by Judy F » Thu Nov 17, 2005 12:56 pm
The only problem with humane trapping and release of mice is that they
come back, very quickly, from as far away as 5 miles!!! The ones
that don't make it 'home' have probably been killed on their way.#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
We are having a serious infestation of both field mice (big eyes, white
bellies) and house mice (grey fur all over, little beady eyes) this
fall. Fall is when juvenile mice set out on their own and stumble
on the 'heaven' of you house/barn/garage - warm, lots of nesting
material, free food. I've tried the humane traps but without
success. I now use a snap trap, baited and placed parallel to a
wall. Their death is instantaneous. I hate it, but the
hazard of mice in the house (hanta fever anyone?) makes it a necessity.#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
I have a book, "Man and Animal in the Zoo" by Heini Hediger, one of the
earliest proponents of getting zoo animals out of cages and into large,
naturalized compounds, and he is very explicit about the hazards of
mice and the diseases they carry. They lay a urine trail
everywhere they go with little poopy sign posts along the way.
Once I read this (and had the experience of a room mate with pet rats),
I gave up on the humane traps and went with the snappers.#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
I don't consider glue traps humane.#ed_op#br#ed_cl#
To ride well is the mark of a gentleman. To ride too well is the sign of a mis-spent youth. Athena the owl in "Outfoxed" by Rita Mae Brown.
-- Distrust any enterprises that require new clothes. EM Forster