How to Build a Catch-Them-Alive Mouse Trap

Nobody likes finding a mess of mouse droppings in their cupboards or holes in their sacks of flour. Whether it's a pet mouse that has escaped or you just have qualms about hurting or killing little furry intruders, there are some very simple traps that you can make from items you probably have lying around the house.

Things You'll Need

  • For mug trap:
  • Coffee mug
  • Nickel
  • For bucket trap:
  • Paper towel tube or toothpaste box
  • Bucket
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Instructions

  1. Mug Trap

    • 1

      Place about 1 tsp. of peanut butter in the bottom of a coffee mug.

    • 2

      Set the mug upside down on the floor, then prop one side up with a nickel. The nickel should be perpendicular to the rim and on the side opposite the handle. If you can't get it to stay propped up, try a different mug.

    • 3

      When a mouse crawls under the mug and jumps to get at the peanut butter, the unstable mug will fall, trapping the mouse inside.

    • 4

      Be ready with a net and a box to contain the live mouse when you lift your mug.

    Bucket Trap

    • 5

      Find an elevated surface that a mouse can access. If you've found droppings on a kitchen counter, that's a great place to set this live-mouse trap. The space between the ground-level floor and basement ceiling is another great place to set this trap, but elevate the bucket as much as possible, because a long fall might injure the mouse.

    • 6

      Smear 1 tsp. of peanut butter inside one end of the tube.

    • 7

      Set the tube on the surface so that the end with the peanut butter is hanging over the edge. Move the tube so that it is just balanced, teetering on the edge.

    • 8

      Place a bucket below. When a peanut-butter-seeking mouse crawls into the far end of the tube, the tube will tip, and both will fall into the bucket. Your mouse will not be able to escape the bucket.