Connecting to Collections Care

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Nikki-

I'm currently acting as C2C Care Monitor and wanted to pass along some resources while I reach out to our community experts on your question. See links below to some C2C Care webinars and other resources that might be of help and more soon!

• From Awareness to Action: Advocating for Integrated Pest Management in Cultural Spaces
  https://connectingtocollections.org/event/from-awareness-to-action-advocating-for-integrated-pest-management-in-cultural-spaces/
• Identifying Museum Insect Pest Damage and Addressing it with Integrated Pest Management https://connectingtocollections.org/webinar-pest-management/
• Stressed About Pests? Prevention, Monitoring, & Identification 
  https://connectingtocollections.org/ipmpart1/
• Stressed About Pests? Treating Infestations 
  https://connectingtocollections.org/ipmpart2/
• Insects Limited - www.insectslimited.com
• Catchmaster http://www.catchmaster.com/ 
• MuseumPests.net

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Nikki,

Speaking as a mammalogist working in a natural history collection, I can tell you that snap traps are one of the most humane ways to manage rodents--they are instantaneous, have high efficacy (i.e., rarely leave the animal alive) and do not cause a cascade of environmental harm (unlike poisons). Additionally, if you were to switch to live traps (such as Sherman traps), do be aware that many US states do prohibit the capture of wildlife for relocation--do look into local and state laws before switching if you choose to do so. If you were to switch to live traps in a state that prohibits release of trapped wildlife, you would need to euthanize them by another method; while I am not familiar with AZA guidelines, I'm sure they have opinions on euthanasia techniques, and that could turn the problem of rodent management into one of rodent trapping and euthanasia, which is a bigger project. The American Society of Mammalogists (ASM) does issue IACUC guidelines on wild small mammal euthanasia, if you choose to go this route. We at the MCZ do use snap traps for management of rodents in our collections (and sometimes we add those very trapped rodents to our collections. Our usual snap trap brands are Victor and Museum Special). And definitely check out the IPM resources Robin posted as well.

Best,

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hey Nikki,

You're not alone in dealing with mice. I'm at an ag museum on just about 40 acres and we have to deal with mice just about every fall and some springs. We started using live traps and they have been great. We have the space to let them out either on the edge of the property near the creek or near the trees. Usually on of the maintenance team will release the mouse, but in reality its anyone who is free and doesn't mind dealing with mice.

Good luck with the mice!

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Hi Samantha, 

Thank you for your input. That is a great idea to get bigger traps and including food with more moisture.

Having the time to check live traps enough is my concern as well. 

I will pass all this information along to my colleague!

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,

Nikkie,

        A few years ago, a friend had a big problem with pack rats in her luthier workshop. She used have-a-heart traps and would take the traps to locations miles away from the workshop to set the pack rats free. There was one recognizable pack rat with a nicked ear that kept coming back - after he returned from 15 miles away, she finally began using snap traps. It took time to remove the pack rats and find their nests. The larger problem to think about with rodents is the prevalence of diseases like plague, tuleremia, and hanta virus in some desert settings. 

Good luck!

Susan

Hi Samantha, 

Thank you for your input. That is a great idea to get bigger traps and including food with more moisture.

Having the time to check live traps enough is my concern as well. 

I will pass all this information along to my colleague!

Hi Everyone, 

I am dealing with a mice issue at my museum. I currently use sticky traps for insects and snap traps for mice.

Although, our Museum also is AZA accredited and we are required to be as humane as possible with animal treatment, even with pests. I am trying to see if there is an effective trap that is more humane for catching mice. The Curator of Wildlife at the Museum suggested using live traps but I have no experience doing this and have not seen Museum professionals suggest using live traps.

Does anyone have general recommendations for getting rid of mice?

Has anyone had experience using live traps? Do you recommend or not recommend using them in museums?

I appreciate any help!

Thanks,