Probable mouse problem

[jamesndawson]

A couple days ago I got up one morning and saw a mouse or some small creature running across the floor into a corner. So far, I haven't found any droppings or chewings. But I want to try to get on the problem before it gets out of hand.
Today I called a local store and they said they have a live trap called "Humane Solution". I googled that but couldn't find it as an actual brand name. It said it catches up to 4 mice at a time. I have had a humane trap like that it the past, but it's all metal, and one can't see inside it at a glance. Also, the method of re-setting it confused and concerned me. It involved turning some kind of wheel. I was afraid I might be grinding some poor little mouse inside it's wheels.
Has anybody ever seen a "HumaneSolution" mousetrap, or used one? How did you like it? Could anybody give me a link to see what it looks like? The man at the store told me the one they had was $5.99.

[blinki]

I'm yet to be convinced traps work, I've spent more time with mice than I'd ever want to and I've never seen one end up in a trap of any sort. If you've not properly got a problem (seeing them regularly, hearing them at nights in the walls, droppings) then I'd go with blocking their access. If it's occasional there's a good chance they only have one way in, it's very likely be tucked behind something in the area you saw them.

They can't chew through steel wool so you can get some cleaning pads, cut them up and stick them in the hole/s. I have had mice push the wool out so you might want to tape it in place. There's probably prettier ways to really fill the hole but that's beyond my DIY skills

[Linnéa76]

I tried a humane trap once, the mouse ate the bait and then left the trap. What actually worked though was putting garlic in the holes it seemed to come out from and plug them with aluminium foil. They're supposed to not like sulphur and can't chew on metal.

[baldy]

We had a bit of a mouse problem in a shared house I used to live in. Ended up using these types of traps, with peanut butter has bait.
The traps are very simple when something walks in the balance tips over and lid shuts, job done.
http://www.primrose.co.uk/pestbye-ultra ... ath=24_127

[jamesndawson]

Thanks.
I did go ahead and buy the no-kill trap from the store I called. Actually the brand name wasn't "Humane Solution", although that was written in the corner of the box. The actual brand was "Victor", and I did have ethical qualms about buying it, because this company also sells a variety of cruel, lethal traps. But I did want to have a no-kill on hand as soon as possible in case the problem showed signs of worsening. Fortunately, so far, I haven't seen that.
I have used no-kill traps in the past, and for the most part, they worked pretty well. Mostly I used cage types, that could be easily checked at a glance, rather than these others that one has to bend down, pick up and examine for possible catches through small holes.
One problem even with these effective traps is that they can go for weeks without catching anything, increasing the chance that one will forget to check them, and regrettably, that's happened with me, and the mouse has died. Sometimes mice are easily traumatized by the experience, and can die of shock in a matter of hours. So even the most humane trap isn't fool-proof.
I live in an old, old house with so many cracks and openings I doubt I could ever discover them all. It's a wonder I haven't had more mice. I probably should check around a little though, and use the foil or steel wool you all mention if I find any obvious holes.
I'll do some research, now that I have one on hand, and try to buy the best, most humane see-through trap I can. I'm in the U.S., so ordering from the U.K. wouldn't be practical.