Last winter, we had a rat create a nest in our car. We would drive around during the day, so it would take advantage of the heat from the engine. We tried clearing the nest out night after night, but it kept building it in different areas near the engine. We even tried mint extract to keep it away, but that only worked for short periods of time and it would still come back. Traps were useless, even with peanut butter.
Luckily, one day after a fresh snowfall, we noticed a trail of rat footprints, and then at the end of the trail, a dead, bloody rat. From the tracks we saw, it seems a feathered predator saw the rat and took care of problem.
When I was a broke college student I lived in an apartment next to a vacant building. Once the vacant was bought all the mice that had been living there decided to come to our apartment. We tried some mice traps but didn't have much success and couldn't really afford to buy different types.
After some research I discovered the toilet paper roll to to trash method. You setup stairs using boxes to a toilet paper roll with peanut butter on the end. The mouse goes to the end to get the peanut butter, the roll tips over before the mouse can back out and falls into the trash can
What they don't say and was surprised by was that mice can jump nearly two feet into the air and was scared when one escaped.
To solve the problem you fill the trash with enough water so the mouse can't jump not climb over the lip of the trash can.
Most of the mice were trapped when I was at class but once when I was doing homework I found out mice can swim for about thirty minutes at full speed before they give up.
Luckily, one day after a fresh snowfall, we noticed a trail of rat footprints, and then at the end of the trail, a dead, bloody rat. From the tracks we saw, it seems a feathered predator saw the rat and took care of problem.