So, how big do you think that mouse was? Maybe you should call an exterminator now, before it's too late - summer vacation is coming.

Low tech solution: large rat trap, tie a chunk of cheese to the bait tray with dental floss, smear with peanut butter. Bring large ziplock bag when you check the trap the following morning. You will need it.

Forget the cheese. The peanut butter has been sufficient in my mouse hunt - I've nabbed three of the little buggers since we figured out we had them in the basement utility room.

Though, the possibilities it was a squirrel... then again, they're just rats with bushy tails and much better PR.

Lawks! If Tee Bee is right that the Dark Lord Mickey is behind this, I don't think cheese and peanut butter is going to be enough to slow them down. As Gandalf said, "You can't kill Nazgul like that."

Zoooooooooooooooooooooooo ...

... ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ...

... ... ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo ...

BAM!

You don't have rats. You've got mice.

Tie a piece of string in the little hole on the bait portion of the trap so it forms a loop. Then smother it with peanut butter. The mouse will smell the pb (it's quite fragrant stuff), will start yanking at the string and...WHAMMO! It's all said and done with. I've lived in two apartments during spring/fall---when it turns abruptly cold outside and the mice go running for the warmth---and I've never had this trick fail. Baiting traps with cheese is for suckers.

And as the LMC said, do bring a ziploc with you when you check the trap.

You'd never have made it living in an old farm house in the country. There was always something scrambling around in the attic, or walls. Of course the dogs never paid any attention to it.

Kathy, baiting traps with cheese is for suckers unless you tie the cheese down down--the little buggers wind up giving it a good yank and it springs the trap. I tried using peanut butter alone but have had mice lick it off, hence the cheese and PB combo. As for the rat trap versus mouse trap, bigger is better. If the problem is a mouse, a rat trap will nearly cut it in half.
BTW,I was in your neck of the woods last week (Wisconsin) at an Army post between the booming cites of Sparta and Tomeh.

Wow. You've got evolved mice back east. I've never had a mouse survive the pb trick. Do me a favori: keep your smart, genetically-enhanced mice back there, eh?

I know of where you speak: my dad spent some of his time in the reserves there back in the 50's. He missed going to Korea by that much and wound up handing out paychecks for the Army instead. (That's what you get for being a banker, I suppose.)

If you ever make it to the Cities, let me know. We'll go carousing.

We use frosted mini wheats, tied with dental floss to the trap and lightly smeared with pb.