Last night I really thought I was going to get the little bugger (see my post below) within only a few hours of setting up my traps. I heard the plastic moving and swore i heard a door swing shut; but when I went into the dining room all was quiet, no mouse to be seen and all traps were empty. I gave up after 30 seconds, noting that one of the traps had slid slightly on the hardwood so I wedged it against the leg of the staging table better nestled up against the wall.
I woke up this morning to find more empty traps, but that same trap that had been moved the night before was a full 2 feet away from where I had placed it. Not only that, but it was on its side and the peanut butter cracker was gone. Checked the other trap in the dining room, same story. Unfortunately the straight plastic-on-hardwood was not something that I had banked on fighting, as the mouse had apparently gotten himself in the trap but then flailed around enough so that the trap tipped over, allowing him to escape with the bait.
So, knowing this would only be short-term, I decided to fold over a piece of duct tape and stuck it to the bottom of the traps, re-baiting them as well and putting them back in their places. The workday came and went, but no mice found when I came home. I had already told Jen that if we went another 24 hours and these traps failed, I was going back out to buy the old-school spring-loaded traps. See him try and get away from that.
Fortunately, tonight was a success as once the baby went to bed, it wasn’t long after as I was sitting quietly out on my living room couch that I heard the plastic once again being clawed at. I gave him some time, and eventually went out to check. . . success!!! One captured mouse, sitting inside the trap trying in vain to get back out the way he came in. I did the humane thing and took him out to the front of my yard before dumping him; of course he’ll likely be eaten by a neighborhood cat by sunup. But *I* didnt kill him, and he’s out of my home.
I’m going to sleep well tonight. 