Walk the plank mouse trap

[dragoneggs]

The walk the plank trap REALLY works. I've caught over 30 so far. I've tried many different types of traps and the walk the plank is by far the most effective.

What is your set up?

 

[brokenhornmw]

I just received mine today and set one up in my garage with PB, we will see

 

[SandburRanch]

I think I'm going to order one of these. Seems strange that they would just come across and explore it for no good reason other than it's there. .

The reason they enter is a mouse is continually looking for a nest building site and that looks interesting. Better there than in your lawn mower shroud.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

What is your set up?

I ordered the plank mechanism on Ebay from a guy in KY that makes them, $15 if I remember correctly. There are some cheaper Chinese knockoffs on Ebay, but they didn't have very good feedback ratings.

The instructions with the one I got recommended cutting a rectangular hole in the side of a five gallon bucket just under the lid lip and have the ramp go up to the hole. You can just route the ramp to go over the top of the bucket, but I like the hole idea better. That's how I did it.

Since the trap is at a remote property I own, I am not able to check it daily or even weekly, just when I go to the property. I substituted antifreeze for water in the bucket. I don't notice any smell when I check it. I use peanut butter as the enticement for the mice to "walk the plank" to their demise. I got 19 the first setting. The numbers are now decreasing, but I feel comfortable that is due to a greatly reduced population.

 

[dragoneggs]

I ordered the plank mechanism on Ebay from a guy in KY that makes them, $15 if I remember correctly. There are some cheaper Chinese knockoffs on Ebay, but they didn't have very good feedback ratings.

The instructions with the one I got recommended cutting a rectangular hole in the side of a five gallon bucket just under the lid lip and have the ramp go up to the hole. You can just route the ramp to go over the top of the bucket, but I like the hole idea better. That's how I did it.

Since the trap is at a remote property I own, I am not able to check it daily or even weekly, just when I go to the property. I substituted antifreeze for water in the bucket. I don't notice any smell when I check it. I use peanut butter as the enticement for the mice to "walk the plank" to their demise. I got 19 the first setting. The numbers are now decreasing, but I feel comfortable that is due to a greatly reduced population.

Where do you put the peanut butter... inside the bucket on the wall? I like the antifreeze idea and maybe a lid on it... set it and forget about it for a while.

 

[goeduck]

It seems the peanut butter would get wiped off the plank when the mouse slides down? There was a comment a while back about the underside of the plank which makes sense. Is this how it is done?

I have the homemade spinning bottle setup which is similar.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

Where do you put the peanut butter... inside the bucket on the wall? I like the antifreeze idea and maybe a lid on it... set it and forget about it for a while.

On the end of the plank. When they walk toward the peanut butter, the plank trips to put them in the liquid and then resets all in one continuous motion.

 

[TNhobbyfarmer]

It seems the peanut butter would get wiped off the plank when the mouse slides down? There was a comment a while back about the underside of the plank which makes sense. Is this how it is done?

I have the homemade spinning bottle setup which is similar.

A small amount of peanut butter probably gets wiped off with each cycle but not enough to make them stop coming. Like I said in a previous post, I got 19 without any replenishment of the peanut butter.

 

[dragoneggs]

On the end of the plank. When they walk toward the peanut butter, the plank trips to put them in the liquid and then resets all in one continuous motion.

Aha... I get it, like a teeter totter!

 

[PILOON]

My first experience with a 'mouse bucket trap' was when I had left a bucket alongside my fireplace and some popcorn kernels had fallen in.
I was awoken during the night hearing thump thump or plop plop as the mouse continuously tried to jump out.

From that experience I used peanut butter for bait then added some water to deaden the sound.*

No fancy lids, no fancy ramps shucks if you simply hung a rag on the bucket side (tie it to where the bail meets the rim) they would climb in as the lure of PB would do the trick.
PB is a proven best bait for trapping rodents, better than cheese. (as later confirmed on net searches)

*2 inches of water and the PB smeared on a 2 1/2 inch stone placed in center of bucket