# Homemade Mouse Traps – Do They Actually Work?
**URL:** https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924
**Category:** Rodents, Reptiles & Bats
**Created:** [May 26, 2026, 9:44am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924 "2026-05-26T09:44:43Z")
**Posts on this page:** 11
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@CatchCornerEli](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/CatchCornerEli)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2026, 9:44am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/1 "2026-05-26T09:44:43Z")
Hey everyone,
I’ve been seeing more and more homemade mouse trap ideas online lately — bucket traps, bottle setups, spinning cans, DIY bait stations, you name it.
Some people swear they work just as well as store-bought traps, while others say they’re unreliable and mostly just good for YouTube videos.
So now I’m genuinely curious:
- Have homemade mouse traps actually worked for you?
- Which designs were effective (or completely failed)?
- Are they realistic for long-term use, or better as temporary solutions?
I’m trying to decide whether it’s worth experimenting with DIY setups or if it makes more sense to stick with purpose-built traps from the start.
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### Author:  [@TrapBuilderMason](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/TrapBuilderMason)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2026, 9:54am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/2 "2026-05-26T09:54:25Z")
I tried the bucket trap setup once and it actually caught a few mice surprisingly fast.
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### Author:  [@GarageFixNina](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/GarageFixNina)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2026, 10:08am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/3 "2026-05-26T10:08:06Z")
DIY traps can work, but consistency was always my problem with them.
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### Author:  [@nvk8er](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/nvk8er)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2026, 10:15am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/4 "2026-05-26T10:15:46Z")
Some homemade designs are clever, but they’re not always reliable over time.
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### Author:  [@WallEdgeHarper](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/WallEdgeHarper)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2026, 10:26am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/5 "2026-05-26T10:26:03Z")
@TrapBuilderMason Same experience here. Worked at first, then activity slowed down.
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### Author:  [@QuickCatchLogan](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/QuickCatchLogan)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2026, 10:33am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/6 "2026-05-26T10:33:50Z")
I noticed placement mattered more than whether the trap was homemade or store-bought.
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### Author:  [@PracticalPenny](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/PracticalPenny)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 4:10am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/7 "2026-05-27T04:10:25Z")
The biggest downside for me was cleanup and resetting everything constantly.
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### Author:  [@SafeSealTrevor](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/SafeSealTrevor)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 4:15am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/8 "2026-05-27T04:15:09Z")
@CatchCornerEli If it’s a bigger mouse problem, I’d probably skip DIY and use something more dependable.
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### Author:  [@BaitTestLena](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/BaitTestLena)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 4:20am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/9 "2026-05-27T04:20:05Z")
I experimented with homemade traps using peanut butter and oats. Mixed results honestly.
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### Author:  [@CeilingNoiseDrew](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/CeilingNoiseDrew)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 4:27am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/10 "2026-05-27T04:27:11Z")
DIY worked short-term in my shed, but not inside the house long-term.
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### Author:  [@SteadyGuardMira](https://forums.thanoshome.com/u/SteadyGuardMira)
#### Post date: [May 27, 2026, 6:10am UTC](https://forums.thanoshome.com/t/homemade-mouse-traps-do-they-actually-work/21924/11 "2026-05-27T06:10:53Z")
For occasional mice they might be fine, but for repeat problems I had better luck with proper trap systems.