Science Experiment
We have seen evidence of mice in our house. A few weeks ago, J and I (on separate occassions) saw a mouse dart across our kitchen floor at 9ish in the morning. I think we spied it while it was on its morning commute to our pantry.
Well, I baited a trap and killed it one morning on its way to work. I have no qualms about pest control, especially since we had a mouse infestation (and I do mean infestation) in the previous house we lived in MD.
Well, that trap was baited with peanut butter and put along the wall where I knew the mouse was going to travel by. They have fairly regular commuting patterns.
A week later, I notice some mouse droppings on my kitchen counter. I clean those up only to notice some more the next day. Then no mouse droppings and then two or three days later, more mouse droppings for the next two to three days. And the pattern continues. After a while, I recognize that the droppings weren't due to our inability to clean up old droppings effectively but were actually new droppings of some other mouse (or mice). Well, we had put out two traps with the time-honored bait of peanut butter along the wall where we found the droppings.
Half a week goes by, no droppings and no triggered traps. By that point, I think the baits had lost their effectiveness. After a week, I notice more mouse droppings but no triggered traps. Droppings for about two or three days, then none at all. On the first day, the mouse droppings are fairly small and thin- I think evidence that they are hungry. Then by the second or third day, their droppings are round tubes- I take as evidence that they were well fed. Then there are no droppings. Also I noticed that the mice seemed not interested in the bait.
I saw fat mice droppings two days ago and none today. This should mean the mice are coming out either today or tomorrow. So, I am testing three different baits tonight- peanut butter, banana and fish sauce soaked tofu. I have to admit, I am not being thoroughly scientific here, as I am changing lots of variables- location of trap, bait, and number of traps. But I really don't think the location of the trap matters that much if the bait isn't attractive (as my earlier experience has shown). Another matter that I have considered and don't know how to deal with is that the mouse/mice might actually recognize the traps as a death machine and avoid it like the plague, regardless of how delicious the bait may be. I'll try the different baits for a couple of week. If that doesn't work, I might have to change my traps.
Well, I baited a trap and killed it one morning on its way to work. I have no qualms about pest control, especially since we had a mouse infestation (and I do mean infestation) in the previous house we lived in MD.
Well, that trap was baited with peanut butter and put along the wall where I knew the mouse was going to travel by. They have fairly regular commuting patterns.
A week later, I notice some mouse droppings on my kitchen counter. I clean those up only to notice some more the next day. Then no mouse droppings and then two or three days later, more mouse droppings for the next two to three days. And the pattern continues. After a while, I recognize that the droppings weren't due to our inability to clean up old droppings effectively but were actually new droppings of some other mouse (or mice). Well, we had put out two traps with the time-honored bait of peanut butter along the wall where we found the droppings.
Half a week goes by, no droppings and no triggered traps. By that point, I think the baits had lost their effectiveness. After a week, I notice more mouse droppings but no triggered traps. Droppings for about two or three days, then none at all. On the first day, the mouse droppings are fairly small and thin- I think evidence that they are hungry. Then by the second or third day, their droppings are round tubes- I take as evidence that they were well fed. Then there are no droppings. Also I noticed that the mice seemed not interested in the bait.
I saw fat mice droppings two days ago and none today. This should mean the mice are coming out either today or tomorrow. So, I am testing three different baits tonight- peanut butter, banana and fish sauce soaked tofu. I have to admit, I am not being thoroughly scientific here, as I am changing lots of variables- location of trap, bait, and number of traps. But I really don't think the location of the trap matters that much if the bait isn't attractive (as my earlier experience has shown). Another matter that I have considered and don't know how to deal with is that the mouse/mice might actually recognize the traps as a death machine and avoid it like the plague, regardless of how delicious the bait may be. I'll try the different baits for a couple of week. If that doesn't work, I might have to change my traps.
posted by Matty Lau at
8:30 PM
3 Comments:
What you need is a cat. Pandy used to bring us mice as gifts when we lived in J's paren't house.
By
CloverJelly, at 6/10/2009 8:05 AM
oops. I should use spell check.
By
CloverJelly, at 6/10/2009 8:05 AM
I have reached the point where I am contemplating a cat. I think I don't mind the dead mice as gifts but I really don't fancy getting the half dead ones placed at the foot of my bed.
It also will require a large investment in allergy meds but as I said, I am willing to entertain the idea at the moment.
By
Matty Lau, at 6/10/2009 6:01 PM
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