We have all, at some time, had problems with mice and unwanted critters in our homes. They manage to invade our space, causing considerable destruction to our homes and possessions. Mice can carry diseases and illnesses which can be passed on to humans. They need to be removed from our homes as soon as they are discovered.
Humane mouse traps are the best and most effective way to catch and trap a mouse without causing it any harm. If the trap is used correctly, once the mouse has been trapped, it can be removed from the area and safely released a distance away where it will not be able to find its way back.
Are there humane ways to remove unwanted, destructive rodents from our homes, or should they be exterminated? Often, the traps and poisons used by exterminators are highly toxic not only to the rodents they are intended for but also to humans. What humane methods are available for catching unwanted mice in your house?
What Are Humane Mouse Traps?
Humane mouse traps are used to remove unwanted mice from your home without harming the animal or being cruel to it. Humane mouse traps work without any hazardous poisons or glue, making them child and pet-friendly. Primarily, reusable traps are used to safely remove mice that are causing damage to your property.
Humane mouse traps are endorsed by many animal rights groups and humane societies as a safe way to remove mice without causing them or your household any harm. The mouse is captured alive and then released in a field or a safe area far away from your home.
Why Do We Need Humane Mouse Traps?
When you first discover a mouse in your house or at least see the destruction that it has caused, your first reaction is to get rid of it. There are many solutions on the market for getting rid of or eradicating mice, from traditional mouse traps which cruelly break the mouse’s back or neck to pest eradication professionals who will come to your home and use poison as a way to kill the mouse.
Many people keep dogs and cats in their homes for the purpose of catching and killing mice! While mice are often destructive, they do have a part to play in the circle of life and should not be exterminated just because they are living in the wrong place.
Mice poisons are not humane or environmentally friendly. After ingesting the poison, the mouse suffers for a long time before death as the poison does not kill the animal right away. Another problem with the poisons that are used to kill mice is that other predatory animals, e.g., the owl, feed on mice at night. If the mouse has ingested poison, the poison will be transferred to the predator, killing it too!
Predators like barn owls help reduce the population of mice and rodents, so if they are eradicated, your mice population will increase!
Humane mousetraps capture the living mouse giving it a chance to live far away from the danger zone of your home! While not many people relish the idea of a mouse living in their home, most people would prefer humane methods of getting rid of the mouse over destroying it.
How Does A Humane Mouse Trap Work?
Most humane mouse traps are easy to use and allow you to catch the mouse without any suffering caused to the animal. You only need to place the trap or a few different traps around the area frequented by the mouse, bait the trap, leave the door to the trap open, and wait.
After the mouse has entered the trap to retrieve the bait, the door will slam closed, capturing the mouse inside the trap. Most humane mice traps have enough ventilation to keep the animal alive until it is released.
How To Catch And Release A Mouse Using A Humane Trap
Humane mouse traps are known as catch-and-release traps or no-kill traps, as their purpose is to safely catch and remove the mouse from your home. Follow these steps to set up your mouse trap to catch that pesky mouse:
- Set the trap as per the instructions on the package. Different traps have different setup methods.
- Place the bait inside the trap. (From experience, the best bait is a nice piece of salami – not cheese!)
- Place the trap in a good position to catch the mouse. Look for mouse droppings or entry holes in the walls.
- Check the trap regularly.
- Release the mouse when caught. Take the trapped mouse to a location far away from your home. Place the trap on the ground, open the trap door and release the mouse.
- Back home, seal up any holes created by the mouse to prevent him from returning.
The Advantages Of Humane Mouse Traps
While capturing and getting rid of the mouse living in your house is your top priority, there are reasons why you should consider using a humane mouse trap to catch the mouse rather than using poisonous traps.
- Humane mouse traps are environmentally friendly and will not harm any other animals who may wander into the trap.
- Humane mouse traps are much cheaper than poisons.
- A humane mouse trap is a quick solution to small mouse infestations.
- Humane mouse traps are easy to clean.
- They are easy to set up and remove.
- They are portable so that you can move the trap with the mouse inside to the release area.
- You never have to touch the mouse!
- Do-it-yourself options are much cheaper than calling in professional exterminators.
Top 6 Humane Mouse Traps
Here are the top 6 most effective catch and release humane trap solutions on the market.
1. Havahart Humane Cage Mouse Trap
This large trap can be used to capture all small rodents, not only mice. Once the mouse enters the trap to eat the bait, the ultra-sensitive trigger is activated, dropping the gravity gate behind him.
What we like about the Havahart trap:
- Completely poison free
- Prevents injuries to mice and rodents with its flattened internal edges
- Dust-resistant and corrosion free
- A user-friendly, less expensive trap
- Spring-loaded door
2. Captsure Mouse Trap – Best Mouse Trap For The Home
This trap is easy to set and safe for use around children. The catch and release system causes no harm to the mouse as the structural pattern ensures no physical contact with the mouse.
What we like about the Captsure Trap:
- Easy to set up and clean
- It contains no harmful chemicals or glue
- Completely safe around pets
- Budget-friendly
- Safe construction with ventilation holes
- Waterproof construction
3. Rock Bird Live Capture Mouse Trap
This trap is designed to capture a few mice at the same time. Re-usable and easy to clean, the large design of this trap prevents any mouse-human contact and is completely safe for pets.
What we like about the Rock Bird Trap:
- Large handle which reduces human contact
- Durable and robust design, can be used indoors or outdoors
- Safety lock ensures its effectiveness and security
4. KindTrap Mouse Trap
This is a great mouse trap in that it is equipped with an alarm that notifies you when a mouse has entered the trap. Because of the alarm, you don’t need to keep checking the trap and, once the alarm is triggered, you can move the trap, causing less stress to the mouse.
What we like about the KindTrap Trap:
- Audible alarm notification
- Spring-loaded door
- Portable, lightweight, and easy to use
5. The Smart Mouse Trap
The Smart mouse trap is endorsed by the Humane Society and Animal Rights organizations, making this trap a great mice capture method. This trap senses when the mouse enters and the door snaps shut, trapping the mouse.
What we like about the Smart trap:
- Uses no poison or glue
- Safe around pets and children
- Lightweight and easy to use
6. The Victor Electronic Mousetrap
The Victor trap works well indoors and outdoors. This trap box has two inner chambers and is re-usable. Safe to use around children and pets.
What we like about the Victor trap:
- Easy to use and hygienic
- Safe and durable
- Affordable and highly functional
How To Make A DIY Humane Mouse Trap
There are many ways that you can catch a mouse quickly without the expense of buying a trap. A quick internet search will provide many instructions on how to build a DIY trap. This is our favorite trap as it doesn’t require any fancy equipment.
Use a pair of latex or rubber gloves when setting up the trap to disguise your scent. Mice are very clever and won’t go near a trap if they smell humans on it!
Equipment need for a DIY mousetrap:
- A standard bucket
- A paper towel tube
- Bait – peanut butter
- Duct tape
Method for a DIY mousetrap:
- Flatten one side of the paper towel tube with your fingers
- Place the bait inside the opposite side of the round tube
- Stick the flattened end of the baited tube down onto the edge of a counter or tabletop where you see mouse droppings. Only stick down the bottom of the flattened side so that the mouse can enter the tube.
- Stand the bucket on the floor under the hanging part of the tube – the bait should be at the end of the hanging part of the tube, over the bucket.
- The idea is, once the mouse has entered the tube to get to the bait, the taped side with come undone, and the tube containing the mouse will fall into the bucket, catching the mouse.
- Once you have trapped a mouse, relocate it far away from your home
Best Baits To Use In A Humane Mouse Trap
Contrary to popular belief and the movies, cheese is not a good option for baiting mice! Try these options instead to place them into the trap. Don’t use too much bait – mice are clever creatures and can run away with the bait if there is too much bait, and it’s easy to get too!
- Peanut butter
- Bacon or salami
- Dried fruit
- Chocolate
- Candy
- Gummy candy
- Apple slices
- Sunflower seeds
Are Humane Mouse Traps Effective?
Mice, like every other living creature, need food, water, and shelter to survive. They will enter your home searching for what they need and will stay if they are comfortable enough!
Setting a trap is the only humane way to catch and remove mice without harming them once they have moved in to your home. If you have more than one mouse living in your home, you can set a few traps around your home and garden to catch them.
Once you have caught a mouse in a trap, be sure to release him at least five miles away from your home so that it doesn’t return. If you can drive to a park area or a woody, rocky area to release him. Don’t take it to your nearest corner as he will find his way back to your home, which is his source of good food and shelter.
You can always bring food to the mouse every few days to help it adjust to its new home if you have the time.
Can A Mouse Survive Inside A Humane Trap?
Once you have set the trap to catch the mouse, you should check it every hour or at least twice a day to see if you have captured any mice.
A mouse should not remain inside any trap for too long. A trapped mouse is a stressed mouse, and it will be frantically looking for a way to escape from the second that it is captured, even resorting to cannibalism or self-mutilation in its attempt to get free.
The mouse should not be locked in the trap for longer than 24 hours. Any longer and the mouse could die a terrible death from stress and anxiety.
Humane Mice Repellants – Do They Work?
You might consider ways to prevent mice from moving into your home in the first place, or to keep them from returning after you have caught and released them. Not all repellants are effective at keeping mice away from your home, but some will dissuade them enough from even trying to move in.
The most effective way to keep mice away from entering your home is to repair any damages and small gaps that they could fit through. Steel wool is the perfect way to plug up holes and vents in your kitchen cupboards to prevent mice from entering.
Try these repellants around your home and garden to keep mice away.
- Shake-away mouse repellent. This product comes in the form of granules which you can shake around areas where you suspect mice to live. The granules are made from bobcat and fox urine which are mice, predators. Mice should stay away from any areas which smell like predators.
- Peppermint oil. This is the best, organic way to repel mice. Peppermint oil overwhelms the sense of smell and keeps the mice away. Place a few drops into a saucer or lid and place them around the outside of your home. There are many varieties of peppermint plants that you can plant and grow in your garden, which will also do the trick!
- Ultrasonic mouse repellents. High-frequency sound waves are used to drive mice away from the area where it is set up. As the frequency is so high, it does not cause any discomfort to humans as we cannot hear it.
Conclusion
Mice are dirty rodents that can carry disease which can be transferred to you and your family. They can also do a fair amount of damage to your home by chewing up wires and chewing through your food packaging. A mouse should not be a welcome occupant of your home, but we should consider humane ways of removing them before calling the professionals.
Humane mouse traps are safe for catching mice and releasing them into a better environment for them than living in your home! There are so many different style traps on the market, do the research first before you buy to find the ideal trap to use in your home to catch those pesky critters!
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