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Sticky Trap MethodOil MethodPowder Method

Edited by Graham Hadley, Krystle, Derrick Hensley, Flickety and 41 others

The great thing about using sticky traps to catch mice is they don't kill the little critters. However, the traps are not designed for the mice to come off once they are stuck. With a little effort and preparation, you can remove the mouse and release it into the wild, without injuring it or running the risk of its getting loose again in your home or office.

There are a number of traps on the market designed to catch and release mice -- buy and use those if you can. If you can't or they are not working -- try this method.


Method 1 of 3: Sticky Trap Method

  1. 1
    Purchase sticky traps. They come usually in two types -- the paper ones with the peel-away cover and the plastic trays. They both work equally well for catching mice, but the plastic trays contain much more of the glue, and that can make removal more difficult. The deeper glue can also cover the mouse's mouth and nose, causing suffocation. If you get the paper ones, don't use the ones that fold into a box -- it makes little difference in capturing the mice but makes removal much more difficult.
  2. 2
    Clean up anything that might be attracting the mice or that they might be using as a food source -- you want the mice to have the sticky traps as their only source of food.
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    Place the traps in areas where you have seen evidence of the mice. Look for chewed food, droppings or even paper that has been munched on.
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    Bait the traps. Most of the traps say they are scented and need no bait, but a little extra incentive seems to make a big difference in catching Fievel and his family. Despite stereotypes, cheese is a poor choice. Aside from it not being a favorite rodent food, it will go bad, smell and generally make a nuisance of itself. Peanut butter is also a bad choice -- as is anything oily. Oily foods can coat the sticky part of the trap, rendering it useless for catching small rodents. Tootsie Rolls, Fig newtons or other fruit bars, and similar cookies work well. Place them in the center of the trap and push them down a bit so they stick to the trap.
  5. 5
    Wait. It can take several days to catch the mouse. Patience is a virtue (see How to Be Patient). Check the traps in the morning, after work and before bed. Though the mice tend to be more active at night, they will seek food at all hours, especially if there is little human or other pet activity. Different types of mice have different behavior patterns, but most of them are very active foragers and will intensely explore everything within a 30-foot radius of their nest.
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    Once the mouse is caught, place the entire trap, mouse, bait and all, in a clear plastic container that has surface dimensions a little greater than the sticky trap and that is at least 4 inches deep. Wear rubber gloves if possible and keep your hands away from the mouse. Though they are little and cute, they do have very sharp teeth. Mice can carry disease and the bites hurt. They can do some serious damage with their teeth, so even if you are using gloves, take care not to give the frightened animal a chance to bite you or anyone else.

Method 2 of 3: Oil Method

  1. 1
    Pour a little vegetable oil over the mouse, coating it lightly, and the surrounding area of the trap. Use just enough oil, maybe a spoonful or two at most. Any sort of cooking oil works, but vegetable oil works best and tends to be the least expensive. NEVER USE ANY KIND OF PETROLEUM, SYNTHETIC OR LUBRICATING OIL -- IT WILL KILL THE MOUSE. Make sure that the mouse's mouth and nose are not submerged in the oil. Again, it takes very little oil.
  2. 2
    Cooking Spray is a good alternative to Vegetable oil as you can actually concentrate the cooking oil only on the parts that are stuck without coating any unnecessary areas. Also, aiming the spray at those areas and soaking them causes an almost immediate release of the mouse without wearing it out and making it further injured.
  1. 1
  2. 2
    Rarely, the mouse will need a little help. If they have been stuck on the paper for a prolonged period of time, they can become weak and dehydrated. Also, the plastic tray version of the sticky traps can be very sticky, and the mice have trouble getting out, especially if their back legs are stuck together or their tail is submerged in the glue. If this happens, use padded cloth, like an old potholder, to help get the mouse almost free. The cloth should be thick enough that you can't get bitten through it but flexible enough that you can grasp the rodent with it. When you have the animal mostly free, put the trap in the container and put the lid on and let the mouse do the rest of the work. This can take a few minutes. Also check to make sure no glue is covering the mouse's nose. If there is any there, use a cloth to gently wipe it away. There should not be enough glue on the paper traps for this to be an issue, but could be a problem with the deeper plastic trays.
  3. 3
    Watch through the container to make sure the mouse is free. It should be able to move around -- without its legs or tail stuck together. Once it is up and walking around, it's time to release it outside. Don't feel too rushed -- there is an hour or so of air in the container, but not much more, so plan to have the mouse free within that time frame. Also, if you leave the mouse in there for very long, it will start trying to chew its way out and damage the container.
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  6. 6
    Clean everything very well and dispose of the old trap and bait in a sealed garbage can outside -- the bait and trap can still attract mice and insects, but are now just a food source. Though generally clean animals, mice can carry a variety of diseases that can pose a risk to people and other pets (especially pet rodents), so it is very important to wash and disinfect the container and anything else used to catch and release the mouse. Also disinfect and clean the areas where the mouse was living.
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    Wash your hands very well.
  8. 8

Method 3 of 3: Powder Method

  1. 1
    Obtain powder such as corn starch.
  2. 2
    Apply corn starch as you would the oil. Corn starch has no possibility of drowning the mouse, though you should never use enough oil to drown the animal, anyway.
  3. 3
    Assist the mouse. The mouse will require more assistance than the oil method - use a padded cloth or thick gloves, because the mouse will most like try to bite you. Try to get the mouse mostly free, as above, and let it finish the work for you.
  4. 4
    Follow the remaining steps outlined in the Oil method to release the mouse.
Add your own method


  • Don't ever try to just pull the mouse off the trap without using the oil. The glue on some of these traps can actually pull off the hair and sometimes the skin. It is easy to de-glove a mouse or rat tail with the trap glue.


  • While sticky traps don't usually harm the mice immediately, they can still cause injury -- use them as an option when live traps are unavailable or don't work.
  • Make sure the lid on the transportation container is sealed and locked -- otherwise you run the risk of having a mouse loose in your car.
  • Mice may try to remove themselves from the sticky traps any way they can - struggling and leaving hair and even body parts behind. If release is your goal, there are other methods to consider. Alternatively, humane mouse traps such as the Mouse Depot and the SmartMouse trap are available online, at local hardware stores, wildlife centers, and big box stores.
  1. You can make a small habitat of bedding material...paper towels shredded work great, and some food source such as nuts, shredded cheese, and water and leave the mouse in it...such as a small cardboard box or shoe box with an opening for the mouse to leave from when it is ready. That way, if you are in a cold environment, they will have food and shelter until they are strong enough to find alternate housing.

Things You'll Need

  • Clear plastic container larger than the sticky traps, at least 4 inches deep, with a locking lid
  • Cooking oil
  • Gloves
  • Thick cloth or old potholder
  • Disinfectant

Article Info

Featured Article

Categories: Featured Articles | Mice and Rats

Recent edits by: Serena, Abhishek, Jeff

In other languages:

Español: Cómo sacar un ratón vivo de una trampa pegajosa, Italiano: Come Rimuovere un Topo ancora Vivo da una Trappola Appiccicosa


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