K, this is bugging me...


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Old 05-19-12, 07:05 PM
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K, this is bugging me...

I have a mouse problem in my garage. They ruined a whole 5kg bag of special grass seed (Eco-Lawn) during the winter. The stuff's all over the place with mouse feces mixed in. So I set some traps, just those small cheap Victors.

Killed 4 so far, three ended up getting the bow on their neck or upper back. However, one died under mysterious circumstances. One of the traps was especially sensitive. It triggered twice just placing it. One day I found it upside-down, triggered, and the bait (almond butter---no peanut butter as the wife is allergic) all gone. So I set the trap again, deciding I'll replace it if it triggers again before a mouse could get itself trapped.

I had a feeling what would happen: a mouse would get its arm caught, and I would come upon either a live mouse struggling with its arm caught, or nothing but an arm, the mouse having chewed it off in a desperate attempt to escape.

I was right and wrong. I was right that the trap would end up on the mouse' arm. I found the mouse with the bow over its upper arm, near the shoulder. Yet, it was dead! It had only been a day maximum, as I check all traps daily when I get home from work. It couldn't have dehydrated or starved in that short amount of time. It didn't look like there was any injury other than its upper arm being held down by the trap's bow. So what killed it? Stress maybe? Had a heart attack?

I'd appreciate it if someone has an answer, because it's been bugging me for two days since the find. Thanks.
 
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Old 05-20-12, 03:37 AM
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Mice have a low tolerance for dehydration. The will die quickly without water. That is why many of the chemical rodent poisons don't work until they go to water. As you found out, the second mouse gets the bait!
 
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Old 05-22-12, 05:58 AM
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The stress of any injury will kill a mouse quickly. Their key to survival is propagation, not strength. Larger rodents are stronger. One time I was trapping flying squirrels in an attic. I discovered a tail in my rat trap. The next day I caught a tail-less flying squirrel.

Instead of smearing the bait on the trigger, tie a small piece of cotton to the trigger and smear the bait on the cotton. Use dental floss or sewing thread to tie it on. They will grab it with their teeth and pull instead of licking it.

Insects such as crickets, beetles, etc will set off traps too, and not get trapped.
 
 

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