Mother’s Down-Home

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Find a better mousetrap? No. But Dorothy Ruef of Gualala, California at least has a more humane one. Take a smooth-sided galvanized or plastic bucket-at least a foot deep-and bait it with tempting, aromatic morsels (such as bacon, cheese, or an old peanut butter sandwich). Next, place the pall someplace where the mice can easily “drop in” to it … near a popular (with the vermin anyway) shelf or around cupboards that the little rodents seem to frequent. Then (see illustration) tape a cardboard wrapping paper/paper towel tube to the bucket so that it can be used as a stairway by the small pests.

Mice just can’t resist the lure of a tunnel to explore, especially when it has an enticing odor at the other end … but after they traverse the tube and drop into the pail for their treat … they’ll discover-as you will-that mice can’t climb out of buckets. You then need only carry your “prize” of cheese-nappers (still in their temporary home) down the road a comfortable distance, dump ’em out, and?surprise!-you’ve painlessly converted house mice to field mice. Or, it you’ve the stomach for it, drown the little thieves.


Moles can be as much of a nuisance outdoors as mice are indoors … and moles were definitely a problem to the rows of peas and corn in John Berninger’s garden in Moores Hill, Indiana. After trying just about everything to get rid of the critters, John noticed that the burrowing animals often bumped right into the foot of the mole trap that he had been using (rather unsuccessfully) … and then just dug around it.

In an effort to take advantage of this “hit and run” activity, John placed sticks in the ground (children love to help with this project) throughout the rows of peas and corn. Sure enough. The moles now hit the sticks, go around ’em, and thereby miss most of the garden fare. John tells us, “They still get some of our plants but we now get most … and all live happily”.

  • Published on Mar 1, 1978
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