Mouse Trap

TRNCVaughan · Post by **TRNCVaughan** » Wed 07 Jan 2015 9:18 am

I have an uninvited guest living under my kitchen sink unit.
I used to have a large, steel trap which I used a few years ago, but can't find it now.
Does anyone have similar, that I could borrow, for me to see this little b***er off.

frontalman · Post by **frontalman** » Wed 07 Jan 2015 10:05 am

You must be careful Vaughan as most traps sold are quite dangerous and in certain cases can actually harm the poor little thing!

Johnny Lee · Post by **Johnny Lee** » Wed 07 Jan 2015 11:36 am

Would you like to borrow a Cat ? for a few days.

snowball · Post by **snowball** » Wed 07 Jan 2015 12:24 pm

We have 5 mouse traps to lend you, but they are not steel and not rat traps.
0533 883 7495. Alsanack.

TRNCVaughan · Post by **TRNCVaughan** » Wed 07 Jan 2015 3:13 pm

The one I had was a vicious trap with teeth like a small bear trap. Worked like a good 'un.

karmels · Post by **karmels** » Wed 07 Jan 2015 11:53 pm

TRNC a small amount of tuna and half a teaspoon of anti freeze and they will be gone.

ruggy · Post by **ruggy** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 3:40 am

They sell the same one u r on about at the Yapi market just past Sh Boom on the left about 3 euro from memory . I can't find mine either .

Kavenkoy · Post by **Kavenkoy** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 6:24 am

I tea spoon pea nut butter .....1 trap and few hours of peace

Owl Lady · Post by **Owl Lady** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 9:43 am

Where there is one ,there will me a mate somewhere!!!!

Keithcaley · Post by **Keithcaley** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 10:53 am

Owl Lady wrote:Where there is one ,there will me a mate somewhere!!!!

...and the patter of tiny feet!

Hedge-fund · Post by **Hedge-fund** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 11:45 am

I may be able to help. I have some experience of getting rid of mice.

During the middle of last year I was awoken by a commotion downstairs and went to investigate. I got to the kitchen and saw a small trial of carnage which ended when a found I mortally wounded mouse. Evidently one of the cats had caught it and was in the process of slowly torturing it to death. Considering myself a fairly humane and responsible adult I thought about the best way of ending the poor wretch’s misery. At 3am it’s a little difficult to think clearly but I considered some options……..

Chuck it out the back door?............Cats would find it again quickly and anyway it would remain in near death agony
Hit it with a big pan?..............too messy and would wake the house up.
Strangle it?.............how would that work? It would look ridiculous……..can you imagine someone seeing you strangling a mouse in your kitchen at 3am?

After some time I came to the conclusion that water was the answer. Clean, quiet, quick and humane. I filled a long glass up from the tap, picked up the mouse by the tail and lowered it in. After about 30 seconds of stillness I congratulated myself on a textbook execution and lifted the glass closer to my eyes to check all was done. That must have been about the time the mouse realised it was not coming back out of the water.

It went mad…….wriggling, splashing, climbing, thrashing bonkers mad. I thought for a moment that it was ok afterall but no………..the water was red with what was coming out of it’s sides – these cats are pure evil – I had no choice but to carry on…………………..so there I am thinking I’m doing a selfless service and now I’m horrified at what is unfolding 2 inches from my face. After what seemed an eternity but was probably another 30 seconds all went still. I was numb and still myself for another minute or so.

I quietly put the remains in the bin……………washed the glass……………and still with mouth open and unblinking wide eyes went back up to bed – where I stared at the ceiling for the next 3 hours. To this day I am still scarred.
I have another tale involving another mouse – this time in daylight and it involves a large garden spade. Equally horrific so I will spare you.

So if you want a professional mouse murderer PM me and I’ll pop round.

Ps…………I have also killed 3 budgies. One of which involved a spaghetti bolognese but that’s another story.

Col · Post by **Col** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 11:52 am

Once you get the trap i find Nutella works as well if not better than the peanut butter as they do like a bit of chocolate in with the nuts. I find the easy set traps work well and so much easier than the old wooden ones. Mice are pretty stupid when it comes to traps unlike rats. Once you have caught the one or more on the inside put trap or traps on the outside to get them before they come in.

Kavenkoy · Post by **Kavenkoy** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 3:00 pm

Col wrote:Once you get the trap i find Nutella works as well if not better than the peanut butter as they do like a bit of chocolate in with the nuts. I find the easy set traps work well and so much easier than the old wooden ones. Mice are pretty stupid when it comes to traps unlike rats. Once you have caught the one or more on the inside put trap or traps on the outside to get them before they come in.

Col if you didn't know the mice won't go out at the moment as it's freezing in NC ,please keep up and read the thread on winter fuel allowances

Peanut butter ding dong ,got 4 in 6 hours and cleared them out ...easy

Kav

Col · Post by **Col** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 5:48 pm

What soft mice you have, I have caught a few a while ago in the UK! On a serious note I put the traps out at the end of the summer/autumn period as it starts to get cold. I use real Nutella, other alternatives work but as it is their last meal and all that.

frontalman · Post by **frontalman** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 6:49 pm

When we were in the UK many moons ago, we discovered a little mouse in the kitchen. It looked more like a fieldmouse than an urban house-mouse, it was a cute little thing. Anyway I caught it because it was a bit young and soppy, and I took it down the end of the garden, where I released it. As I walked back towards the house I realised it was following me. As I got to the threshold of the garden door it hopped over as I entered and looked up at me. Sally looked at me as if I was mad, and I said, "Oh well leave it here now, it seems to like it here" then it ran under the gas cooker. We went to bed thinking we'd catch up with him again in the morning.

When we woke the following day, the poor little thing had drowned in the dogs' water bowl, it must have climbed in for a drink and couldn't get out again. I felt terrible about it, and still do when I think about it. We did give him a proper burial in the garden, though.

surfmeetseast · Post by **surfmeetseast** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 7:43 pm

You can buy humane mouse and rat traps from Izzi 's on the Lapta karisyaka border. It will save you having nightmares. Every sentient being deserves a chance at life, fellow Buddhists will understand my madness remember that human beings are the biggest destroyers of our planet, and if your religion requires you to kill, please start with yourself. Love and Peace xxx

Ragged Robin · Post by **Ragged Robin** » Thu 08 Jan 2015 9:57 pm

I cant use traps because I have dogs. I tried to humane ones (I asssume you mean the sticky ones). Two problems:

1. The mouse isnt killed and it just screams when it finds it cant get free. Dogs bark and set off all the neighbourhood dogs and cats. Then you hae to kill the mouse. I put it outside in a bucket of water still stuck to the trap assumed it was drowned when it stopped squeaking and left it till morning, when I drained off the water and put mouse and trap in dustbin mostly with my eyes closed, so was spared Hedge Fund's nightmares.

2. Subsequent mice hear about and and since then have avoided the traps whatever bait I use.

3. Despite careful position dog tries to get at bait. Ever tried to remove the gluey stuff from the coat of a Cyprus terrier?

The dogs ignore the mice, only caught two in ten years. The dogs wont let me get a cat. I dont dislike mice, and wouldnt begrude them a scrap of bread and cheese, or even Nutrella if that is what is takes. But the poor wee timorous beasties eat through the drainage pipes to the washing machine and cost me a fortune in repairs every year.

I have tried mothballs, and and two sorts of expensive plug ins (especially brought from UK by friends) that are supposed to send mouse repellent noise/vibrations through walls. Mice take not a blind bit of notice but it does seem to deter cockroaches!

A friend in UK bought a trap that just caught the mouse in her house without injury. Being a kindly, sensitive soul she could could neither kill it,, nor let it go where it would cause problems for neighbours. She then had a nightmare drive cross country at midnight to release it in the wilds well from human habitation.

They say the world will beat a path to the door of the person who designs the perfect mouse trap - I certainly will!

karmels · Post by **karmels** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 12:13 am

TRNC, with all this advise the critter should be long gone, but you have not answered??

surfmeetseast · Post by **surfmeetseast** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 5:47 am

No, RR, you can get little cages, or little plastic lids that go onto old food tins. They have a trapdoor, mouse goes in for treat and cannot get out. Then you can just transport them to the garden to take their chances.
Some parts of our house are still derelict, and I have caught loads like this. I thought I should paint their claws with different shades of nail polish to see if they are returning, but they were not up for it.....

TRNCVaughan · Post by **TRNCVaughan** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 6:25 am

Electricity went off last night at 1am. Reset it and went back to bed. This morning fridge not working. Found cable stripped down to conductors. Just had the sink drain repaired.
This critter has gotta go.

Johnny Lee · Post by **Johnny Lee** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 7:24 am

Well if you had fed the poor little thing it would not have needed to eat your fridge.

All this talk of mouse traps and alike, I remember going into my nans scullery, (or pantry) everybody had one in those days and the cold slab.

My grandad had set a trap, I was very young may about 3, I did not know what a mouse trap was, but I knew what cheese was and tried to take it. Bloody Hell it hurt. I think I got clout as well for meddling.

TRNCVaughan · Post by **TRNCVaughan** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 9:43 am

Purchased one steel rat trap c/w toothed jaws. Dog food as bait, waiting for the crash of steel against flesh and bone.

TRNCVaughan · Post by **TRNCVaughan** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 11:10 am

Update
Roland rat is no longer on this planet.
RIP

frontalman · Post by **frontalman** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 11:56 am

He didn't ask to be born a rodent you know, and there was I hoping we could spend eternity together, Vaughan!

Kavenkoy · Post by **Kavenkoy** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 1:16 pm

TRNCVaughan wrote:Update
Roland rat is no longer on this planet.
RIP

Rat not mouse ?

Nice ,off with its head ....vermin

Kav

TRNCVaughan · Post by **TRNCVaughan** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 3:30 pm

Either a rat or a bloody big mouse.

Kavenkoy · Post by **Kavenkoy** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 9:21 pm

TRNCVaughan wrote:Either a rat or a bloody big mouse.

Lol lets hope it doesn't have friends

Kav

BLUE BUTTERFLY · Post by **BLUE BUTTERFLY** » Fri 09 Jan 2015 11:51 pm

surfmeetseast wrote:You can buy humane mouse and rat traps from Izzi 's on the Lapta karisyaka border. It will save you having nightmares. Every sentient being deserves a chance at life, fellow Buddhists will understand my madness remember that human beings are the biggest destroyers of our planet, and if your religion requires you to kill, please start with yourself. Love and Peace xxx

Not a Buddhist but totally agree. I would rather have a harmless little mouse in my home than a 4wheel drive emitting obnoxious fumes driving past my humble abode every day, or a coal fire polluting the air we breathe. But I don't live in a selfish ''expat bubble''.

surfmeetseast · Post by **surfmeetseast** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 5:11 am

Ditto, thank you BB

TRNCVaughan · Post by **TRNCVaughan** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 7:45 am

BLUE BUTTERFLY wrote:
surfmeetseast wrote:You can buy humane mouse and rat traps from Izzi 's on the Lapta karisyaka border. It will save you having nightmares. Every sentient being deserves a chance at life, fellow Buddhists will understand my madness remember that human beings are the biggest destroyers of our planet, and if your religion requires you to kill, please start with yourself. Love and Peace xxx
Not a Buddhist but totally agree. I would rather have a harmless little mouse in my home than a 4wheel drive emitting obnoxious fumes driving past my humble abode every day, or a coal fire polluting the air we breathe. But I don't live in a selfish ''expat bubble''.

This "harmless mouse" turned out to be a full sized rat. He chewed a huge hole in my kitchen sink waste pipe, flooding my kitchen floor every time we used the sink. Repair cost 60tl
He also ate though my fridge power cable which I repaired.
You may not know it, but rats urinate continuously and we had to wash down the kitchen worktops every morning.
I wouldn't call him harmless.

BTW where are you getting the coal for your fire from? As far as I know it's not available in TRNC.

frontalman · Post by **frontalman** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 9:09 am

We all make sacrifices for our pets, Vaughan. Come on, you're not that hard-hearted are you?

Johnny Lee · Post by **Johnny Lee** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 1:21 pm

Totally agree Rats need sorting, they are not nice, and peeing all over the place,Veils disease springs to mind, so you need to bleach those work tops. because it lingers. Many people have caught it through drinking directly from cans. Rats in storerooms and alike peeing over the stock, hey presto a small amount of rat urine unnoticed mixed with your diet coke and you wake up dead.

They say that in any UK city' you are never further than 2 mtrs. from a Rat. yes they adore the plastic coating on wiring I have been called out many times to the alarm at my business in the UK activated by some furry little b-----d at 3.00am.

So I am with you all the way, get rid of them, but humanly would be better, But I understand probably awkward then if you revert to poison, I suppose that is cruel. Do you still get 5 shilling if you take the tails to the town hall?

ailletoo · Post by **ailletoo** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 1:34 pm

Oh and if it were only legal to feed anti-freeze to the many 2 legged vermin that abide here in TRNC!

TRNCVaughan · Post by **TRNCVaughan** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 1:52 pm

Tuna is easy to find in TRNC, but anti-freeze?

Johnny Lee · Post by **Johnny Lee** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 2:56 pm

Re the Anti Freeze, I think you can get it here, many supermarkets sell it, its labelled Don Simon, and you get a colour choice.

Ragged Robin · Post by **Ragged Robin** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 4:14 pm

Agree with BB re 4 x 4s. And I kept mice as pets as a child! But the cost of repairing their damage is taking money I need to feed three (rescue ) dogs not to mention myself.Catching(even if you can) and moving them only passes on the problem to someone else. Its a tough world.

As for rats, in the UK I had a friend died from Weil's disease because of a rat bite, and it wasnt a nice death. Dont poison them though unless you are prepared to remove the remains promptly and safely dispose of them (not rubbish bins) - dogs and particularly cats may get at the poison (I am sure this is the reason for some of the poisoning here) or bite an affected rat and get secondary poisoning. Rats, in particular, also damage crops and risk the livelihood of the poorer local families.

Johnny Lee · Post by **Johnny Lee** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 6:15 pm

I also knew a guy who died from Weils disease, and yes a nasty death, he scratched is wrist whilst pruning Rose bushes and a Rat had urinated on it.

We were keen water skiers and I could not believe that in lake holding millions of Lts. of water it did not dilute, from water Rats, and if you had a small cut or abrasion you were advised not to Ski.

They are vermin and need destroying. I imagine pet Rats are different, not really sure.

I liked Roland and Ben, but thats my limit.

surfmeetseast · Post by **surfmeetseast** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 6:55 pm

Yes, it is a nasty disease. Please bear in mind that rats in the UK are living in sewers (human waste) and rubbish tips ( human waste) and polluted waters. The rats I caught in our house were youngsters, and we have no close neighbours so let them go in the mountain. They were healthy and clean looking ( I also kept domesticated rats and mice as a child)It is unlikely that Weils disease is here, but I apologise if I am wrong.

So many people are paranoid about the creatures we share this world with. Disease from animals and humans is about equal. I cannot harm any animal, I would big time harm a human who hurt my animals. This is why we live here, remotely, in the mountain, with 14 animals and counting. This is why we left the madness of the UK. Very happy vd c bfds bfdsnbfewf

surfmeetseast · Post by **surfmeetseast** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 6:59 pm

So how will you clean the ocean Johnny? I do water sports, do not expect a safe ocean. Take your chance with the elements or paddle in a chlorinated pool. Respect, and no offence, its just that I do not get why people have the pool when we have the Med

Col · Post by **Col** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 7:25 pm

Sorry to those who prefer humane measures, I have used those as well. Rats are a different story, I really think that they should go by whatever method as the damage and health problems they can do cause is very bad. They are very very trap shy, they do not like change. Traps, humane or otherwise should not be handled by hand, a dirty trap is better than a clean trap. Place trap at right angle to walls as the route they take will be next to the wall. Chances are a new arrival will be a juvenile that has been kicked out of another nest. Have a look around the perimeter wall to see if you can see a hole either in the wall or where it has dug down. The other route is through the eaves to roof space but you would hear that.
I had one recently and made the decision to block it's route in and out the house off regardless of whether it was in or out. unfortunately it was in. It avoided traps and eventually got itself trapped in the conservatory wall. It smelled for quite a while but this was better than it finding a mate and setting up a nest. I have water pipes behind the walls and was fearing that it would chew through one, many years ago one bit through two of the wires of our alarm system. Being woken up by the alarm at 1am is quite a fright. I did manage to catch that one.
I wish you luck

Kavenkoy · Post by **Kavenkoy** » Sat 10 Jan 2015 8:38 pm

Johnny Lee wrote:Re the Anti Freeze, I think you can get it here, many supermarkets sell it, its labelled Don Simon, and you get a colour choice.

Isn't don Simon that crap wine in a carton

Johnny Lee · Post by **Johnny Lee** » Sun 11 Jan 2015 10:18 am

Not really sure if it's wine, anti freeze or paint stripper.

Rats are also very very clever, we have small foil wrapped courtesy chocolates at my Restaurant in the UK , and we had noticed them depleting. We had a problem with a sink waste pipe blocked behind the bar. The pipe was boxed in and it was about a 5 mtr. run, and open each end.

I took the boxing apart to access the pipe and there very neatly all the way along were dozens of chocolates, I had visions of them being stockpiled for a rodent party.

Owl Lady · Post by **Owl Lady** » Sun 11 Jan 2015 11:59 am

I can confirm the expression" stuck like a rat up a drain pipe" A few months ago I saw what I thought was a baby snake. On investigating what was hanging out of the drain pipe from the roof, was a mummified rat's tail ,attached to a dead rat, well and truly stuck. I managed to get it out eventually. A few weeks ago the electric cable to my gas heater which comes through metal trunking outside, was found to be well and truly chewed!!That rat cost me over 150tl for the removal ,replacement and reconnection. Thank you Roland!!

Ragged Robin · Post by **Ragged Robin** » Sun 11 Jan 2015 4:39 pm

Slightly OT but a matter of interest. Is the risk of Weil's disease not in fresh water, rivers, lakes etc., not the sea? The sea has lot of dangers (sharks, jelly fish, rocks, tides, etc.) but I have never heard of rodents living there? And salt water , particularly in the Med. is disinfectant.

Due to childhood reading I never thought of Water Rats as other than kindly friendly creatures, but then moles, badgers and otters are not popular with some either.

And talking of otters - and live and let live - does anyone remember the horrible scene in Tarka the Otter where Tarka is accompanying the author's female friend and a dog on a walk, and a roadman, whom she has stopped to chat, to sees it and kills it with a spade? And is proud he has destroyed vermin. One man's pet is another man's pest!

jofra · Post by **jofra** » Sun 11 Jan 2015 5:36 pm

"Boss, killing a rat is no problem. Stuff it into a sack. Beat the sack with an ax. Then shoot it. Then drown it. Burn the sack with the dead rat in it. Meanwhile its mate has raised another litter of pups and you now have a dozen rats to replace it."
--Marjorie Friday Baldwin (Fictional character, but still a lot of truth in the quote!)

Johnny Lee · Post by **Johnny Lee** » Sun 11 Jan 2015 5:40 pm

That is correct not the sea. But not only fresh water, anywhere that Rats lurk, Not only Rats, also at risk from Dogs and many other animals. But Rats and Cattle in the main. Inc. pet Rats. It is linked to Leptospirosis and if you see the photos in the payment office at Lapta Belediyesi it is non too pleasant.

My dad used to say , home is for people, and pets stay outside. I suppose cruel but he had a point.

surfmeetseast · Post by **surfmeetseast** » Sun 11 Jan 2015 6:40 pm

I have caught so many rats in a humane trap I have lost count. I gave them a chance by letting them go in the mountains and we do not seem to have any more. I do think we would have been a bit freaked out if we had a lovely secure warm clean villa - but we do not yet, and we are resigned to living in the wilds.
I had an acquaintance who died a horrible death of Weils, he was a white water canoeist, and got it from the Thames.
I think it is relatively rare to be that unlucky, especially as really are always closer to rats than you realise. I really do not believe that it is in the sea, or upon every rat otherwise I would be dead. Its a bit dramatic to be so afraid, and I wash my kitchen as a matter of course, every day anyway, with bleach and an etc. Anyone for lunch?

Ragged Robin · Post by **Ragged Robin** » Sun 11 Jan 2015 8:35 pm

Its true dogs carry diseases (as do several animals). Most of us who keep dogs chose the animals we want (or in the case of strays allow ourselves to be chosen!) We then spend a fortune on vaccinations, worming, parasite drops and collars etc. to keep them and us safe and healthy. In the case of dogs they repay with love, companionship and some degree of protection. If we keep them indoors we house train them., feed them food that doesnt attract problems, and keep their coats clean.

Few adults would chose to have mice, let alone, rats running around or houses, or would wish to pass them on to neighbours. I am not sure about release in the mountains, but it is not possible for some of us. Apart from the cost I am not sure it is practical to take the same measures for mice and rats we do for cats and dogs. The thing is if we must kill we should do it humanely. I just want something that will be quick and as as painless as possible and wont put other animals )particularly my dogs) at risk.

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