If you have a large infestation of mice, here’s the ultimate bucket mousetrap, the most effective homemade mouse trap.
This bucket mouse trap can be used to exterminate mice as a water mouse trap, or as a live trap if you’d prefer to relocate the mice to another, less destructive location.
The Ultimate Bucket Mouse Trap
We first began using this trap in our barn near the grain storage bins when we started noticing families of mice moving in. We caught 18 mice on the first day.
While we could opt to use poison, we have numerous hawks, owls, and other predatory birds in our area, and poison isn’t a viable option as it would pass along the chain poisoning the birds.
We simply re-purposed an old bathroom trashcan that we no longer used and had sitting in the shed, along with a curtain rod.
How to make the Ultimate Bucket Mouse Trap
you’ll need:
Bucket (5-gallon pail, Rubbermaid tote, small trashcan or other fairly deep bucket)
1 piece of PVC pipe slightly larger than the dowel (or a soda can or another can)
1 wooden dowel or plain curtain rod, etc
peanut butter or cheese (bait)
Drill holes in the top of the bucket, one on each side. You’ll want to make sure that these holes are near the top of the bucket as the mouse will climb onto the rod. If placed more than two inches down, the mouse will not attempt to reach the bait.
Slide the wooden dowel through the hole, then slip the piece of PVC onto the dowel (or rod), then continue sliding it through to the other side.
Smear peanut butter onto the small piece of PVC, alternatively, you can use a soda can as well.
Live or Dead Trap, Your Choice
Fill the bucket 1/4 of the way deep with water (this IS going to cause the mice to drown) If you’d prefer them NOT to drown and want to dump them next door at your neighbors’ house or relocate them down the road away from your house, do NOT add water. Simple, huh?!
When the mouse walks across the dowel and then steps onto the PVC to get the peanut butter, it will spin, causing the mouse to fall into the bucket. Mice can jump relatively high and can climb any slightly textured surface to be sure to use a smooth pail or fill the bucket partially with water (which will drown the mouse).
Once you’ve placed the trap where mice have been seen or signs of mice have been found, lean a lightweight piece of wood onto the side of the bucket.
Here’s a video of how it works:
If you love the idea of this effective mouse trap but don’t have time or want to make your own, here’s another version you can purchase.
If, on the other hand, you’d rather put out homemade mouse poison, here are 20 ways to get rid of Mice!
