In this Instructable I will guide you to make a cheap and effective mouse trap by using a recycled coke bottle and few household stationery.

Rats live in a groups and prefer to live next to people to find food and a safe home. Rats can eat your food, lead to severe injury,transmit diseases and can damage food and food packaging. Some of the diseases they carries can be deadly.They defecate in your food, keep you up at night scratching in the walls, and chew holes everywhere. If left unchecked, their incredibly brief birth cycles means that within a year your cottage will belong to them.

Normally people buy some kind poison or rat killer to get rid of them. But I believe that you don't have to kill pests to get rid of them.So I thought to make something which will catch the mouse but don't kill them.

Step 1: Tools and Materials Required

Materials Need :

1. Plastic Coke Bottle

2. Two Pencil

3. Two Rubber Band

4. Paper Clip

5.Thread

Tools :

1. Hobby Knife / Box Cutter

2.Scissors

Note : Rectangular bottles are ideal because they have flat sides which allow them to sit undisturbed.

Step 2: Remove the Label

Remove the label of the coke bottle.

Step 3: Cut the Bottle

Cut the bottle across, one-third its height from the top.

Do not cut it completely,leave at least 25% for making the hinge.

When flipped, the bottle should be flexible at the “hinge”.See the above picture.

Step 4: Make Holes

Mark a pair of dots diametrically opposite on the shorter part of the plastic bottle.The marks should be located one centimetre from the top edge of the bottle.Then make holes at marked positions.

Make another pair of holes on the longer flapping part of the bottle.

The holes should be aligned to the first pair on the flap.

Step 5: Insert the Pencils

Insert a pencil in to the pair of holes in the short flapping part ( Top portion of the bottle )

Insert another pencil in to the pair of holes in the long flapping part ( Bottom portion of the bottle )

Note : You can use any type of sticks kind thing instead of pencils.

Step 6: Prepare the Thread

Cut a piece of thread with 20-25 cm in length.

Make loop at the one of the thread.

Step 7: Prepare the Paper Clip

First straighten one arm of the clip,then bend it slightly as shown in above picture.

Attach a small piece of food on the loop portion of the paper clip.

You should nchoos a food which will attract the rats.

Step 8: Make a Small Hole

Make a small hole at the bottom part of the bottle.It should be parallel to the flapping portion of the bottle when bent.

Step 9: Tie the Thread on the Bottle Cap

Insert the other end of the thread in to the mouth of the bottle.

Then tighten the cap.

Step 10: Insert the Paper Clip

Insert the paper clip ( attached with food ) in to the small hole made earlier.

Step 11: Tie the Rubber Band

Tie the rubber bands on the two pencils situated on the two parts of the bottle.

Step 12: Place the Thread Loop on the Paper Clip

Pull the thread and place the loop on the tip of the paper clip.

Make sure the entire thing is stable enough to place on the floor.

Stick a double sided mounting pad ( 3M ) at the base of the bottle to place it firmly on the floor.

Step 13: Ready

Place it in areas like along a wall or at a suitable location where rats normally move.

You can spread other food items near to the bottle opening.

The rat will enter the bottle to eat the food hang on the paper clip and when the rat pull the food,the bottle will snap closed on the rat, trapping it within.

Now carry the bottle to a place which is far away from your home and open the trap allowing the mouse to go free.

I made this model ( White Coke Bottle ) to demonstrate the building process.You can see one of my working rat trap (Green Sprite Bottle ) in the above picture.

Note : Wear sanitary gloves during the carrying of bottle.

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