If you have small pets, mice can wreak havoc. Not only will they chew through any fabric and paper in your house, but they’re also known carriers of fleas, mites, and even the bubonic plague. Not to mention the fact that they can be an annoyance.
If you have a cat or dog, chances are they’ll quickly discover the presence of a mouse or two in your home. To get rid of mice effectively and humanely as possible without having to resort to anything as extreme as hiring a professional exterminator, here are 5 DIY mouse traps that you can use in your home:
Mouse Trap With a Sticky Pad
There are many different ways to trap a mouse. Depending on what you have available, you could use a glue board, a sticky pad, or another method. The first thing you’ll want to do is find a surface to place the trap on. Some people prefer to place the trap in their kitchen or bathroom, where there is a high traffic area for mice to be noticed by humans.
If you don’t have a high traffic area, you could place the trap in a room that is rarely used, such as the basement or garage. Place an adhesive pad on the trap surface. What type of adhesive pad you’ll use is up to you – a standard paper one won’t work because the mouse’s feet will leave a trail when they walk across the sticky pad. If you want to be extra thorough, you could also use a glue stick or glue tape.
Mouse Trap With a Spring
A spring-based trap is a very effective way to kill mice and other rodents, as it causes them a lot of pain as they get caught in it. It’s a great way to trap a mouse because it’s deadly and fast to set, but also because it’s not too intimidating to humans. It’s important to note that the mouse will not be able to escape once it’s caught in a spring trap. This type of trap is very easy to use and is one of the most popular DIY mouse traps.
Depending on the type of spring you get, you can make it as easy or difficult for mice to get out as you’d like. If you don’t want to mess with any complicated mechanisms, you can just get a simple spring that causes the mouse to get really stuck in it as soon as it steps on the trigger. The best part about this type of trap is that it’s reusable, you can just take the mouse back to the spring to get another one.
DIY Rubber Mouse Trap
This trap looks like it came straight out of a horror movie. It’s a DIY rubber mouse trap that looks (and smells) like a rotting corpse. Yes, that’s right. This DIY rubber mouse trap combines the smell of a decaying mouse with a smell deterrent. Put this trap in an area where you know there are a lot of mice. You can either place it under some cabinets or behind some of your other furniture where the mice have been seen. The best part about this trap is that it’s not only dangerous to mice, but it’s also a great deterrent for other rodents and even larger pests, such as raccoons.
Mouse Trap With a Cord and Anchor
This DIY mouse trap is a little bit more advanced than the other trap options on this list, but it’s still not terribly difficult to set up. You’ll first want to make a rope trap using some rope and an anchor. You can get rope and anchors at any hardware store. The rope can be anywhere from 42 to 50 feet long, depending on how far you want to stretch it. Next, you’ll want to find a place to hang the trap. You might want to put it up high in a garage or attic where mice have been seen. You should also try to make sure that the area is well-stocked with food and water so that the mice have plenty of places to go to get away from the trap.
DIY Mouse Bait Station
This DIY mouse trap is a little bit different than the other traps on this list. Instead of using any type of trap to catch the mice, it uses a bait station. Bait stations are a great way to lure mice away from your home without harming them or causing damage. They work by acting as sources of food that the mice are too small to avoid.
A DIY mouse bait station can be made from a wide variety of materials, and there are a lot of designs out there to choose from, so you can easily find one that suits your needs. Some of the best DIY mouse bait stations have wheels on them, so you can easily move them from one place to another so that you’re always sure to have fresh bait available.
Conclusion
Mice can be a serious problem, especially if they get into your home. They can damage your food, spread disease, take up residence in your attic, and be a real nuisance when it comes to cleanup. There are a number of ways to get rid of mice that are both effective and humane. You can use glue traps, snap traps, snap traps with bait, and snap traps with a cord and an anchor. If you have a particularly pesky mouse that is not afraid of humans, you may want to consider hiring an exterminator.
