Mouse Trap releasing by itself

I have several mouse traps around the house. I've noticed that a few of them have snapped and there is nothing in them. Both that snapped have been there for about 1 month. Will mouse traps let go by themselves after a lenghty period of time if they don't catch anything.

Thanks.

Reply to
Balderdash
Loading thread data ...

Clever mice? Roaches?

Depending on the method of trip, thermal cycles which cause expansion and contraction could cause tripping without the help of a critter.

Reply to
Charles Schuler

Depending on how you've baited it, mice can take bait without tripping the trap, or take it and get away without getting caught when it trips.

The best thing I've ever found for baiting a mousetrap was a plump, fresh raisin. Smush it down onto the bait pan good and hard, then set the trap. They can't lick it off the way they do peanut butter, and there's no way they can tug it off without snapping the trap.

Reply to
Doug Miller

My experience is that mice don't care for raisins.

Reply to
Toller

Our cat "Lard Ass" has gotten so fat he's had to use mousetraps himself for the last couple of years:

formatting link
That IS a real mouse in that trap.

Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

Are you sure that is a cat? Looks like a hairy sumo wrestler!

Reply to
Charles Schuler

I LOVE it!!!!!!!

Reply to
Ken

Thermal cycles ???? I think your putting too much into this. It's just a basic mouse trap.

Reply to
Balderdash

I've caught a few with them.

My best so far though is those "cheese pedal" traps you put near the wall, with no bait.

Little bastards just run along the wall, and WHACK!

One woke me up thrashing about, and the little bastard got out. Don't think that was because of the type of trap, though.

Dave

Reply to
spamTHISbrp

This could be your problem.

formatting link

Reply to
Terry

Well,,"nuts" as I may be I gotta offer a possibility..A rat can set off a mousetrap without getting caught..Try a rat trap.. Dean

Reply to
Dean

Err.. try a glue trap with a small piece of cheese stuck in it.

Report back with the kill ratio. (not a rat recipe, btw)

Reply to
Steveo

Buy some tin cats, or at least try ONE.

They work great.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

It *always* works for me, and you are the *only* person I've ever heard claim they don't work.

Like I told you the last time... you need to use fresh ones.

Reply to
Doug Miller

"Steveo" wrote

My SIL swears by Super Gluing one kernel of dry corn to the bar.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

I had a little mouse in my 'office' a few days ago, wandering around. I didn't have anything to hit it with, but I put a hiking boot by my chair, even though I thought he wouldn't be back.

An hour later he was back, wandering around almost the middle of the room. I whacked him with the shoe and he was stunned. I whacked him a few more times and without going into detail, he was dead.

This is definitely the non-survival of the non-fit. Most mice wouldn't put themselves in such risk.

Reply to
mm

You could try the kind of mousetraps I used in college about 50 years ago:

formatting link
Jeff

Reply to
Jeff Wisnia

There are dozens of breeds of mice, I imagine, maybe the ones in his area actually don't like raisins.

Dave

Reply to
spamTHISbrp

You can ask 50 people what to bait a mouse trap with and you'll get 50 different answers and none of them work as good as a cat.

Reply to
Steve Barker

And I've seen some cats that couldn't catch as many mice as a broken trap.

Steve

Reply to
Steve B

HomeOwnersHub website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.