Last Updated on by Mitch Rezman
Elaina G. wrote:
Do you know any effective bird-safe mouse traps?
Dear Elaina
The safest mouse traps around birds are manual ones.
I set a snap mouse trap and slip it into a small paper bag. Leave the end open then place along the wall under the bird cages.
Mice tend to travel along the walls and will enter, go for the bait, get killed. Then you fold up the bag and throw the whole mess out.
Keeping up with debris and changing out the paper daily. Removing ALL food, including the food cups at night also help.
Birds will not starve if they don’t have food to snack on after birdy bedtime. In the wild birds don’t have a handy food dish next to them to nibble at night.
Catherine
Elaina responds…
We’ve been removing the food dishes for about a week now and the water, and we’re pretty conscientious about the debris.
With Merlin, our Lilac Crowned Amazon, falling as much as she is, with that injured claw, we’ve been reluctant to use any snap traps.
But with them inside the bag and around the perimeter where she’s less likely to engage it, and under the cage, that might actually work.
I have found the snap traps to be the only effective way even though sometimes we have mice that are crafty enough to remove the peanut butter without setting off the trap. Can only imagine what genes those mice have. We have occasionally caught a young mouse in the glue traps we got from Terminex, but the older mice avoid them completely.
Note: Glue Traps should never be used around birds. However, if your bird does get stuck to one. Using a water-based personal lubricant will loosen the grip without using oil which you then have to wash off the bird. The personal lubricant washes off with water easily.
Elaina responded again a day later…
I cannot thank you enough. We were doing everything else, but with the glue traps that the Terminix guys gave us we caught one or two young mice but not the real offenders.
We put into place your suggestion with the paper bags and the snap traps and have already caught three adult mice that were going into the birdcage, because no matter how carefully you clean up, they will find something not to mention water.
Thank you again for your advice.
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Robert Meuse
17 Nov 2024Having this issue (of a little traveler running around @ night) but for me at least the bag trick would be a resounding NO. I’ve a tiel & LOVES PAPER/CARDBOARD + dark areas (I’ve set up a cardboard box for him to play in/take a snooze, whatever & this IS a way from home (cage). At times, he has snuck his way into a cabinet or 2 loving dark squared corners so as maybe your successful way of an mouse trap would be a disaster for Billy (our tiel). So placement of glue traps are so far my only option (other than plugging up holes where they be coming from but apt building has its problems unfortunately).
Robert Meuse
29 Dec 2024Update to my earlier comment
Well firstly have to give thanks for this article on glue traps & advice on entrapment in case of glue traps. Wouldn’t you know that after the release of this article that my tiel (Billy) being curious would find 1 in a dark area-loves dark areas and w/ a scream got caught on 1. Immediately had gone him into the sink & w/ very warm water was able to soften the glue & release him from it w/ very little feather loss (small patch on his belly but glue onto wing & tail. Vent was fine w. no blockage-a short time later he had an movement so to speak). He did chew on an edge of the cardboard of the trap but no glue in that area. As far as the wing & tail, I drowned the areas in the same temp. of water to release him & spread them out but the edges got the worst of it. Thought of using Dawn dish detergent (like in commercial) but concerned of btwn the glue and the detergent not getting out due to the remaining glue to opt. to not use it & would be better to use a bird shower mist to soften his skin & prune his feathers (in which he started doing). Traumatized to say the least, placed him in his case for rest & warmth (has a heated perch & plate + “buddy”) & monitored him. Eating/drinking was minimal (of concern) & had a terrible night sleep (myself) in keeping watch over him w/o bothering him. After a 24hr period had began to be himself. Flight was restricted due to glue but after much preening by him & bird spray had began to loosen up to start flying again (no clipping). Thankfully, he’s back to his new normal self of eating, sleeping & so on-took about a week or so but my wife & I are so grateful that this tragedy came & went after much TLC. Many THX for the informative article..