Mouse in your house? Alberta sanctuary asking for mice donations, will become meals for birds of prey

A bird sanctuary east of Edmonton is hoping that people will embrace what it calls a “green solution” to a pesky problem many homeowners face this time of year.

The Alberta Society for Injured Birds of Prey is asking for donations of mice — hoping that people will catch the rodents in snap traps instead of using glue, poison or other kinds of kill traps.

“Any time we can get anything extra like that, it’s always appreciated by the birds,” said Eva Grantmyre, a volunteer with the Alberta Society for Injured Birds of Prey.

The society is currently caring for about 40 injured and recuperating birds of prey.

“We know that its a bad year for mice, probably due to the crops being so late,” said Grantmyre. “Once it gets cold, the mice start moving into the houses.

“We can offer a green solution. Snap trap them, and then drop them off.”

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The society said that it believes snap traps are ultimately more humane and better for the environment. Grantmyre said that using poison to kill mice can also affect the wild birds who hunt them, and that glue traps are often considered to be cruel to the mice.

“This way, (snap traps) it’s very humane and its very sudden,” said Grantmyre.

Grantmyre said that while the society does keeps a mouse colony, there’s still a need, as many of the birds prefer them but the colony alone doesn’t have high enough numbers to feed all the rescues.

“They know what mice are,” said Grantmyre. “Sometimes we’re feeding quail or chicken heads, sometimes they may be a little hesitant to start eating that. They have to see some other bird eating it as well. But mice they don’t have a problem with.”

For those who wish to help, the society said to freeze any snap-trapped mice in a Ziploc, and then they can be dropped off at the society at 51562 Range Road 222.

Meikas Birdhouse in Sherwood Park is also accepting donations for the shelter.