Evaluating the efficiency and house mice response to Faragir and snap traps in Mashhad, Iran

Abstract

The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a small mammal of the order Rodentia. In general, this species inflicts many direct and indirect economic losses and public health problems. Mainly economic losses are the damage to building installations, building structures, and stored products, poultry farms. Trapping is an effective and often used common method of controlling mice. To decrease the use of poison baits and environmental protection, controlling mice by traps is very important. In this study, the efficiency of Faragir trap (multicatch live trap) compared to the snap trap (single capture dead trap) in controlling house mice in Mashhad were evaluated. Also mice trapping pattern and mice response to Faragir trap were assessed. In trapping period, peanut baits were replaced in all traps, 40 Faragir traps and 40 snap traps were set for five consecutive nights in poultry farm, agricultural farm field and building. Faragir traps were also visited daily; number of captured mice was recorded and the captured mice were retained inside traps until the end of trapping period. To reduce experimental error; the places of traps were not changed during this study and after trapping in each place, all traps were washed with hot water and maintained in fresh air for three days, so that the smell of previously captured mice goes away. The factorial analysis of variance on trap efficiency against Mus musculus indicated that the main effects of trap type, place and trapping nights and the interaction of place × trapping nights were significant, but the interaction of the trap type × place and trapping nights × trap type were not significant. However, trap success against Mus musculus for Faragir and snap traps, were achieved 35.5 and 18.5% respectively. Generally, both of traps were more effective indoor compared to outdoor in mice control.