Mousetrap
From Free net encyclopedia
- For other uses, see Mousetrap (disambiguation).
Image:Mousetrap 300px.jpg Image:2005 mousetrap cage 1.jpg Image:Mouse in mousetrap.jpg
A mousetrap is a device used for trapping or killing small rodents, especially mice, hence the name "Mouse" trap.
The traditional type (illustrated) was invented, by Hiram Maxim (who also invented the Maxim Gun). It is a simple device with a heavily springloaded bar and a trip to release it. Stereotypically, cheese is placed on the trip as bait, but this does not work well as in reality most mice don't like it; they will however take other food such as chocolate, bread or meat. Peanut butter is also quite effective. The spring-loaded bar swings down rapidly and with great force when anything, usually a mouse or a rat, touches the trip. The design is such that the mouse's neck or spinal cord will be broken, or its ribs crushed, by the force of the bar.
This is not the only type of trap, however. There are many traps which catch the mouse alive so that it can be released into the wild. It is important to release the mouse promptly - as they can die from stress - and at some distance, as mice have a strong homing instinct.
Glue strip or glue tray devices trap the mouse in a sticky glue from which the mouse is powerless to escape. These types of traps are effective, and non-toxic to humans. However, the mice suffer greatly as they struggle, unsuccesfully, to free themselves. Removing mice from these types of traps in order to release them alive can be accomplished with common kitchen vegetable cooking oils, such as corn oil or olive oil, though the mouse may be severely injured before then.
The bucket trap is also an economical and effective means of eradicating mice. It entails a container holding some amount of water or other liquid using a ramp of some sort to get the rodent to the top of the container and by various means and baits, the mice enter the water and being, unable to get out, drown. The variations are many with some being single catch and some multi-catch. Some can also be used for live catch.
Strychnine-soaked grain pellets were a common substitute for mousetraps for some time; however they are rarely used nowadays because of the toxicity of the chemical.
Ralph Waldo Emerson made the oft-quoted remark in favour of innovation: "Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door". This statement has inspired many more cynical derivatives, such as "If you build a better mousetrap, someone will build a better mouse," which means that no matter how good one is at stopping events such as robberies, cracking or other such conduct (or catching those who engage in it), someone is bound to find a way around it. Ironically, it should be noted that Maxim was an energetic propagator of his inventions and would certainly not have waited for people to "beat a path to his door."
Mousetraps are also common in physical hurt comedy, and in this case are used when people sit on them or get fingers caught in them.
In Tom and Jerry, mousetraps with extraordinarily complicated and funny design are used.
Template:Commons Patents
- Template:US patent – Mousetrap
- Template:US patent – Rat bellar:مصيدة فئران
de:Mausefalle eo:Muskaptilo it:Trappola per topi hu:Egérfogó nl:Muizenval (apparaat)