How to stop mice pinching the traps?

[deema]

My workshop is located in a field, so come this time of year, the mice see it as a nice warm hotel. Traps, the killer type, that’s the solution, and so for years we’ve played the cat and mouse game. Only, the mouse traps keep disappearing??? The workshop is not accessible to anything larger than a mouse, and there is never any evidence of anything else making it their home. I have over the years looked for the missing traps, but rarely do I ever find them. To put this into context, there are around 40 missing traps than have gone walkies in four years. This year, in the past month 6 have so far disappeared. It’s getting silly, the blighters are winning! It’s a concrete floor, industrial type building.
Anybody any ideas??

 

[fenhayman]

My workshop is located in a field, so come this time of year, the mice see it as a nice warm hotel. Traps, the killer type, that’s the solution, and so for years we’ve played the cat and mouse game. Only, the mouse traps keep disappearing??? The workshop is not accessible to anything larger than a mouse, and there is never any evidence of anything else making it their home. I have over the years looked for the missing traps, but rarely do I ever find them. To put this into context, there are around 40 missing traps than have gone walkies in four years. This year, in the past month 6 have so far disappeared. It’s getting silly, the blighters are winning! It’s a concrete floor, industrial type building.
Anybody any ideas??

Where were the missing ones found?

 

[MARK.B.]

Hot glue the traps to a off cut of wood,that will stop them dead

 

[Ttrees]

Are there any mice around?
Pointed up a 30mm hole through crumbling concrete footpath which went to the sewer manhole last week.
The hole was dug whilst we went into town shopping, and only the odd marble sized stone was left,
Guessing these ones done the ol' soil in the pockets trick, as it was a tidy job.
No smell yet, fingers crossed.

 

[guineafowl21]

If whatever holes are big enough to drag a mouse trap through, could be a stoat/weasel/pine marten pinching the bodies along with traps.

Screw them down to a piece of wood.

 

[Inspector]

Screw them down to a piece of wood.

Or the wall. Trap doesn't care which way it sits. Still snaps on you finger Sideways.

Pete

 

[recipio]

Had a rat in the shed a few years ago. He was chewing on a bag of bonemeal. Couldn't understand how he kept setting off a metal trap without getting caught until I realized the trap was 'jumping' when set off. Screwed it to a block of wood and that did the trick. As per the above post I'd imagine some other predator is taking away the trap with the mouse in it. ?

 

[seanf]

Be wary, they could they be trying to collect enough to construct a @deema sized trap!

Sean

 

[deema]

Where were the missing ones found?

Usually with a mouse attached a short distance away.

 

[deema]

If whatever holes are big enough to drag a mouse trap through, could be a stoat/weasel/pine marten pinching the bodies along with traps.

Screw them down to a piece of wood.

There arnt any large holes, I had it built about 6 years ago with an eye on making it as pest proof as possible. Last year I moved everything looking for the elusive traps. Zippo, Nanna, they are gone!
I like the idea of attaching them to a piece of wood……its so obvious when you mention it!

 

[deema]

This is what I think is happening……it’s copyrighted so I’ve linked.
https://myomora.com/

 

[Tris]

One day you'll move a machine or cupboard and there'll be a little mouse ossary complete with all the traps.
I do find the nipper traps need a little fettling for best results, there's often a little burr on the setting rod or the balance loop is too pinched in so it catches a back leg rather than a neck, that's when they seem to disappear. Took to tying them to something if there's a risk of them not getting a clean kill

 

[bazzason]

Screw an eye into the wall and use a wire trace to attach to the trap (pike fishing traces work well for this). I use this setup when out fishing and don’t want rats eating all my bait

 

[Jonm]

there are around 40 missing traps than have gone walkies in four years. This year, in the past month 6 have so far disappeared.

As it is not 1st April, there has to be a logical explanation. Could you set up a camera with motion sensor? Is there a member of your family concerned about the mice and removing the traps.

 

[stuart little]

I hate meeces to peices!

 

[stuart little]

As it is not 1st April, there has to be a logical explanation. Could you set up a camera with motion sensor? Is there a member of your family concerned about the mice and removing the traps.

Leave my relatives alone!!

 

[Jonm]

Many years ago a group of us lived in a rented house, surrounded by fields and had a mice problem. Someone put down a trap, it went off and there was a mouse, badly injured dragging the trap across the floor. Had to hit it with a shovel so decided not to it again.

I then arranged a large wooden box with hinged lid upside down on floor. I removed spring from trap, cut slot in arm, screwed trap to inside of lid. Then piece of string with loop placed in slot, string then went up through hole in box to hook in ceiling then down and attached to top edge of box. Length of string adjusted so gap between lid and box. The string then pulled up on the arm, Mouse then went in to the box, activated the trap, arm lifted, loop came off arm and box dropped, trapping the mouse. We then drove the mouse to a derelict building about a mile away and released it.

 

[Jonm]

I then arranged a large wooden box with hinged lid upside down on floor.

Something like this. Not sure why it has rotated, correct way up in photo library, cannot see where to rotate it on here.

 

[Jonm]

I like the idea of attaching them to a piece of wood……its so obvious when you mention it!

It would take all the fun out of it and you would not solve the mystery.

 

[selectortone]

I have a fox (a family at times), a hedgehog or two and several species of mice and rats living at the bottom of my garden in an area I've let go wild. There's also a visiting badger occasionally. Not bad for an urban garden. I have the occasional furry visitor in my garage workshop but there's nothing edible in there and they've done no damage in 20 years, so live and let live I say.

The fox keeps the rats and mice in check and the cat keeps the house clear. Nature at work.