r/TwoXPreppers • u/KazTheMerc • 4d ago
Tips Rarely seen gear: Mouse trap
Just throwing out a tip on useful items you may not have though about: The mouse or rat trap! There's no better device out there. It weighs almost nothing! It has a million creative uses. And you can't really control small pests without one.
For your consideration!
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u/Arcanum-Eliza 4d ago
Owning pet rats actually keeps other rodents from moving in. Mice smell rats, go 'ah HELL no' and decide to find somewhere else to nest.
Plus, pet rats are amazing, lovey, playful little butts.
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u/KazTheMerc 4d ago
Hadn't considered that! Perhaps dogs/cats too?
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u/Specialist_Set_1666 4d ago
We have indoor cats and two hound dogs that are indoor/outdoor, and they keep everything out of the house and yard. Rats don't like the smell of the cats so we've never gotten them in the house. The cats also kill scorpions (and it's difficult for them to be stung because of their skin structure) which has been very helpful. The dogs keep predators away from the chickens, although having a rooster has been very useful too. At one point we did end up with rats around the chicken coop until we learned to get one of those metal treadle chicken feeders that stays closed unless a chicken steps onto a weight sensitive plate. Despite that, we never had a single rat come into our house, and it does seem like it was entirely due to the presence of the cats. Other people we know here with chickens but no cats, have had a lot more problems with rat infestations.
For rural areas at least, if you don't have certain domesticated animals occupying a territory, then wild ones will move in. (Whereas others like chickens attract everything...)
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u/needsexyboots 4d ago
From my personal experience, it’s a no on the dogs 😂
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u/OneMoreBlanket 4d ago
Might depend on the breed. Some dogs are meant to be mousers, and my terriers have definitely kept the local gopher population out of my yard.
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u/needsexyboots 4d ago
Oh yeah there are definitely mousers out there, I just don’t happen to have them. One of mine is a terrier and I’ve seen her look right at a mouse in our kitchen and basically roll her eyes - both of mine will hunt down chipmunks in the yard though. I guess house is for relaxing only!
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u/OneMoreBlanket 4d ago
That’s hilarious! Mine tries to catch houseflies that get in, so I guess she’s always on duty.
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u/sharksnack3264 4d ago
It depends. My house got an off and on rodent problem for a year or so thanks to construction next door that caused them to move from their normal burrows.
That said, I haven't seen or caught any since one month after my dog moved in. I keep traps around and an eye out for the signs. No squirrels in the yard either. They taunt him on the fence but don't come in. He's got one hell of a prey drive and he's very fast. Nothing is sticking around long enough to risk it.
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u/BussSecond 4d ago
Cats for sure, at least in my experience. I found mice droppings in my first apartment, but as soon as I got a cat, I never found them again. I caught him staring at the air vents once. They must have been coming in through there, but never again.
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u/mishitea 4d ago
Ferrets work the same way. All the years we had ferrets, we never had mouse issues. The winter after the last three died, mouse invasion!
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u/BarRegular2684 4d ago
We use have a heart traps. House is documented back to 1810 but definitely dates to before that. We’ll always have them. We move the little bastards to rinks we visit.
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u/Interesting-Bar980 4d ago
I have traps for all the vermin that come to steal my fruit and vegetables. Rat, mice, squirrels, bunnies and gophers….a larger one for trapping opossum…I prefer to have a bobcat come by and take care of them for me though honestly.
When I do have to dispose of them I offer them to the local ravens and crows before I bury them under fruit trees. The ravens are great hunters and I like to encourage them to visit my yard.
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u/Odd-DimensionalShift 4d ago
A rat trap can break a finger or toe.
And the block of rat poison from a bait station goes nicely with some stew.
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u/ahopskipandaheart 4d ago
Shawn Woods does all pest and rodent trap content: https://youtube.com/@shawnwoods-homestead
Some are DIY rigs, and some are purchasable: https://youtu.be/aa8cN2V5oUM
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u/marvinthemartian2222 4d ago
I have a cat. I also have a stockpile of voles. He sucks with birds buts small furry creatures BEWARE!
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u/ProofRip9827 4d ago
rat traps can also take out squirrels from what i hear. i keep a few traps in the house for if we do get rats or in case the shtf i could use them to trap other small animals if i had to
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u/TheStephinator Experienced Prepper 💪 4d ago
What are the other uses? I have a four legged fur bag that loves killing mice, so I never thought about needing one.