# bucket mouse trap? not working



## SquashNut

Saw instructions for this on here.
what am I doing wrong?
I set up a 5 gallon bucket with notches so the pipe wouldn't just roll off.
putt a speggetti sause can on the pipe and bacon grease as bait on the out side of the can.
did this about a week ago. Set the bucket near whaere i had seen mice in the barn and put a board so the could get up to the pipe and get on the can.
But no mice have been caught.


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## Ravenlost

My Daddy's system was a bit different and worked great. He put a little corn or sweet feed in the bottom of a bucket and placed a stick or board against it to make a ramp. The mice ran up the ramp, jumped into the bucket for the bait and then couldn't get out. Maybe that would work better for you.


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## champ7ac

I have a similar setup at my northern cabin. Except a tin can smeared with peanut butter, on a coat hanger, with anti freeze in the bottom of the bucket. 
I will be checking mine in a few weeks.


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## Danaus29

I've not seen a mouse that liked spaghetti sauce. But if you had a 55 gallon drum and some chocolate chips in the bottom you'll probably catch every mouse for 10 miles. Place the drum near a counter or table and lay a flat narrow stick from the table to the drum it might work.


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## wy_white_wolf

Appears to me that you used to big/heavy of materials for the trap. The pipe and the spagetti sauce can are to slow in reacting to a mouses wiegh. Use a smaller wooden dowel and a smaller can. Make sure the notches aren't keeping the pipe from rolling.

I've also replace the bait with something else. Cheese or peanut butter. Never heard of mice being attracted to bacon grease.

I've built the bucket trap more with just using a ramp up and then placing about an inch or two of water in the bucket with just enough grain to cover the surface of the water. They jump in but can't jump out and end up drowning.


WWW


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## Bearfootfarm

> Never heard of mice being attracted to* bacon grease*


They love it.

It's what I use to bait traps and it works every time


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## Callieslamb

I just leave a bucket of water in my barn and I catch at least one a day. No pipes, boards, cans or bacon.


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## AverageJo

DH said his bucket had water in the bottom, so the mouse gets too soggy and can't get it's feet under it to jump or climb out. He also used a coat wire that skewered a pop can from top to bottom. The can was smeared with peanutbutter just around the middle. This wire/can combo is then placed across the bucket with a ramp up to it. If the mouse goes to one edge of the can or the other, they'll flip and fall into the bottom/water. It has to be light weight and easy to turn. If you use a wide dowel, the mouse can balance on it easier, so use something thin that they have to do a balancing act on. Good luck!


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## gilberte

Like someone already said, make sure the can is free to spin easily. Do you have three or four inches of water in the bucket? If not the mice may be jumping right back out.


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## CesumPec

I wouldn't use antifreeze in the bucket. Water will get the job done and then there is no problem adding the rodent to the compost pile.


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## Allen W

Antifreeze is used in unattended traps that aren't checked often. It keeps the mice from becoming a rotten, stinking mess.


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## foxtrapper

The mouse has to fall off the pipe or can. If it can't spin very easily under the minute weight of a mouse, the mouse doesn't fall off.

When the mouse falls in the bucket, it has to be unable to jump out. For that, you need several inches of water, so the mouse can't put its feet on the bottom and jump.


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## megafatcat

+1 on water in the bucket, 2-3 inches, and a layer of sunflower seeds floating on top. Then just a 1x4 ramp to the rim and if you want to get fancy a smear of peanut butter above the water line opposite the ramp.
No moving parts except the mouse.


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## oth47

If you follow Danaus29's suggestion and use chocolate chips for bait,you'll catch my wife..


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## SquashNut

oth47 said:


> If you follow Danaus29's suggestion and use chocolate chips for bait,you'll catch my wife..


does she do windows?


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## oth47

SquashNut said:


> does she do windows?


Probably not..


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## Cabin Fever

Allen W said:


> Antifreeze is used in unattended traps that aren't checked often. It keeps the mice from becoming a rotten, stinking mess.


And the use of antifreeze also allows us in northern climates to use the bucket trap all winter long.

I use a long thin knittng needle as the rod and a metal soup can with both ends removed to hold the bait.


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## manygoatsnmore

Cabin Fever said:


> And the use of antifreeze also allows us in northern climates to use the bucket trap all winter long.
> 
> I use a long thin knittng needle as the rod and a metal soup can with both ends removed to hold the bait.


Does WIHH know you're using her knitting needles to trap mice?


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## Cabin Fever

manygoatsnmore said:


> Does WIHH know you're using her knitting needles to trap mice?


ruh roh! Please don't tell her...


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## NorthCountryWd

Had to bring this back up....

Our old house that my mother inlaw lives in has always had a mouse problem. Old house, built practically on grade, stone foundation, etc. Lots of space for them to get in. My wife and I were diligent about keeping food in containers, cleaning constantly and it kept them to a minimum most of the time. My MIL is a different story and she's constantly finding mouse poo everywhere. 

So I set up a bucket trap in the basement yesterday.....

....stopped by this morning and there were 14 mice in the bucket!!

Guess it's working.


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## Bearfootfarm

> ....stopped by this morning and there were *14 mice* in the bucket!!


Time for a big ol' pot of Mouse Stew


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## Ardie/WI

I never heard of spaghetti sauce as bait. We use peanut butter.


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## Cabin Fever

Bearfootfarm said:


> Time for a big ol' pot of Mouse Stew


ummmmmm, mice are good :rock:

[YOUTUBE]gKMBk3js7e0[/YOUTUBE]


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## Nimrod

Dogs will drink antifreeze (the kind for cars) because it tastes sweet to them. It is a deadly poison with no antidote. Please don't leave it where a dog can get to it.

You might try the RV type antifreeze which is not toxic.


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## Alice In TX/MO

I have never been successful with that kind of bucket trap.


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## Cabin Fever

I dumped 9 or 10 mice out of our garage bucket trap at the end of fall. I looked in their the other day and there was one in the trap.


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## Alice In TX/MO

I wonder what I am doing wrong.


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## Cabin Fever

The can in the trap must be able to spin freely. We use cheap peanut butter as bait. There is a new gismo on the market which we are trying now. Since field mice are not very active during our winters, I am not sure how well it will work.

Flip N Slide bucket lid


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## painterswife

I have one that I bought this fall. It is working great. The home made ones did not works well. This has a lid preventing them getting out.



Amazon.com


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## loveh3469

manygoatsnmore said:


> Does WIHH know you're using her knitting needles to trap mice?


This link is not working properly please visit your URL and let me know back .


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## Chief50

Danaus29 said:


> I've not seen a mouse that liked spaghetti sauce. But if you had a 55 gallon drum and some chocolate chips in the bottom you'll probably catch every mouse for 10 miles. Place the drum near a counter or table and lay a flat narrow stick from the table to the drum it might work.


Might work on mice but rats will just get fat.


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## painterswife

I leave a little treat of rat/mouse bait in the bottom of the bucket. I dump out the dead ones on trash day. This has worked great for me this winter.


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## Pony

We didn't set it up to be a trap, but this morning, there was a dead mouse floating in the 5 gallon water bucket we put in the shed with the doe and her kid. 

Ugh.

Cats aren't doing their job. Going to have to call a meeting...


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## Danaus29

Chief50 said:


> Might work on mice but rats will just get fat.


Rats could easily get out of most of the *mouse* traps discussed in this thread.


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## muleskinner2

Is there water in the bucket? If they are swimming they can't jump out. You are probably catching mice, but they are jumping out.


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## Pony

Another dead mouse this morning! 

I may be on to something...


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