Mouse bait?

[Blue Hills]

What do the blighters really go for?

I have been aware of the traces of one being out of a night.

A modern clever one bought online proved useless.

I was in an excellent outdoor shop last week


https://www.tamarackoutdoors.co.uk/

In addition to their regular stock they have a small second hand room at the back - stuff that previous shoppers have exchanged mostly I think.

Somewhat bizzarely, they had a mouse trap - some old brit metal engineered thing.

So along with other stuff I bought it - mostly for novelty value.

But even more bizarely, it actually works - caught a mouse the first night.

Of course I may have despatched the only creature I have but am keen to capitalise on this wonder of British engineering.

What do they really really like?

serious answers only, he said hopefully.

 

[Sterlo]

Chocolate is the best, something like a Mars bar, other than that, tinned ham seems to work, I think it's the smell. Whichever you try, it needs changing every couple of days if no takers.

 

[wisdom]

Mars bar (small piece)and metal selfset trap.
Works every time.

 

[tom73]

Chocolate syrup works for me. if you have a wilkos near you they sell very effective traps forget the brandname they are plastic but stand up to use. May look crap but boy they are good much better then the old type.

 

[wisdom]

Mouse Trap Self Set https://g.co/kgs/2Pgbgc

Here's the link

 

[Blue Hills]

Whichever you try, it needs changing every couple of days if no takers.

fussy sods are they? I thought they survived on tiny bits of often old edible matter.
Or you mean you need to attract them with a smell over and above that less enticing stuff?

The bait that got the one the other night was some small crumbs of my home made cycling snack and a raisin.

many thanks for the reply - in particular I hadn't considered meat!

 

[Blue Hills]

Mouse Trap Self Set https://g.co/kgs/2Pgbgc

Here's the link

thanks but should have said I was after a humane one.
Which my brit wonder is - when I got up the door on it was closed - couldn't quite believe there was anything in it as I could feel no struggling/wobbling when I picked it up - took it outside, opened it and the thing ran happily off. Must have been a cool philosophical mouse just biding its time.

oh by the by - it had left a bit of crap in there - those small round balls - I left that in when I rebaited with some other stuff as I had the idea that that might attract others - give other creatures the feeling that they were returning to a previously colleague-tested source of food.

Would folk recommend I leave that or take it out?

 

[Reynard]

An ordinary sprung mouse trap baited either with peanut butter or dried fruit.

 

[Blue Hills]

An ordinary sprung mouse trap baited either with peanut butter or dried fruit.

interesting - a major component of my home-made cycling snack is actually peanut butter - and it does have bits of dried fruit in it, plus of course the fresh raisin/sultana or whatever I added.

 

[Reynard]

interesting - a major component of my home-made cycling snack is actually peanut butter - and it does have bits of dried fruit in it, plus of course the fresh raisin/sultana or whatever I added.

Nuts and fruit are a big component of what small rodents (other than the carnivorous ones e.g. shrews) eat in the wild. Mice and voles are opportunists, but they do prefer things that are sweet and have a high calorie value.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Nutella

 

[Adam4868]

Chocolate...failing that get a cat.

 

[glasgowcyclist]

The catch & release traps I used recommended peanut butter as bait. Worked every time.

 

[Milzy]

What do the blighters really go for?

I have been aware of the traces of one being out of a night.

A modern clever one bought online proved useless.

I was in an excellent outdoor shop last week


https://www.tamarackoutdoors.co.uk/

In addition to their regular stock they have a small second hand room at the back - stuff that previous shoppers have exchanged mostly I think.

Somewhat bizzarely, they had a mouse trap - some old brit metal engineered thing.

So along with other stuff I bought it - mostly for novelty value.

But even more bizarely, it actually works - caught a mouse the first night.

Of course I may have despatched the only creature I have but am keen to capitalise on this wonder of British engineering.

What do they really really like?

serious answers only, he said hopefully.

Mice are natural seed eaters but they love fatty sweet things like peanut butter and various junk foods.

 

[Reynard]

Chocolate...failing that get a cat.

Well, my twosome take care of any micees that enter into the house, but I use traps in the garage as there are things in there that do not go terribly well with cats...