Humane or 'killer' mouse traps?!
By fluffleshark
@fluffleshark (810)
Ireland
January 19, 2007 7:07am CST
A few days ago I opened the bathroom door and my heart sank when I saw a mouse flying across the room and disappearing into what I presume is a hole in the wall.
Now, as you can probably see from my profile pic, I am a 'rat person' - I have pet gerbils and I LOVE small furry creatures. But having a one year old baby at home, I'm now a bit concerned from a health / possible disease perspective about having wild mice running around the flat!
So my husband and I decided to but one of those 'humane mouse traps', which trap the mouse in a small cage until you can take them outside somewhere and let them loose. Well - easier said than done - we couldn't find one anywhere! And having read on the net that wild mice can sometimes carry the Hanta virus, I wanted this to be sorted out asap, so eventually after some persuasion from my hubby I agreed to us getting a 'snapper', as long as he took care of it... Our poor little mouse was caught that night, and I felt SO guilty the entire evening - I felt like a really BAD person, worrying about little baby mice somewhere etc etc.... :(
Anyway, after giving it a lot of thought, (and I admit trying to make myself feel less guilty as well), I was wondering whether the 'humane' traps are always actually that humane? It occurred to me that:
1) The mouse that is caught will generally be left in the trap for at least a few hours, sometimes overnight, before you are able to take it to some wooded or 'green' area and let it loose
2) During that time it will be totally frantic - is not killing it really worth all those hours of total trauma
3) It may have little babies somewhere, and could be TOTALLY panicked about not being able to get back to look after them
4) Mice have family groups (and babies). Imagine the possible trauma being 'let loose' somewhere far away (you have to take them far away so they don't just return)and not being able to find their families and babies again!
What do you think?
4 people like this
31 responses
@alaaeldinalex (48)
• Egypt
20 Jan 07
well, there are lots of people who really suffer more than these mice. I think mice are little harmful creatures and we should get rid of them and protect humanity from diseases. Don't be afraid about the baby mice, they should die also to prevent diseases. I think u should think more about people who really doesn't have home, food. There are human babies who doesn't find something to eat till they die next to their parents. Believe me, such parents will be very happy to find a mouse, they will eat it to survive..
2 people like this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
26 Jan 07
I appreciate your response, but I don't see mice purely as disease-carriers. ALL animals are disease carriers, including humans. Mice have had a very bad press. They do not need to be eradicated to prote ct humans - in fact eradicating any species just serves to further upset the environmental balance and thereby put everyone, including humans, in danger. Believe me I do think about people without homes and food, and I do help them, but if I am able to help a mouse as well, then why not?
@CatEyes (2448)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Well, these suckers are cute if you have them as a pet, but when they are wild, it's not cool. They carry more than the Hanta virus (which is horrible, but not too common), but they also carry vector born desieses IE, babesia (protazoa), Bartonella (cat scratch fever family) Borrilious Burgdufi among others. They bring in these vectors (fleas, mites, ticks etc) and the can infest your house. So I think you did the right thing by putting him out of his and your misery. I like animals, I'm alwas taking them in, but I have to take caution with certain ones or not take them at all.
2 people like this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
26 Jan 07
Thanks Cateyes! Do you know how they transmit these diseases? I mean by fleas / ticks etc., or aerosol, or in fluids (urine etc.)?
And do you know how commonly they have these diseases, and in what parts of the world by any chance? (I'm in Ireland).
Many thanks for your response! :)
@vasanth_star37 (96)
• India
20 Jan 07
good comment...really very technical and informative yaar
1 person likes this
@teenal (1400)
• Dublin, Ireland
19 Jan 07
There is no humane way to get rid of a pest and if you let it out somewhere green from a humane trap it will only make its way to someone elses house so your not really doing any good.Just passing the problem on.
I think a quick snap trap is best. I dont agree with poison as it can take them a long time to die.
@Ravenladyj (22904)
• United States
20 Jan 07
the mice can also make their way back to your house (we have a mouse problem too and as much as I'd love and much prefer to do it humanely it just isnt realistic if you REALLY want the problem taken care of...Poison I dont agree with for numerous reasons....as much as I hate the snap traps for us they really are the best way unfortunately
1 person likes this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
22 Jan 07
yes I think unfortunately I have to agree with you, Ravenlady - you'd have to take the mouse quite far away for it to not come straight back - and in doing so it would lose its family anyway...
@ashraine (178)
• Philippines
20 Jan 07
as we all know dogs are man's best friend.., so for that we may consider that other animals, no matter what or where is its category can be considered man's friend..
yeah i do believe that like dogs, other animals is like human also.. try to feel them, touch them, hug them, kiss them, you'll feel the same way as if you're with someone human right??? i used to do that with my doggie..
and try to look their eyes for a long time, you'll be able to understand what they wanted to say or like.. try it..
going back to the rat thing, a trap may be a more better solution than mice killer, for humane sake..
BUT there's always for me AN EXCEPTION TO THE RULE,..
its a different thing already if that animal would be a threat to people's health and live..
so if i were you go with the rat killer.. hello?? VIRUS???
1 person likes this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
26 Jan 07
Thanks Ashraine!
I agree with you - all species share similar feelings, which are difficult to ignore if we have close contact with them! Do you still have a dog? :)
@nw1911guy (1131)
• United States
19 Jan 07
I think the quick trap is probably ok. The other option is to create your own trap. I'm only guessing at how to do this from things I know people have done. If you took a fairly deep container, you could put some food and water in it. Then put a large sort of funner in the top. Now place a board leading to the top of the funnel with it sticking in way past the rim. Then find a way to hang a piece of cheese or something else as bait but suspend it just far enough from the end of the ramp that the mouse can't reach it without falling into the container. It'll have food and water and now you can take it out at your convenience.
1 person likes this
@copperkitten (3473)
• United States
26 Apr 07
That is a good idea. I hate traps for them they always kill the creature. This sounds like the best way to keep them alive!!!
@vasanth_star37 (96)
• India
20 Jan 07
hi fluffle.. you are really a kind hearted person...there are something which is possible and impossible... involving too much in a concept will end up in trouble....your humane way of letting it out is most preferabble than the otheres i prefer..hope u understand this...
1 person likes this
@scorpius (1792)
• India
20 Jan 07
i am not a rat person and i have to tell you that i absolutely hate rats.they carry diseases and are actually quite dangerous.as far as themhaving a large famiy that is so all true.leave a couple of rats alone for a month thier family would have increased exponentially.
but i do appreciate the efforts that you have taken to get rid of the rat humanely.rats oh god even talkinga about then makes me sick but i do agree that instead of killing maybe we can all come up with a better method pf gettig rid of it.my suggestion:take it to your boss house and let it loose!
LOL!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rat
http://www-personal.umich.edu/~bclee/rats.html
http://www.petrats.org.uk/
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
26 Jan 07
VERY good suggestion with some of the past bosses I've had lol! I'll keep that in mind! :)
@Island_Geko (3759)
• Canada
20 Jan 07
there are new age mouse traps and insect traps that you can get if you want to scare them off permanently...1st things is if you have pets don't use this!!!! There is a device with a low frequency buz that will actually hurt their ears and scare off any bug aswell in a certain radius all you do is plug it into your wall, seen them at wall mart and Home depot. You can also get traps that will catch them and then you can release them out in the wild far awar from your home.
1 person likes this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
26 Jan 07
Thanks for responding Island-Geko. Do you know if the buzzing deterrants have any impact on human health?
@RAMONES (537)
• Belgium
20 Jan 07
I don't want to disappoint you, but the mice that live in houses are usually in couples, so if you catch one, there surely must be a second.
Also if you catch them alive and let them loose outside, they will return as soon as possible into your or someone elses house ...
They are not meant to live outside ...
Mice are an unhealthy pest, just like roaches are, and the only way to deal with it, is by killing it.
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
26 Jan 07
So far only one has appeared - oh well I'll have to wait and see... :(
But I agree with you - I think you'd have to take them quite far for them not come come straight back - or else just go into someone elses house who would probably kill them anyway!
@Corezz (1013)
• Netherlands Antilles
20 Jan 07
Now mose are good, some of them:). When i se a rat of almost 1 m long i get very frighten. I like pet mouse. If mouse traps are unhuman what would you do?allow them to walk around the house, my grandmother got byte by a mouse close to the eye and she's injury got very bad:(, now my grandmother pass, but not because of the mouse because of natural causes like oldnessso tell me is it good to keep mouse flying across youre house and playing?As i am writeing finaly get a good idea go and get a Cat!
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
26 Jan 07
lol! Thanks for replying!
Your poor grandmother - sounds really traumatic! :(
@catbox0 (175)
• United States
20 Jan 07
Your analysis is pretty good but I think you forgot to mention one thing - even when you catch a mouse and it's humance and everything, it might just get killed right after you release it. You don't really know where you're letting it go at and for all you know a cat might catch it 5 minutes later.
1 person likes this
@AmberNormandin (883)
• United States
20 Jan 07
im not sure how i feel about it because i have such a heart for animals, even those little disease infested creatures. usually we just use the traps, which im assuming is what you are calling a snapper. i wont look at it or anything. my husband has to deal with it. i feel guilty, but i have 2 young children in my house and last thing i need is a mouse infestation!
1 person likes this
@mom2chriskel (1060)
• United States
19 Jan 07
We just "snapped" a mouse this past week. I heard the snap and felt terrible but I didn't want that thing running through my house anymore. We never had a mouse problem til this year. I've seen two of them. So we have traps that my husband checks often. Much easier then poison and more humane I think to just get it over with!
1 person likes this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
25 Jan 07
It's great to have husbands to sort out the traps isn't it lol! ;) (I'm SO relieved mine does and I don't have to...!) Yes I agree - they are MUCH more humane than the poison! Thanks for responding! :)
@cupoftea (714)
• United States
19 Jan 07
I've had that problem also and I am also a small animal lover but you must keep them out if they are wild, especially if you have a baby crawling on the floor. What if he finds mouse poop and eats it? I used the killing kind of traps its very quick. I tried the glue traps but it takes more than a few hours for them to die and you can hear them squeeking and they will chew off body parts to get away. Use the killing traps I think its more humane and also fill all the holes with steel wool they will not chew steel wool.
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
19 Jan 07
Thanks Cupoftea! I will definately get some steel wool - thanks for that great advice! Yes I really do think the 'snap' traps are best - very quick. In a previous flat the landlady called in Rentokil because there was a rat problem, and they put down the sticky traps - just too awful... I woke up when I heard the screaming and I just couldn't bear them suffering, so I doused cloths in ether and covered them to put them out of their misery quickly. Then I spend the rest of the night in tears.... :(
@Alexanderrp (163)
• United States
19 Jan 07
Not trying to be rude, but I think that you are going overboard on the whole guilty thing. But, as long as you don't join PEDA, your alright.
1 person likes this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
25 Jan 07
Lol! Sorry to disappoint you, but I get PETAs emails lol! Thanks for responding! :)
@avs189 (1030)
• India
19 Jan 07
Pretty heartening to see that u care so much for the rats as one does for his child,,,but i am sorry to say that somethings need to be destroyed for somethings to survive well, so i suggest that ur arent doing anything wrong,,may be figure out someother way of getting mouse caught but u cant change law of life...
1 person likes this
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
25 Jan 07
Yes you're definately right - my baby is more important to me than the mouse! Thanks for responding! :)
@mom2boys (334)
• United States
19 Jan 07
i do not like killing anything i love animals of all nature, but this summer ONE mouse got in my garage and I couldnt get it out, so I left it figuring he would get out himself, oh no he came in my house thru a hole behind my washer and dryer out in the garage, and low and behold a week goes by i noticed i had a mouse, mouse dropping and even seeing them and hearing them at night, i had 14 total when all was said and done, i was in tears, we are not dirty people, we keep our house clean but usually when there is one mouse there are many more, you have to think about your baby and family and the diseases, thats what matters, have you thought about sticky traps, i caught that one on one, and let him loose in a field but soon realized i had a big problem i have seen those cages at walmart in the aisle with like carpet freshners and candles etc, super walmart that is. i think when it comes down to it you gotta get past the being frantic or what if they have babies, you gotta get rid of them, i had babies, and grown mice here and i felt so nasty and dirty, think about all the mouse droppings that could be left all around your house and your baby crawling around it.
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
22 Jan 07
Yes I definately agree with you - you have to get your priorities right in these situations - and your own family and baby etc. are more important in the end! Thanks for responding Mom2boys!
@fluffleshark (810)
• Ireland
23 Jan 07
But a few hours, or overnight, is a LONG time for a mouse! And what if during that time you knew that your babies were starving and unprotected and you could't get to them, and didnt know if you ever would be able to...
And then of course you would be let free again far away and probably be unable to find your family again...
