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Are Glueboards Efficient Mouse Traps?

Glueboards and Mice

Common house mouse (Mus musculus), wild type.
Common house mouse (Mus musculus), wild type. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Lots of people and pest control operators use glueboards to control house mice (Mus musculus). But have you ever wondered if they are very efficient at catching mice?

Glueboards not the Most Efficient Mouse Traps

Dr. Robert Corrigan performed some research at Purdue University and discovered that glueboards really aren’t that good at catching mice.  In a publication entitled “The Efficacy of Glue Traps against Wild Populations of House Mice, Mus domesticus, Rutty” in the Proceedings of the Eighteenth Vertebrate Pest Conference (1998), he says that while mice do get caught in glueboards, the fact is that the one’s that get caught are like young mice or mice that were travelling according to muscle memory and therefore were not paying attention enough to avoid the trap.

Corrigan also explained that house mice frequently learn to avoid the devices as proven by the number of observed accounts where hairs of mice are found on the boards (suggesting escapes).  Furthermore, mice eat insects (e.g. cockroaches) caught on glueboards and thereby become educated to their effect.

Bottomline, if you wish to control mice on a property, glueboards are just not that good at getting the job done. You are much better off using snap traps or other devices to capture mice.

About the Author

Stephen M.Vantassel is a certified wildlife control operator. His latest book, The Wildlife Damage Inspection Handbook, 3rd ed. is available from dealers or by contacting the author.

 

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New York City Rodent Academy, Nov 2011

New York City Rodent Academy, Nov 2011

Common house mouse (Mus musculus), wild type.
House mouse (Mus musculus) Image via Wikipedia

I recently returned from the NYC Rodent Academy run by rodent control expert Dr. Robert “Bobby” Corrigan. Dr. Corrigan is a legend in rodent damage management and that reputation was fully justified during my time at the Academy.

Essentially, the Rodent Academy is 3 days of detailed information on how to control rodents, specifically Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus).

Rodent Control Training

Dr. Corrigan doesn’t waste participant time detailing basic information you could easily find in pest control book, such as trap and toxicant descriptions, bait stations, etc. Rather he spends the majority of time discussing how to inspect properties using scientific information on rodent behavior. Corrigan regularly reminded us that placement of bait stations every 15 feet (or other distance–read the toxicant label) is less important than placement of stations where the rodents actually are. Sure the regularly spaced bait stations look pretty, but the placement of many of them will actually be a waste.

The training culminated on field day, where we were broken down into teams and assigned to inspect assigned areas of the Lower Manhattan for rodent sign. Each team inspected the same locations (at different times). Corrigan wanted to show that no two inspections will see the “identical number of things.”

Highlights of the Rodent Academy

Dr. Corrigan included a number of speakers to add breadth to the program. Dr. Edgar Butts of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene explained the process for registering pesticides and understanding pesticide labels.

Dr. Robin Nagle of N.Y. University is an anthropologist who studies refuse (what we throw away). She gave an interesting talk about the history of public sanitation in New York City. Ironically, the city had a recycling program in the late 1800’s, which after a few years was eliminated only to be reinstated in the past decade.

Summation

I understand that approximately 2000 people have completed the Academy. I am glad to have joined their ranks. This course is worth the time and the money. It is unclear how much longer this Academy will continue. If you are interested, sign up before it’s gone.

About the Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control professional (CWCP) and provides wildlife damage consulting, writing, and educational programs. To contact the author, stephenvantassel(at)hotmail.com

 

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Mouse trapping made simple

mousetrap
Traditional Snap bar snap trap. Image via Wikipedia

Mouse trapping made simple

Mouse trapping with traditional tools such as snap traps and repeating mouse traps can be a chore. Removing carcasses from a snap trap can be messy and difficult, particularly if you are using the snap bar variety as opposed to the more expensive clamshell kind. If you decide to use the repeating mouse traps, they work great but are not always the easiest to clean even if you use them in conjunction with a glue board.

If you are in a situation where you regularly have mice entering a structure, like a garage or out shed then you know what I am talking about. Sure you could use toxicants, but some people want a less toxic solution and others may not want the expense or the risk of smell from mice that die in the walls.

Several years ago, I learned about It’s So Simple Mouse Traps. Mr. Sowerwine, the owner, developed a simple trap for mice that is not only creative in its simplicity but can make trapping fun. He was kind enough to send me a sample. Unfortunately, I didn’t fulfill my obligation to provide a review. So this post is a belated fulfillment of that promise.

It’s So Simple Mouse Trap

The trap consists of a rod, a plastic line, and a screw. You have to provide the 5 gallon bucket, the bait, and the water. The traps works as follows. You lean the wooden rod against the bucket so that the baited plastic line dangles in the middle of the bucket. 3 to 4 inches of water is placed in the bottom of the bucket to prevent mice from jumping out (See my posting on how high mice can jump https://wildlifecontrolconsultant.com/house-mice-mus-musculus-jumping-abilities/). The water also acts as the killing mechanism.  Then place the trap in a location where mice frequent. The idea is they climb the rod, see the bait at the tip of the plastic line and climb down to reach it. Unfortunately for them, they can’t climb back up and fall into the water. Trap then waits for the next contestant.

Product Review

I love the simple design. I think people who have children can make the trap part of an educational program as children are curious about trapping and wildlife. The bucket and water make for easy cleaning and disposal of bodies. Just be sure to use 10% bleach and water to help eliminate at least some of the infectious nasties. Avoid direct contact with the water and always wear gloves when handling equipment. Remember, mice urinate frequently. So there is likely urine spots on the pole. Don’t wash this off as it will usually be beneficial in attracting other mice.

The downside of the trap is cold weather as the water freezes. You can add some alcohol to it to reduce the freezing temperature or perhaps some salt. Never add antifreeze to it as this is a deadly poison. I would suggest simply getting a taller bucket and leave it dry. 18 inches ought to be enough. If you want to catch mice alive, simply add cottonballs to help the mice stay warm and be sure to check the trap daily.

I also think this trap should only be used in a secure area, such as a garage or outshed. I would not recommend using it outdoors due to the risk of entrapping non-targets such as birds.

If you want to give the trap a try visit http://www.4dotranch.com/MT/index.html and make a purchase. I think you will find it a fun tool to use.

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control professional. He reviews products, consults and writes on wildlife damage management topics.

 

 

 

 

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House Mice (Mus musculus) Jumping Abilities

Русский: Мышь домовая Mus musculus
Русский: Мышь домовая Mus musculus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

House Mice (Mus musculus) Jumping Abilities

Knowledge concerning the physical abilities of house mice is essential in effective and efficient control of this incredibly persistent pest species. After all, without knowledge of the capabilities of mice, you will either waste time in unnecessary control or spend insufficient effort in effective control. For example, if you are hunting an animal that never goes out during the night time then hunting during the night would be a complete waste of effort.

So one of the key questions concerning mice is how high can they actually jump? Researchers, William C. Pitt, Robert T. Sugihara et al. investigated this question in their forthcoming article “Physical and Behavioral abilities of Commensal Rodents Related to the Design of Selective Rodenticide Bait Stations” in the July-September 2011 issue of the International Journal of Pest Management 57:3 pp.1-5.

The Study on the Jumping Ability of House Mice (Mus musculus)

The researchers took 42 mice with weights ranging 9.0-16.7 grams (Mean weight was 11.9 grams) and had them jump from the floor to a feeding platform to get food.  The reason for the diversity of weights among the mice was to test the abilities of juvenile mice along with mature mice. What they discovered was that the maximum height that could be jumped by ALL the mice in the study was 9.8 inches (25 cm).

Control Implications of the Study

Why is knowing how high mice can jump important? Well for three interrelated reasons.

  1. First, knowing how high mice can jump can assist you determining damage. If you are looking at food having been nibbled on, you can consider the height and construction of the table to determine if mice might be a possibility. Since rats can jump much higher, you may be able to rule out or in mice or rats.
  2. Second, knowledge of their jumping ability provides you with options concerning the placement of control techniques. For example, you can place bait stations or snap traps or other mechanical control techniques off the floor and still have confidence that mice can reach it.
  3. Third, it reminds you to look carefully at a structure when looking to exclude mice. Simply knowing that a mouse can’t climb to a specific location (which for mice would be rare), you still have to consider whether the mouse could “jump” to the location.

Author

Stephen M. Vantassel is a certified wildlife control professional (CWCP) and is available for consulting, speaking, workshops, and writing on wildlife damage management related issues.

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