While looking around for different alternatives in mice traps you might have come across the term ‘humane mouse traps’ and wondered what it actually signified. Honestly speaking, there is still a lot of misunderstanding regarding what can be considered to be genuinely ‘humane’. You might think that a humane trap would be one which would not kill the mouse. Another group of people might think that a trap which kills the mice within a brief period of time without making it suffer too long should be considered as ‘humane’. Hence there are divergent views, and for this reason an international standard for ‘humane’ killing of mouse has been mentioned.
The standard clearly specifies the permissible duration of time within which the mouse ought to be killed. This duration is in not even in minutes but in seconds, hence you can well understand the brevity of the period. Among the various mice traps, there is a specific category of traps that has generated lot of controversy. It is called the glue trap and works on the theory that any mouse while running over the sticky area of the trap would get stuck and would not be able to flee away. Later the homeowner would need to remove the rodent from that area and throw it away to some distant location away from his house. There are variations in the robustness and the structure of these traps but one aspect is common for all of them. It is the presence of the non-hardening adhesive glue that is attached to a plastic strip / tray or a cardboard. This tray must be kept in a place which is visited by mice regularly.
Usually baits are attached to these traps in the form of actual food items or food-scented extracts so that the rodents get attracted. You need to pour vegetable oil over the area where the rodent has stuck and remove it from the glue trap. Then if you find that the mouse has not suffered any injury you can release it back to its natural habitat outside. Various organizations like PETA have vehemently protested against the use of these mice traps because the death is mercilessly slow and painful. If the mouse is fortunate then it would remain unhurt and can be released within a short time, otherwise in most situations the rodent suffers serious injuries, gradually starves and ultimately dies. Dehydration and exposure to various predators also cause death of these helpless rodents. Because of all these reasons different animal-rights advocacy groups have expressed their serious displeasure about the use of this variety of traps.
Live mice traps can be considered to be a truly humane solution to getting rid of mice. These mouse traps are also called no-kill traps as death of mice is not involved at any stage. In this method you would need to get hold of the mouse by using the trap. Then after the mouse has been successfully caught it needs to be released at a suitable place far away from the house. These traps are ideal for homes that have little children or pets. Precautionary arrangements are there to ensure that the traps are not set off accidentally or the fingers are not snapped.
Another variety of mice traps highly effective in killing mice quickly is the electronic traps. A lethal electric shock is administered for killing the mice. As the demise of mice takes place fast in this method the rodents do not have to undergo severe pain or trauma. Due to this reason many groups consider these traps to be humane. A big advantage of these kill traps is that these products are reusable. Therefore, the total cost involved in killing the mice is significantly less than that of the single-kill gadgets like snap-traps.
Modern varieties of electric mice traps also possess storage units for convenient removal of mice. You would not need to worry about how to handle the mice. Certain devices have got arrangements to ensure that you do not see the dead body of the mouse. This is especially beneficial for people who have problems viewing dead carcasses of mice while disposing. Safety arrangements are present in these traps to avert accidental discharge.
All the best,
Sergiu Zburatoru
