I'm watching American Horror Story in my living room when a mouse runs across the floor. It was a good-sized thing, nimble and brazen, and it bounced like a pinball from couch - to coffee table - to loveseat to the bookcase - all by the light of Jessica Lange on TV. My eyes narrowed in the darkness. Every Goddamn November, I thought.
Mice in fall are one of the joys of owning an old house, so I learned to keep traps on hand. They typically come inside when the weather turns cold, and I've found it best to keep food sealed in Tupperware, stored on high shelves or in cabinets this time of year. But just because mice are expected doesn't mean that they're are welcome, and rodents in the fall - like houseflies in the summer - are disgusting little critters that poop in places they shouldn't. And feces outweighs cuteness, no matter how you look at it.
Mice in fall are one of the joys of owning an old house, so I learned to keep traps on hand. They typically come inside when the weather turns cold, and I've found it best to keep food sealed in Tupperware, stored on high shelves or in cabinets this time of year. But just because mice are expected doesn't mean that they're are welcome, and rodents in the fall - like houseflies in the summer - are disgusting little critters that poop in places they shouldn't. And feces outweighs cuteness, no matter how you look at it.
When it comes to traditional mouse traps, my favorite bait to use is a mixture of peanut butter and cheese. I spread the peanut butter on first, using it as a glue to keep the cheese in place. When the mixture dries, the bait hardens - causing the mouse to have to "tug" at the cheese, giggling the mechanism and springing the trap. This arrangement has been successful almost every time I've used it, so I put together four such traps and spread them throughout the kitchen, in the places I'd found mouse poop. Satisfied, I went to bed.
The next morning however, I'd found that the mouse had eaten the cheese without setting the traps. And again, the next morning, even when I'd tied the cheese to the traps. It was time to bring out the big guns -
It was time for the GLUE TRAPS.
The next morning however, I'd found that the mouse had eaten the cheese without setting the traps. And again, the next morning, even when I'd tied the cheese to the traps. It was time to bring out the big guns -
It was time for the GLUE TRAPS.
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There's a Family Dollar within walking distance of my house, and they sell everything from food to drugs. They also sell hardware - pest control in particular - so I walked to the store to buy something to kill the mice. I was surprised at their selection of rodent control - and a good once third of their shelf space was devoted to glue traps for both mice & rats. Nice, I thought. My neighborhood store has a bigger selection of rodent control than it does for potato chips. But that actually worked to my benefit when I opted for "rat" traps (rather than "mouse" traps), because they had a bigger surface area - and a bigger chance for success.
So, I bought the rat-sized traps. And I also picked up some frozen chicken strips for dinner. Chiuckling…the sassy black cashier gave me a "look" when I set them both down on the counter. "Err…I don't have rats," I assured her. "I…I…I just have a mouse in my kitchen." "Mmm-hmm," she said (clearly disbelieving), before putting my chicken in the same bag as my rat traps.
I left the store in shame.
So, I bought the rat-sized traps. And I also picked up some frozen chicken strips for dinner. Chiuckling…the sassy black cashier gave me a "look" when I set them both down on the counter. "Err…I don't have rats," I assured her. "I…I…I just have a mouse in my kitchen." "Mmm-hmm," she said (clearly disbelieving), before putting my chicken in the same bag as my rat traps.
I left the store in shame.
BTW, I found THIS in the rat trap box:
It's nice to know that the poison is sealed for FRESHNESS.
There's not much more to tell in this story. I caught the mouse, I cleaned up the poop, and fall merrily continued.
The one side note I will share with you is a little gruesome: The mouse was still alive in the trap (of course), so before I tossed it in the trash (in an effort to be "somewhat" humane), I folded the glue tray in half with the mouse inside, and squished everything into a mouse n' glue taco.
It sounded crunchy.
The one side note I will share with you is a little gruesome: The mouse was still alive in the trap (of course), so before I tossed it in the trash (in an effort to be "somewhat" humane), I folded the glue tray in half with the mouse inside, and squished everything into a mouse n' glue taco.
It sounded crunchy.