it won't fall.
  5. Position a pail or any container having the same opening directly under the protruding opening of the box.  Fill it up to half level.
So, how should it work?  The mouse should be attracted to the food at the tip of the protruding end of the toothpaste box.  Upon reaching the tip, the weight of the mouse will remove the balance of the box making it fall directly to the pail of water.  The box and the food is secured by the string and sticky tape, respectively.  Thereby, leaving the mouse to dive in the water and being trapped.  Now, the fate of the mouse depends on you.  It's up to you on how you dispose them.  The only downside of the trap is that you need to position the box again every time it falls.

But hey, it effectively worked for us, so it's worth the trouble. Hope it'll work for you too, good luck. Yahweh bless.

12 comments:

  1. Naku I would love to try this, I usually used a fly trap and it's always a success, kaso mejo magastos din since you need a new one once it's used.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Damn! I really need this. I don't know why but our clean home just suddenly disturb by lot's of annoying mouse.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I would totally try this and suggest to my mum and dad back in philippines kc yung bodega nmin dinadaga n yta which is not unusual sa pilipinas this is a great help! thx! xx

    ReplyDelete
  4. This one's a simple way to catch mouses and looks to be much safer.

    ReplyDelete
  5. That should really work and help get rid of mouse in the house.

    ReplyDelete
  6. It's a great DIY project. I see a mouse running here in our so I'll tell my husband to try this. thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  7. That's a really effective way to catch small rats. But should you try it on bigger ones, do share your technique again.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Superb "diskarte"! Let me try this. :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. I used to buy powder stuff from the supermarket but those stuff are costly for such pest in the house.

    Your idea is cost saving. I gonna try this.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hahahaha...need to try this one.We have so many Stuarts little in our house now since we don't have cat.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Cool! Cheaper, effective and environmentally friendly!

    ReplyDelete