Snow and Sky

« Reading The Story of Life | Main

May 25, 2005

Those durned creatures

Way back in the mists of time, many moons ago, I mentioned we had a little mouse problem. The little mouse problem turned into a bigger mouse problem and first live traps, then deadly traps, then poison, then the exterminator were all called in to address the issue. Ultimately, after the exterminator pumped a bunch of black foam into the nooks and crannies of our apartment, we considered the War on Mouse over and packed up.

Well, the Mouse Menace has returned (I really shouldn't say menace, they are so very cute except when they are chewing inside the walls) and so the exterminator may have to return. But through all this I was a conscientious objector, so to speak, because despite the first sighting being in my room, I had neither heard nor seen them anywhere except occasionally in the kitchen.

No longer. Those little scurriers have penetrated my room's defenses and have been spotted running free, as well as waking me up at 4am with their incessant chewing. I first noticed it last morning, right after I dropped Matthew off at the airport (he leaves, and they decide his room isn't good enough for them any more, so they have to invade mine!) I thought it might be a fluke, though, because maybe I left my door open and one happened to come in. I didn't think they were actually getting into my room directly.

This morning, however, I was awoken (at the aformentioned ungodly hour) and could distinctly hear chewing coming from the vicinity of my radiator pipe. Eventually (at what time I could not say, the morning was quite a blur) I got a Brillo pad from the kitchen and jammed it into the space between the pipe and the floor. They can't chew through steel wool, and so this is supposed to keep them out real well. Apparently though my steel wool trick only managed to block the little bugger's exit route and so I spent the next hour and a half being spooked by the guy running all around my room.

Chatting with Becca this morning revealed her family's secret: Dryer sheets. The mice hate dryer sheets, apparently. Makes sense -- they throw all sorts of nasty chemicals in those things that are ok for humans to breathe but are nearly toxic to little beasties. She suggested I buy a few and throw them around.

I went to CVS after lab today and grabbed some CVS brand sheets (hey, they were cheaper). Good thing, too, cause when I got back to my room I found my Brillo pad all over the floor! Those cunning creatures managed to push it out of the way... despite it being filled with powerful, grease-cutting soap. I immediately took a dryer sheet, pulled it apart and jammed it deep into the hole, followed by the tattered remnants of the Brillo pad. I also cut another sheet to fit around the pipe and sit on top. Plus, I'm leaving the whole box nearby just in case they didn't get the message.

No signs yet but they usually don't appear until the early morning. Come 4am tomorrow, the battle continues. If this tactic does not succeed, however, I have another option. At CVS they also had glue traps - sheets of glue that the mice step in and then can't get out. I bought some, although I would prefer not to use them. At least with the glue traps I have a dim hope that I could somehow figure out how to free the mouse (outside, of course!) and they would actually work, as opposed to those quaint little live traps that they avoid.

Ultimately, though, I think the exterminator will have to come by, and shove more of that black foam in to plug up this little mouse hole. But despite my affection for the creatures, I will not tolerate any sort of scurrying or chewing activity. The mice must go.

Posted by kgutwin at May 25, 2005 09:21 PM

Trackback Pings

TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.gutwin.org/mt/mt-tb.cgi/239

Comments

Posted by: Beth at May 25, 2005 10:53 PM