Murderous Melee

Wow, we have literally been exploding with mouse activity this week.  My husband and I have been laying in bed listening to the little buggers run through our ceiling as we try to sleep. The first night this happened we new the gantlet had once again been thrown down - it was time to jump into battle once more.

Last Friday we set a few traps and caught one mouse.  The little guy had made two appearances during our evening TV time - brazenly running under the couch where we were lounging.  We knew there many more based on the pitter patter of their little feet above our heads so we upped our game.  On Monday we set four traps around the kitchen and pantry.

One of our traps sitting on our kitchen counter - very hygienic.

 All I can say about that attempt is that the mice had a very nice midnight snack.  They literally licked the traps clean but did not trip the snapping mechanism.  My husband decided that we needed new traps so he stocked up on Wednesday night.  This is where we really got serious because each day we were seeing more and more droppings.  They were concentrated around the kitchen counters and the floor of the pantry. We both felt like we were being taunted. 

Thursday night no fewer than six traps were set.  This time we made a point of really smashing the cheese into the flaps - those little mousy tongues were not going to get passed us again.

Trap set in the pantry - the mice like our rice.  I need to improve food storage again.

Friday morning we woke to no one, not two, but three dead mice - hallelujah!!  Two were caught in the pantry and one was caught in the kitchen.  That made a total of four kills for the week but we weren't done yet.  As an aside, I was getting ready to wash my lunch box to take to work and I had left a small dinner roll in a plastic baggie in my lunch box.  One of our furry friends had scurried into my lunch box and eaten a hole through the plastic and enjoyed the stale roll.  Brazen bastard.

Friday night we set the traps again - all six.  Saturday morning we checked and another two had met their maker.  Both of these were once caught in the pantry.  The total had increased to six dead mice. After all of this carnage, we decided it was time to empty the pantry storage and do some pretty deep cleaning.  We needed to clean out the daily dose of mouse excrement as well as some bodily fluids left by the previous night's executions.  I try to use natural cleaners where I can but yesterday that panty got a very healthy dosing of bleach thanks to my husband.  This made me feel much better.

This morning, we looked at the set traps and rejoiced to see numbers seven and eight had experienced their last supper.  As most people are celebrating the resurrection, we are celebrating the demise of eight of God's creatures.

I didn't realize my husband had been throwing the mice all in the same location when he emptied the traps (see previous blog regarding my feelings on the trap-emptying).  As I took a little walk to inspect our new orchard today, I stumbled upon the burial ground.  Here is what I saw:

At least the vultures will be happy.

Tonight we will do it all again and hopefully the running feet will stop.  Victory will be ours!! 

The Death Toll rises to 18