We all know that a mouse infestation can be frustrating and discusting to deal with.
If you keep chickens or any livestock you know how distructive they can be and expensive in feed losses. Also they pose a danger to chicks and that they carry disease to your flock.
In this article i would like to demonstrate how i put together a simple mouse bucket trap.
!!CAUTION!! If you like mice, and dont want to kill them this article is not for you.
The use of this trap kills mice by drowning.
For further information on the dangers of mice read this great article:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/ar...how-to-protect-your-chickens-from-mice.47699/
First, Let me start off with some other tips.
Try not to feed mice.
Keep your feed in sealed tight containers. I use 5 gallon buckets with snap down lids, but know if you have rats or squirels they will chew thru the plastic to get to the feed. Most folks like the metal trash containers with a tight fitting lid.
Try not to feed more than your chickens will eat in one day.
Dont leave feed in feeders overnight.
Clean up feed that has spilled out.
Dont let mice in.
Go over your coop closely and use 1/4 inch hardware cloth over any gaps or holes. rats and squirells will actually chew and gnaw through wood to gain access. up through the flooring is their favorite.You may want to concider putting a hardware cloth apron around your coop to stop this.
If you have tried all this and still have mouse problems lets make a bucket trap.
You will need to gather.
One 5 gallon bucket
A drill
A wire Coat hanger
A broth can with a hole punched on each end.
A plastic straw and sissors to cut it.
A pair of Wire cutting plyers.
First drill two small holes in the bucket opposite each other. I like to place it edjacent to the handle brackets about an inch down from the rim.
I use a can of broth for my traps because the contents easily and completely drain out, and i can put a hole of the right size in the center of each end with my hole punch.
lMeasure and trim the length of straw you need to span the bucket along with the can. Cut this section of straw in half.
The straw is important because it keeps the can exactly centered and does not allow it to walk to the side where the bait is easily accessable without traping the mice.
Feed wire through bucket, put 1/2 section of staw on, next (the hardest part) feed wire thru both holes in can, the first hole is a piece of cake, the next one not so much. Then the second half piece of straw and thru the opposite hole in bucket.
Crimp about an inch of the wire to hold in place.
Go to starting end and cut leaving another inch of wire and crimp that. Make sure the can spins freely.
DONE!
I made these three buckets in about 15 minutes just now.
Next bait them with peanut butter ringing the center of the can about an inch wide. I also like to add some bird seed for added incentive.
Put about 4 inches of liquid in the bucket. You can use plain water in your bucket, but if its winter and you are up north like me, use a 50/50 RV antifreese mix to prevent the liquid from freezing. This is also much safer for your house pets if they access the bucket by mistake.
Remember these buckets are dangerous for babies. Only Place in child safe locations if you have small children.
Place your bucket next to something that will give climbing access or use a small piece of board proped up to the rim.
Note: if you find the bait all licked off your can and nothing in the bucket, this means you dont just have mice. You are also deaing with rats, chipmunks, or squirrels, other destructive disease and flea spreading rodents. This example is for mice only.
You can use this same principle for these larger vermin but must use a larger, deeper bucket or barrel with more liquid in the bottom. (Im using the taller bucket in my boat house where red squirrels are making a big mess)
The key to this is to keep the varmint from being able to spring out by finding purchase by touching his feet to the bottom of the bucket. If he cant touch bottom, all he can do is swim, and swim, and swim....until he cant swim any longer.
You can u-tube and find variations of this bucket trap but this is the one works best for me.
After finding the stuffing eaten out of our boat seats and mouse calling cards in our vintage car i keep one bucket in each garage, barn and shed. I also have one at all times in the family camper.
Once a week i take my old rusty slotted kitchen spoon and plastic ice cream bucket, and fish the dead mice out of my buckets. About every 4 months its time to spray them out with a hose and freshen everything up.
I know these work as the first bucket i placed in our camper yielded 6 mice, a couple more after that, Now nothing for 6 months
I hope this article is helpful to some.
Good luck and God Bless!
