Mammalian invasion

[galanthus]

We bought the B & Q humane trap after a whole night of me insisting I could hear scrabbling under the bed, second time in a week. Partner said I was dreaming I put a small crumb of bread dipped in honey in the trap and we went downstairs. Within 10 mins my v sensitive ears heard a squeak, we came up and ensconced in the trap looking annoyed was a beautiful Wood Mouse. We were growing courgettes and tomatoes on the balcony so maybe he climbed up. Couldn't let him go in the garden as there are at least 8 cats wandering daily Instead we walked down to the allotment in the dark looking like burglars with headtorches and set him free under someone's shed, we named him Melvin. Lots of my strawberries are nibbled, I like to think he's still there scoffing them

[Jim Ford]

When we used the transparent 'Proctor Trip-Traps' the mice nibbled them and consequently they didn't last long. The mice don't nibble the black B&Q ones.

I've come to the conclusion that any humane trap which has transparent walls and the trapped mouse can see outside, will get damaged by the mouse trying to escape. The mouse feels exposed and vulnerable. With the black B&Q traps the mouse, although trapped, feels secure and thus does not try to escape.

Jim

[Ladywell]

Longworth make good mammal traps - they are much more expensive than the B & Q ones - but they do last for ever:

Longworth Small Mammal Trap

Guess you will find them cheaper if you shop around.

Good luck!

[Billabong Karen]

Originally Posted by galanthus

We bought the B & Q humane trap after a whole night of me insisting I could hear scrabbling under the bed, second time in a week. Partner said I was dreaming I put a small crumb of bread dipped in honey in the trap and we went downstairs. Within 10 mins my v sensitive ears heard a squeak, we came up and ensconced in the trap looking annoyed was a beautiful Wood Mouse. We were growing courgettes and tomatoes on the balcony so maybe he climbed up. Couldn't let him go in the garden as there are at least 8 cats wandering daily Instead we walked down to the allotment in the dark looking like burglars with headtorches and set him free under someone's shed, we named him Melvin. Lots of my strawberries are nibbled, I like to think he's still there scoffing them

I agree; wood mice are beautiful. It's almost worth having them in the house to be able to get a good look at them in the humane trap!! Almost... but not quite. One or two is not bad, but if they get a hold it can become a bit much... At our little weekend place in Wiltshire, which is on a farm, we are sometimes innundated with mice, and if we havent been there for a couple of weeks we regularly find that EVERYTHING in any way edible (and quite a few things that you would not consider edible, even for mice) has been consumed... Once they ate shoe polish! Nothing keeps them out; they eat their way through tupperware to get to muesli or rice, for instance. We have found that the only thing to do is to completely empty the kitchen cupboards at the end of each visit... Time consuming, but worth not having to deal with mouse poo and the attendant catching of mice.

Also, the farmer is terribly scathing if he sees us scuttling outside to let the mice out of the humane traps...

[Jim Ford]

Originally Posted by Ladywell

Longworth make good mammal traps - they are much more expensive than the B & Q ones - but they do last for ever:

I can see the B&Q ones lasting forever. I've caught getting on for 100 mice with no sign of damage to the trap.

Jim

[~T~]

Originally Posted by Jim Ford

I can see the B&Q ones lasting forever. I've caught getting on for 100 mice with no sign of damage to the trap.

Jim

I have a couple of them too and they work well and have shown very little signs of damage.

[thunder]

Originally Posted by Ladywell

Longworth make good mammal traps - they are much more expensive than the B & Q ones - but they do last for ever:

Longworth Small Mammal Trap

Guess you will find them cheaper if you shop around.

Good luck!

Not when the mice start nibbling at the edges!

henrya