How to Build a Mousetrap School Project

You often hear about people trying to build a better mousetrap. This may also be a concept that is being taught in school. In the case of school-aged children, building a better mousetrap does not necessarily mean a killing trap. There are many mousetraps you can make at home out of objects you already have that do not use poison or other methods to kill the mouse and are safe for your child to make and take to school.

Things You'll Need

• Skewer
• Tape
• Toothpick
• Bait
• Cookie sheet
• Baking dish
• Soap
• Water
• Two-liter bottle
• Knife
• Duct tape
• Sand
• Cheese
• Oil
• Books

Instructions

Method One

1. Bend a long bamboo skewer. The bend should be at a 90-degree angle, approximately a quarter of the way down the skewer so that you have an L shape. Do not over-bend the skewer; you do not want two separate pieces. You can purchase bamboo skewers at your local grocery store.

2. Adhere a toothpick to the bamboo skewer with tape. You want the toothpick to go between the short and long sides of the skewer to act as a brace to strengthen the bend.

3. Place your bait on the long end of the bamboo skewer. Use cheese or peanut butter for best results.

4. Place a large, shallow cookie sheet with a lip where you want to set up your mousetrap. This will be the base of the trap.

5. Hold the bamboo skewer on the cookie sheet while you place an 8 by 13 clear or metal baking dish onto the skewer. You want the short end of the skewer on the cookie sheet with the 90-degree angle pointing up and the long end with the bait on it sticking outward. Place the baking dish so that the skewer and the bait are in the inside.

6. Allow the trap to remain undisturbed. A mouse will go under the dish to get the bait. When he pulls on the bait, the skewer will collapse, bringing the dish down to trap him. If you use a clear dish you will be able to see what you have trapped.

7. Take the entire trap outside to the location you would like to release the mouse. Remove the baking dish and allow the mouse to run away.

Method Two

1. Use soap and water to clean the inside of a plastic two-liter bottle. Allow the bottle to dry completely.

2. Cut off the top of the bottle with a serrated knife or utility knife. Cut the bottle just below the bend of the neck. Use extreme caution when using the knife so that you do not cut yourself. Turn the bottle on its side and place it on a flat surface. Use your free hand to hold the base of the bottle, well clear of the cutting blade at all times. Turn the top section you just cut off upside down so that it looks like a funnel. Place the inverted top into the bottom of the bottle. Secure the top to the bottom by using duct tape.

3. Place sand in the bottom of the bottle to give the bottle weight. To do this, pour it directly through the mouth of the bottle. You only need about an inch or two of sand. Place a couple pieces of cheese through the mouth of the bottle as well so that they rest on top of the sand.

4. Use olive or vegetable oil to grease the neck of the bottle, as well as the mouth of the bottle. This will make it easier for the mouse to fall inside.

5. Place the bottle next to a stack of books and wait for the mouse to climb the books, enter the bottle to get the food, and become trapped. Once you have trapped the mouse, take the trap outside, remove the tape and the top of the bottle, and turn it on its side so that the mouse can escape.

Tips & Warnings

• If your child wants to be able to demonstrate how the mousetrap works you can use a small wind-up toy mouse cat toy to simulate a real mouse.

References

• Smith Sax: Steve Smith's Humane Mousetrap
• Discovery: How to Build a Humane Mousetrap