Mouse Traps That Don't Harm Mice

You realize it after hearing scratching in the wall or finding animal droppings under your sink -- an unwanted guest is living with you. Mice look for warmth and food in the fall, and can fit through small holes in your foundation to get in. You have options to trap and remove the offender from your home without harming it. Humane mouse traps available in 2011 allow you to take the mouse to a new location and set it free.

  1. Catch a Mouse

    • Here's a mouse trap that not only traps mice without hurting them, it allows you to reuse a plastic bottle. The Catch a Mouse Humane Mouse Trap is a plastic wedge of cheese that screws onto a plastic water or soda bottle. It has an opening that a mouse can go through to get into the bottle, but then it can't get back out. To release the mouse, either turn the bottle over to open the passageway or unscrew the "cheese." It can also be used to catch voles in your yard.

    Smart Mouse Trap

    • The Smart Mouse Trap is made of light green plastic that allows you to see inside. When a mouse walks in to reach the food at the other end, a spring-loaded door is released and snaps shut, preventing the mouse from escaping. The mouse is released by removing the sliding door at the end. The trap comes with instructions and a booklet on mouse-proofing your home and how to outwit the smartest of mice.

    Havahart

    • The Havahart trap is made of metal with open mesh side panels. It has a door at each end which close and lock when the tray in the middle, where the food is placed, is moved. Open the doors to release the mouse. This trap can also catch rats.

    Small Traps

    • The Mouse Depot, Victor, Kness and Mice Cube traps are small and rectangular, which a mouse can get into but can't escape from. The door just needs to be lifted to allow the mouse to exit the trap. Victor makes one that is capable of catching multiple mice. All of these traps, except the Mice Cube, use solid black or gray plastic, making it impossible to see if there is a mouse in them. The Mice Cube is clear plastic.

    Do it Yourself

    • Several websites supply instructions on how to make various types of humane mouse traps with supplies you already have in your house. Most of these are free, but the e-book for the Humane Mouse Trap, that's made with a soda bottle, will cost you a few dollars. The free traps include the Homemade Humane Mousetrap, which has two different types of traps on the website along with instructions and videos, and Steve Smith's Humane Mousetrap, which uses a clear baking dish, a low-sided tray and a kebab skewer.