Mouse Against A Mousetrap

• Electric mousetraps
This more recent type of mousetrap delivers a lethal dose of electricity when the rodent completes the circuit by contacting two electrodes located either at the entrance or between the entrance and the bait. The electrodes are housed in an insulated or plastic box to prevent accidental injury to humans and pets. They can be designed for single-catch domestic use or large multiple-catch commercial use. See U.S. Patent 4,250,655 and U.S. Patent 4,780,985
• Live-capture mousetraps
Perhaps the earliest patented mousetrap was a live capture device patented in 1870 by W K Bachman of South Carolina. These traps have the advantage of allowing the mice to be released into the wild, or the disadvantage of having to personally kill the captured animal if release is not desired. These traps need to be regularly checked (once a day at least) as captured mice can die slowly from stress or dehydration. Mice would need to be released some distance away, as mice have a strong homing instinct. Survival after release is not guaranteed, since house mice will tend to seek out human buildings, where they might encounter lethal mousetraps or may be eaten by predators. House mice do not survive away from human settlements in areas where other small mammals, such as wood mice, are present.