When 1800’s Technology Fails You, Try Something Else

It's that time of year, mice are more less leaving your house for the summer, but there's still those leftover little critters that haven't quite gotten the memo that it's time to move on. I suspect that these are the smarter mice. They know that in your house, there's an endless supply of food if they play their cards right.

Part of the reason I also suspect they're the smart ones, is because I feel like this time of year, they somehow know that little piece of wood stuck in their path is trying to kill them. I mean, if cats are scared of cucumbers in YouTube videos, then why wouldn't a mouse be skittish around a little flat piece of pine with some kind of food smeared on it? It's not like it looks like a plate, or proper dining area of any kind. Would you eat peanut butter off a board?

So my friend Mark has been plagued by this very problem. So he just took a deep breath and decided to beat the mouse at it's own game. Check it out:

As you can see, so far it's been quite effective! Mice are very inquisitive by nature, so if you set up something that looks like a cross between a Rube-Goldberg machine and an obstacle course, I imagine they're gonna go in for a closer look. Especially if that course smells delicious.

Now this trap could also serve many alternate purposes. First, if you've got kids, this is a two-fer. Not only do you get have Arts & Crafts time with the wee ones, you also don't to explain anything about the circle of life and death  to them yet, if you don't want to.

Secondly, maybe your kids are old enough to understand, but they are much more humane and care about the lives of mice more than you do. This way everyone wins, because you could just release them into the wild.

Although, most of the ones I saw online have water in the bottom to drown the buggers, and the trap above seems to have some water in the bottom too. Here's a video of how to construct your own.

So if you're having the same issues with mice that are trying to be smarter than you, show them who's boss. How you choose to dispose of them is up to you. Me? I'm afraid without some kind of extra insurance in the bottom, that they'd jump out. But who knows? I'm scared of mice and make my wife deal with it, while I dance on a chair and scream like a 1950's cartoon housewife.

See? The mice aren't the only ones throwing the role reversals out too. Happy trapping!