Bottle mousetrap

A mousetrap that fits onto a 0.5 liter PET bottle.

This trap is easy to print and easy to build. It can be used to capture mice without them coming to harm and can be screwed onto almost any 0.5 liter (coke) bottle. Contrary to some other bottle traps, this trap cannot be disabled by the mouse. The gate opens only from one direction, so it is even possible to trap multiple mice.

Building instructions

Print the trap with a layer thickness that is not too large to guarantee the thread to be of good quality (I printed mine with a layer thickness of 0.16 mm). Print the main part with the entrance (the opening without thread) downwards. Print the gate with the hinges upwards. Once printed, use a small stretch of metal wire to install the gate. An unbent paperclip will do fine. Make sure the gate is installed properly (the eyes of the hinge should point to the floor).

Baiting instructions

Put some bait into the bottle. Some sunflower seeds will do, but peanut butter can be smelled from far away and works even better. I put the peanut butter onto a piece of paper towel to make it easy to get it into the bottle.

Releasing the mouse

Once you capture a mouse, but sure to have a good look at the beautiful creature it is. Aside from the droppings they leave, mice are far from filthy creatures. The mice I captured (five species so far) are often washing themselves and their fur is always spotless. To release the mouse, just unscrew the trap from the bottle and lay it down on the floor. The mice will typically come out without having to urge them. Be sure not to leave the mice in the bottle for too long.

Disclaimer: No mice were harmed during designing, printing and testing this trap.