Have a mouse in your house that you don’t want to kill? There are some simple tricks you can use to capture the critter and set him free far away from your home. The standard snapping mouse traps, or a local pest control company are necessary for high infestations, but you don’t have to use them for a single mouse wreaking havoc on your kitchen. Here are some simple DIY mouse traps that don’t kill mice.
Toilet Paper Roll
Pinch two creases on an empty toilet paper roll so that the roll turns into a half-moon tunnel. Put some peanut butter on the inside of one end of the tube. Balance the roll on a countertop so that the peanut butter end is hanging off the edge. Put a bucket underneath that. When the mouse scurries to get food, he will run through the tunnel and fall off the counter into the bucket. The sides of the bucket will be too slippery for him to escape. Simply cover the bucket once he’s in it and drive to your drop off destination.
Soda Can
Lean a board against a five gallon bucket so that it creates a ramp into the bucket. Put a small hold in the bottom of an empty soda can so that a rod can go through it. The rod can be anything, as long as it is strong enough to hold the weight of a mouse and long enough to span the diameter of the bucket. Drill two small holes opposite to one another under the lip of the bucket. Then put the rod through one hole, thread the soda can onto it, and push it through the other hole. You may need to put wads of tape on the ends to keep the rid from coming out. Coat the soda can with peanut butter and leave it out. When the mice go up the ramp and try to get the peanut butter, the spinning can will cause them to fall in the bottom of the bucket.
You can modify either option to include water at the bottom if you want to drown the mice instead. This obviously will not make it a no-kill mouse trap, but it will at least get the job done like you need it to.
