Wee Beastie -- FAJ 462
3 years ago
For some time, now, I've been finding little "presents" around my apartment that tell me that a mouse has taken up residence. I've seen it a number of time, and more brazenly each time. Two weeks, I saw it saunter out into the living room, as confident as though it were the owner. It disappeared, as before behind a cabinet that I'm unable to move without a tremendous amount of trouble. So, I've ignored it, figuring that my place is clean, I leave no food around, and my groceries are all in jars or cans, or refrigerated. Eventually, the mouse would stop coming around here without finding food. Making a living is tough enough for a mouse, without wasting effort. So far, it seemed to be working. I hadn't seen the pest for those last too weeks. But I spoke too soon. Yesterday, I used the washroom and noticed movement in the bath tub. I looked and fund it was my mouse! I don't know how it climbed up the tub in the first place, but plainly it was unable to climb out. The presents suggested that it had been hiding in my tub for a couple of days, in fact. Once I was sure the thing couldn't escape, I went to the kitchen for a large, clear plastic jar that had previously held cashews. I clapped the jar over the mouse and scooped it in with the lid. That easily, I looked the wee beast in the eye and wondered what to do with it next. They have a poor chance of survival if removed from its native surroundings -- which happened to be my apartment. But obviously, I didn't want it to have the free run of my place, regardless of its chances. So I took it out in the hall and let it go... let it be some other apartment dweller's problem. The last I saw of wee mousie it was running hell-bent-for-leather down the hall and would likely run smack into the fire door at the end, if it didn't stop. Like I said ... no longer my problem. It was either that or down the toilet, and – while it may all be the same in the end – I didn’t have the heart for aggravated mousicide.
If you catch them early, it's not a big deal, but you have to detect them early and treat quickly. It's a pay now or pay lots more later situation.
I haven't had that problem in years. I have had a succession of rodenticidal dogs, with the latest building up over nine years of service. Voles, moles and things in holes are her supplement of choice, and I have little power over her natural instinct. Occasionally my brother or I will hear an excited squeaking from the front yard, and of course the tale is always the same: "Cami ate someone who disagreed with her..."
Vix
"Eh, he's got rubbery bones. He'll live"
Also, hate to say it, but if there's one there's likely more. They can get in through tiny holes, which they sometimes gnaw themselves. Best thing to do is be absolutely positive you've got all possible holes blocked.
We have a couple of cats. So mice aren't much of a problem, except for cleaning up the remains.