Mouse, trapped!
I finally deployed my Live Catch Trip Trap Mouse Trap
Well, only three hours later I start to hear an unfamiliar rattling sound, and lo and behold, there was a mouse in the mousetrap. It seemed okay, and had the cheezy wotsit and chocolate button bait to keep it happy, so I put on my shoes and headed out to drop of my prisoner.
Unfortunately, this being Scotland in November, and about half eight in the evening, it was cold, wet, windy and dark. So it wasn’t the most fun walk I’ve had ever but actually it wasn’t that bad. Keeping the hat on the head was a bit tricky, and it’s times like these I wish I could get windscreen wipers for my glasses…
Release point
Anyway, the chosen spot is about fifteen minutes walk away, approximately three-quarters of a mile. As previously mentioned, I’ve heard various recommendations from one quarter to a full mile, and this seemed a decent compromise. There’s a stream nearby, trees, and lots of grass. Although not a mouse myself, I’d have thought this would be an okay place to be, apart from being in Scotland in November, of course, but I can’t help that.
The release went pretty well. Simply opening the trap didn’t work, so I just removed the bait compartment. I couldn’t actually see the mouse go, as it was really quite dark, and my glasses were covered in raindrops.
On the way back, I decided I deserved a post-release reward, so I bought some chips from the local Chinese take-away. I think they make the best chips!
Bedraggled
This was me on my returned – slightly damp and windswept!
My reward!
And here is my reward: a portion of chips and a nice cup of hot chocolate!
Tags: diary, mouse, trap, walk
I would suggest that you have a fambly of mices living somewhere in your skirting boards or some such place. I concur with the chosen reward for your trek through the wet countryside, too. But that might not be so good if you have lots of mice to release!
You were a lot more humane than I would have been. When we had a mouse I left a cheapo B&Q trap in the sitting room and waited for the click. To be fair my actions were influenced by the hysterical girlfriend next door. Interestingly I am a lot more humane when it comes spiders, I even keep old film canisters handy for capturing them.
May I suggest real traps? They don’t often *actually* decapitate the mice and you can just throw the prisoner in the bin after. I’m loving the saga though! Those chips look great om nom nom.
I am a softie city boy who has yet to be hardened to the suffering of mice by witnessing the depredations of cats
I am, in fact, well aware that I’m probably just getting them to die cold and wet, or eaten by owls, but I’m not killing them personally, so gosh, that’s okay. And owls need to eat, too…
I have semi-seriously thought about getting a hamster habitrail setup, and any mice I catch get put in the gulag, where I can mock them mercilessly and re-educate them into productive members of society. But that would be silly.
Where did you get the info on how far away to relocate the mice? I know that rattlesnakes will die if relocated more than a mile from their habitat of origin, and less than a mile, they return. This, from a research study. I’m wondering if it isn’t the same for all animals. I’m in Maine, it’s winter and I’d never relocate the mice outdoors, they would die. SO I’m relocating them to my potting shed which is a passive solar building, very warm in winter. Close to the house though. I’m feeding them to keep them there and I’ve moved 5 thus far. Today is the first day I did not see droppings, and I’m thinking they came back into the house. I’m going to identify them with a little blue dye (ointment) to ensure i’m not retrapping the same mice over and over. I will say this: The mouse I trapped this morning went into the trap before I set it: It was sitting on the counter, no bait. Seemed a little too familiar with that trap. I have few options. Absolutely impossible to plug holes, the house is too old. The only other option I’d consider: Trap the mice and put the into individual tanks so they don’t reproduce, then set them free in spring. That is humane and safe, yet I’d need to keep them isolated. I tried using peppermint to dissuade them, and they are not at all bothered by the odor. I am willing to work on this over time, and to get it right. I will not kill mice, and I will not take them far away where they’ll die of exposure. They do fascinate me, and they are very very cute. It is a matter of finding the right balance for all who seem to find refuge in this old house.