Mouse update (final)
A (hopefully) final mouse update.
As you know, two mice were killed in spring traps.
Two mice were then captured and released into the wild, in woods near houses, where they have at least some chance of surviving. They looked rather ecstatic to be set free on a warm day with the sun shining.
Then I saw two more mice in my pantry. At this point I entirely cleaned it out, including removing all the shelves and wine racks on the floor. A lot of mouse debris were found. I bought poison and glue traps, and set up a wide array of death options for my little grey guests.
Two mice were killed in spring traps, and two were caught by glue and subsequently euthanized. Poor things.
My house, after the removal of 8 mice, now seems to be rodent free. No new mouse sign have appeared, and the poison and traps are untouched after over a week.
Photos of Brat
Mouse #1 is flat.
Mouse #2 went splat.
Mouse #3 is a brat. So that's his name.
Mouse Update
That boldest of mouse was again spotted in the pantry, cavorting atop the traps, without setting them off. He must be the lightweight of the bunch. A little prodding with my 3' dowel and he moved up a shelf. And then back down, and back up. He isn't the "flee for my life" type of mouse!
So I picked an old hefeweizen glass I'd been meaning to take to the thrift shop, and laid it down next to him. A tap with the dowel, and he happily explores this new space! I stand up the glass, and he's trapped. I put a piece of cardboard on top, since he's quite the jumper, and I've turned "vermin" into "pet".
A bit of rearranging later, and he's in a big spherical glass goblet with some paper stuffing to nest in, some rice and peanut butter to snack on, and a 1/4 teaspoon full of water. A metal tray with holes makes an impervious lid.
What am I to do with this little guy? Put your suggestions in the comments for this post.
Zombie Rats!
Spy photo from noon today.
Take heart, rodent lovers, it's not a single mouse that can be eliminated, but a horde of mice!
Yesterday, after sending mouse #1 on to the next world, I sensed another furry presence in my pantry. Yes, the "mouse" I've been battling is actually "mice". The natural assumption was a pair of mice, happily raising mouslings in a nest somewhere.
When I got back from practice, mouse #2 was dead, horrifically smashed in a trap. Whew!
But, as you know, there is at least one more mouse yet at large in my pantry. And this one is the bold, not very afraid of me mouse. Time to buy more traps!
However, I ask you, are those mouse ears? Please tell me this isn't a rat infestation! Edit: I have often been told that round ears means rat, and pointy ears means mouse (thus Mickey, living in Orlando, is a...) but this is apparently false. Indeed, large round ears are a trademark of the house-mouse.
RIP, little grey mouse.
After 9 weeks of steadily intensifying battles, the war has ended.
Yesterday as I prepared breakfast, I noticed a rustling on the top shelf of my pantry. So I rearranged a lower shelf to block all exits, and placed 4 traps at strategic locations where the little critter would try to run. Then I found a 3 foot long dowel to poke around on the shelf and spur him into flight.
Well, that mouse knows my pantry better than I do. He fled down the back through a gap I hadn't been aware of, and escaped unscathed.
So I plugged up those exits, tightened the cordon, and left for the day. When I came back, he was again on the top shelf, nestled amongst my bags of rice and trail mix. The little bastard! So I poked and prodded to stir him out again. He sat for a while with his tail hanging over the back of the shelf, seeming awfully nonchalant for a creature being attacked by something 2000 times its weight. But eventually (after carefully collecting his wits, I suspect) he fled straight onto my trapped shelf.
And continued his descent, apparently able to make a gap between traps where I hadn't seen one before, avoiding the triggers and stayin' alive like the best old school minefield sweeper you ever met.
So I again tightened up my traps and went to bed resigned to needing alternate, more severe methods.
This morning, preparing breakfast, I find that the mouse's luck has run out. He was found dead in a trap at 7:45am.
I swaddled him in the finest linen (aka Bounty) and with a brief prayer floated his little soft grey body with its white belly down the Ganges (aka dumpster).
A sad victory is celebrated today in my house.
