Living on a farm means there’s critters both outside and inside. Outside, my philosophy is live and let live. Inside, I want two-legged creatures only.
However, the reality of country living is that every so often in the house we hear the pitter-patter of little feet… or more accurately the gnawing of little teeth.
I’m speaking, of course, of mice. (The snake and the toad were one-time visitors).
If there’s a mouse in my house, he is not long for this world.
Matt is the resident exterminator, and he has found a highly effective weapon: an electronic mouse trap.
Ours is made by Victor. Matt ordered it online, and we received the rat trap rather than the mouse trap, but it’s just as effective–probably moreso.
It runs on four C batteries. There’s a switch on the top that turns on the trap. One end is open for the mouse to enter. The other end is for the bait. Matt’s favourite is peanut butter.
As soon as the mouse enters the trap, the electricity kicks in and he receives the shock of his life–in fact, the last shock of his life.
If we’re within earshot, we hear a quiet buzzing for about half a minute. A green light on the top of the trap starts blinking when we have a victim.
Unlike other mousetraps, disposal is no-muss. Simply up-end the trap to dump the dead mouse into the garbage.
We’ve found it a very helpful solution to our occasional unwanted visitors.
Anyone else have an effective pest control solution? We have feline mousetraps too, but their assigned territories are outside, not in. What four-legged creatures do you have in your house?
Home on 129 Acres 
Wow… that looks bigger and better than anything I have ever seen. I can’t wait to show your post to Warren (my “Tool Time” – Tim Allen). Got to get that one.
It’s the best option we’ve found.
Hi Julia ………… much more humane nature’s way: – Housecats are nature’s mouse predator. Just don’t let them outside, because they also kill songbirds, and never use mouse poison because your cat could easily ingest it along with the mouse.
http://www.curbly.com/users/modhomeecteacher/posts/9297-11-natural-ways-to-get-rid-of-mice – http://www.care2.com/greenliving/5-humane-ways-to-get-rid-of-mice.html
Not sure I can follow your advice, Nola. Our cats are barn cats only, so they spend all their time outside. And I’m not enough of a cat person to want them in the house with me… mice or not!
It sounds like it might be more humane than other traps. Do you think it is?
PS. That mouse looks huge!
It’s guaranteed death, so you’ll never have a situation where a mouse might be caught by a paw or a tail or another non-vital body part and still be alive and in pain. Plus, the trap is small enough that it wouldn’t be a danger to cats or dogs that might also be in the house, so it’s humane for them too, I guess.
PS. The mouse seemed pretty average-size IRL.
I actually think it sounds pretty humane – more so than being terrified and chased to death by a cat. I know that’s more natural, but they do things like injure and then play with their prey… This sounds like it’s quick, and no foreknowledge, therefore hopefully no fear.
It seems pretty humane and effective to me.