January 19, 2022
Mousestock
Timothy Birdnow
Monday night was mousapalooza.
I have had a mouse problem for over a year, but I thought I had it about licked. Mouse activity was rare, and they seemed to be going after the poison I kindly left out for their enjoyment. I thought by spring they would be kaput.
But all hell broke loose on Monday.
It was one giant rodent party. Mice were everywhere! My traps were springing every twenty minutes, and I soon amassed pounds of mouse flesh in a ziplock bag I was using to store them (until morning when I could get them out to the dumpster). I was catching all kinds of mice - big mice, small mice and everything in between.
But I didn't catch the really BIG mice (some of which I saw); there were several times the traps were set off but empty. And one trap simply disappeared; I suspect the mouse got it stuck to its foot and wandered off with it.
I was out of poison, I might add. I guess they didn't like that.
So yesterday I went and loaded up; more snap traps, some glue traps (I hate to use those because they are inhumane but at this point my humanity is suffering) and lots more poison.
It was warm yesterday, I might add, and the mouse activity quieted. It led me to suspect many of them went outside.
I found it. I had left the air conditioner in the widow and they had worn a hole in the side of it. It's obvious they were coming and going through that. There was mouse poop all over the top of the air conditioner.
So I pulled it and closed the window. Now, when it gets bitterly cold as it is supposed to get today they will be SORRY!
It was very quiet last night.
So here's hoping I got the problem under control. I am not a man to wish ill on any creature, but I have come to despise those little pests. They are like the Viet Cong, only smaller and faster and sneakier.
A pox upon them!
Monday night was mousapalooza.
I have had a mouse problem for over a year, but I thought I had it about licked. Mouse activity was rare, and they seemed to be going after the poison I kindly left out for their enjoyment. I thought by spring they would be kaput.
But all hell broke loose on Monday.
It was one giant rodent party. Mice were everywhere! My traps were springing every twenty minutes, and I soon amassed pounds of mouse flesh in a ziplock bag I was using to store them (until morning when I could get them out to the dumpster). I was catching all kinds of mice - big mice, small mice and everything in between.
But I didn't catch the really BIG mice (some of which I saw); there were several times the traps were set off but empty. And one trap simply disappeared; I suspect the mouse got it stuck to its foot and wandered off with it.
I was out of poison, I might add. I guess they didn't like that.
So yesterday I went and loaded up; more snap traps, some glue traps (I hate to use those because they are inhumane but at this point my humanity is suffering) and lots more poison.
It was warm yesterday, I might add, and the mouse activity quieted. It led me to suspect many of them went outside.
I found it. I had left the air conditioner in the widow and they had worn a hole in the side of it. It's obvious they were coming and going through that. There was mouse poop all over the top of the air conditioner.
So I pulled it and closed the window. Now, when it gets bitterly cold as it is supposed to get today they will be SORRY!
It was very quiet last night.
So here's hoping I got the problem under control. I am not a man to wish ill on any creature, but I have come to despise those little pests. They are like the Viet Cong, only smaller and faster and sneakier.
A pox upon them!
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at
12:07 PM
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Post contains 355 words, total size 2 kb.
1
Yay! You found their entrance. It's often not so easy to locate.
Yeah, some of 'em will drag traps quite a ways. I'd wager you still have a mouse dragging one of your traps around and you'll find him eventually.
Tim, you're just going to have to get another cat, who will hunt them down outside.
Yeah, some of 'em will drag traps quite a ways. I'd wager you still have a mouse dragging one of your traps around and you'll find him eventually.
Tim, you're just going to have to get another cat, who will hunt them down outside.
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at January 19, 2022 11:17 PM (TisyG)
2
I suspect so. I've been holding off because I'm likely to wind up with my dad's cat, and she is a timid little thing who will have a terrible time adjusting to moving in with us anyway. I hate to ahve another cat already there. Of course, the mice will drive her mad (cats can hear the supersonic mouse squeeking.) But I've got to stop this infestation once and for all. Maybe I can buy a ratsnake from somewhere and leave him out in the yard?
I have very little trouble with mice at the Ozark Hilton these days. Between that snake and now the armadillo (who will eat mice, I've read) it's actually quieter down there than at home.
I hate those evil little beasts.
I have very little trouble with mice at the Ozark Hilton these days. Between that snake and now the armadillo (who will eat mice, I've read) it's actually quieter down there than at home.
I hate those evil little beasts.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at January 20, 2022 09:56 AM (Av220)
3
I can sympathize. I can sympathise.
We had an infestation when they started coming in through the dryer vent. Outlet was too close to the ground and they ate their way, first, through the wire mest on the vent outlet, and then through the vebt tubing in the garage. They then made an opening in the drywall to get at the insulation, finally making their way into the walls and ceiling of the flat roof. Could hear them running around in whe walls and ceiling.
Nightmare getting rid of them, and when we did a couple of them died in the walls. Took a couple of months to get rid of the small.
Then the driveway buckled and the door would not fully close and we had them in the garage again. Had to repour the driveway and mount another killing campaign.
Then my next door neighbor hed the cable company leave the cover off of the cable maintenance bay and he had them in his walls. They ate the wires before he could get rid of them and it cost him thousands to replace the wiring. The cable company made good and paid fort the damage.
I doubt you hate the evil critturs any worse than Howard and I do.
We had an infestation when they started coming in through the dryer vent. Outlet was too close to the ground and they ate their way, first, through the wire mest on the vent outlet, and then through the vebt tubing in the garage. They then made an opening in the drywall to get at the insulation, finally making their way into the walls and ceiling of the flat roof. Could hear them running around in whe walls and ceiling.
Nightmare getting rid of them, and when we did a couple of them died in the walls. Took a couple of months to get rid of the small.
Then the driveway buckled and the door would not fully close and we had them in the garage again. Had to repour the driveway and mount another killing campaign.
Then my next door neighbor hed the cable company leave the cover off of the cable maintenance bay and he had them in his walls. They ate the wires before he could get rid of them and it cost him thousands to replace the wiring. The cable company made good and paid fort the damage.
I doubt you hate the evil critturs any worse than Howard and I do.
Posted by: Bill H at January 20, 2022 10:11 AM (/sW5m)
4
The floor of my garage is crappy, and we're getting misalignment of everything. It'll need to be fixed once the weather warms up. So far no mice -- guess they're all in Missouri with Tim.
Posted by: Dana Mathewson at January 20, 2022 11:17 AM (TisyG)
5
Well Bill that sounds like you had a lot of fun with those foul monsters. I sympathize.
So they got in the dryer vent, eh? That was one of the places I thought might have been their access point. I didn't see any evidence of it. I pulled the dryer out to see if they were coming through the vent itself, but saw no holes. So it was either the a/c unit or a missing window I had secured. I don't think it was the window; I have it secured tightly. And I thought he A/C was too high; it's over eight feet! But I have a brick house and suspect they can climb up that far.
I'm still not sure about the dryer vent. It seems like a possibility.
Mice are worse than illegal aliens coming in caravans.
Idon't blame you for hating them. The cartoons always make them cute and harmless - they aren't.
So they got in the dryer vent, eh? That was one of the places I thought might have been their access point. I didn't see any evidence of it. I pulled the dryer out to see if they were coming through the vent itself, but saw no holes. So it was either the a/c unit or a missing window I had secured. I don't think it was the window; I have it secured tightly. And I thought he A/C was too high; it's over eight feet! But I have a brick house and suspect they can climb up that far.
I'm still not sure about the dryer vent. It seems like a possibility.
Mice are worse than illegal aliens coming in caravans.
Idon't blame you for hating them. The cartoons always make them cute and harmless - they aren't.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at January 21, 2022 08:50 AM (PcPsH)
6
That may be a problem Dana; it was actually my fourth possibility for access. My basement floor is getting wonky right at the door and it may be they slid under it. I also had the swooop coming loose. I secured the swoop as best I could, put a board up against it and put some heavy object against the board to put pressure on the swwop. Hopefully that will stop 'em.
Hopefully you won't have that problem either. Mice are insidious and want in from the cold BAD.
Hopefully you won't have that problem either. Mice are insidious and want in from the cold BAD.
Posted by: Timothy Birdnow at January 21, 2022 08:53 AM (PcPsH)
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