Sending mice on winter break!

[Tony Hayes]

We have a family of what I think are wood mice - but maybe outdoor loving house mice! They are living in a stone wall about two metres away from the back door and probably attracted by the fact that we put wild bird food on the wall which they can pinch..........

Anyway, we have decided to move them on before they decide it's warmer in the house and are looking for a suitable cheapish humane multi trap to try and get them all together. We can then take them for a drive and let them loose.

Any advice on traps or other methods of humanely removing them? I've found a trap on

for about £22 delivered but would prefer cheaper if possible.

Thanks Tony

[TimM]

Screwfix sell a live mouse catcher

[Dave Liquorice]

Wood mice are brown, house mice grey.

Even if you do shift the current residents on it won't be long before another lot move in with a reday food supply. Stop feeding the birds in manner such that rodents can get at it.

It is illegal to release vermin on anothers property. Having said that we trap and release our autumn immigrants but then we can put them up on the fells 2 miles from anyone else. We used to release at the bottom of our paddock, a couple of hundred yards away, but I have a feeling they where back in the house before we were!

Not a multitrap but the Rentokil humane trap works, just make sure that they don't spend to long inside or they will gnaw their way out through the side starting at the central air hole. Best bait is Nutella, peanut butter is good but goes rancid in less than a week.

[David W.E. Roberts]

My cat is a live mouse catcher - little b***er brings them in at 3 in the morning, and then drops them on the bedroom carpet to play with them. I am now also an expert live mouse catcher (in addition to being a dead mouse flusher). {No, we wouldn't like a trip out - thanks all the same]

Mecahnical means - we had a mouse in the loft for a while and tried that humane trap - the one that balances then tips once the mouse is inside and shuts the door. Never worked.

Talk to your local RSPCA and nature conservancy people - they may be able to loan you a professional live trap.

Cheers Dave R

[Tony Hogarty]

Try your local B&Q as I have just got one from there which worked very well and was only £3 or £4.

[Grunff]

Stop feeding them??

[Tim Mitchell]

In article , David W.E. Roberts writes

I was once told that you can catch a mouse using the following idea - tried it and much to my amazement it worked first time!

Take a small pyrex bowl and stick a blob of butter in the bottom (has to be butter apparently, they don't like margarine. If butter fails try chocolate spread.) Place the bowl upside down on a board Lift up one edge of the bowl and balance it on a 2p coin stood on its edge.

The mouse crawls into the bowl to get at the butter, but any slight movement of the bowl causes the 2p coin to fall over, trapping it inside the bowl.

[Tony Hayes]

Thanks for all your replies.

Can't think about killing the beggars, but no doubt that would chamge if they got into the house!

Will certainly rethink the bird feeding habit - plans for bird table in the offing!

Took a look at the B&Q humane trap - similar to that in the Screwfix catalogue, but it has only room for one, so would have to transfer each little critter to another container until I thought I'd got the lot! So it looks as if I'll have to go for the multi trap - supposedly enough room for

1. I can think of a few letter boxes I would like to post them through, but shall resist the temptation. Will find a nice rural location with ample supplies of food where I'm certain they will enjoy themselves. Anyone stopped off at a McDonalds just off a motorway? Perfect........................................... ;-))

Thanks again, Tony