So I am at the local store and stop to pick up some mouse traps. I have several set in the garage in an effort to keep the little pests from building nests in my bike (some more) but the triggers are getting sticky and the mice keep eating all the bait and not setting off the trap. You know, basically outsmarting the whole human race, which puts me off a bit. So, to get back in the game with the little fellows. I was perusing through the various devices, all guaranteed to dispatch the pesky critters fast, easy, etc. etc. when I saw two traps types being sold side by side. One advertised "Kills mice quick!" while the other claimed to "Kills mice dead". Hmmmmm. What to do, did I want them killed quick or killed dead? I looked around to see if there was a third brand that maybe, just maybe would kill them fast and dead but alas, no such product. I could not decide so bought a package of both (two traps in a package). Now one was pretty conventional, had an upper jaw with teeth (that must be the part that results in the killed AND dead aspect!) while the other one had a safety mouse killing bar.... which I though was a nice touch although I am not sure what it does. Whatever, that was the fast one. But that one had a little trick which I really came to appreciate. Rather than having a trigger the mouse had to step on or tug, the bait well was fully covered with a small plastic dome that the mouse had to lift to get to the bait, and it was this lifting which triggered the trap. Now I thought that cleaver because the mouse could not begin eating before raising the cover and bringing the 'killing bar' down on his body, which apparently killed him.... and fast! So I set both up on the counter, got a butter knife and pretended it was a mouse along for a free meal. I must say, given the butter knife test only, the fast killing trap with the bait cover worked very well. The butter knife snuck up little by little on the trap, checking around and even behind it often for predators (pesky cats!). But when actually touching the trap, there was just no way to get his little head (the tip of the butter knife) to the bait without tripping the trap. Very ingenious! That butter knife never had a chance!
So now both traps are baited and set, side by side. We shall see.
Brian