Sure enough, one of them was knocked onto the floor, and I think it fell upon my entrance into the garage. I distinctly saw movement in that area. It's also possible that it was another mouse.
I opened the garage door for better light and got the garage broom to turn over the upside-down glue trap.
Yup. There was the mouse, little grey thing with his little naked tail.
He was blinking at me in fear.
Yes, I felt bad. And because I felt bad, I took the broom and quickly put an end to things. I do not want the little creatures to suffer.
The scary thing is this: this mouse was NOT the one I saw last night and this morning. That one was bigger and darker-colored. This one I got today? This is just a baby, about 12 days old. Old enough, in mouse-years, to reproduce copiously.
I set the next trap in place.
And yes, I believe this problem came from my new neighbors, God bless them. They probably had no idea they were housing an entire family in their stuff.
Recently I read a story about mice in a monastery, and they had a continual battle with the mice; it never ended. In the story, there was some kind of symbolism; the mice represented the Holy Souls in Purgatory. So they began praying especially for those Holy Souls, especially when dealing with the mice.
And the mouse problem mysteriously went away.
I read this story recently, and on a blog, I think. Does it sound familiar to anyone? Anyone have a source? If so, please link below.
I'd rather pray for Holy Souls than have to brain another cute lil' mouse who would be much happier in a field, anyway.UPDATE 5 PM: I found another mouse on the trap. DEFINITELY a baby, much smaller than the previous mouse. We have an infestation.
I'm going to contact the person who owns the unit next to me. She is a friend and I'm not sure the renter next door cares. But the rest of us do, and I'm sure the town-home owner would care.
The traps continue to be set
UPDATE 6 PM:
I called the homeowner, and while she wasn't thrilled with the news, she was happy to know about it up front.
She said that she had "a mouse" once, years ago. But of course, finding successive mice within hours of each other does indeed point to an infestation as opposed to a random occurrence
Yes, the traps continue to be set.
Prayers to St. Martin de Porras ascend.
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14 comments:
Adoro, I am told that a prayer to St. Martin de Porres will rid your home of mice. The one time I had a mouse in my condo in Washington, DC - on the 6th floor - my friends thought it was hilarious. They said the mouse felt at home because of my love of animals. I was not afraid of him, and I didn't scream when he came out to visit me. I was afraid that he had a family somewhere in the apt. I wrote a short essay called "Mouse" on Prodigal Catholic Writer. I was not going to live with Mouse because I knew he would chew on my things and poop all over my white sofa and white drapes - and he DID!
We got an exterminator who used environmentally-friendly materials and placed them in my closets. A week later when he checked he said to me, "Somewhere a mouse is dying. He's eaten some of this." I felt terrible! I never saw or heard Mouse after that. I felt terrible. So I wish you well. Talk to St. Martin de Porres!
Charlene ~ Thanks, someone else just told me about that facet of the Saint, too. I will be chatting with him!
That's another reason I don't want to use poison...the mice live in the walls and they will die in the walls. Not pleasant for ANY of us!
I really just want them to go away and live outside. They're FINE outside!
I really don't like to kill critters (other than spiders, and I even let THEM live if they aren't anywhere near my house! I spray a barrier to keep them away even!)
*sigh*
Answer re: peppermint oil. They hate peppermint oil. Simple. Unintended consequence? Your garage smells great.
Also, plug the holes with steel wool so they can't get back in.
Adrienne ~ Peppermint isn't going to work.
And plug the holes? That means razing the entire 8-unit building and building it properly!
See the pic above? That is the corner between my garage and the neighbor's, where the mice are apparently coming from.
See where the white-colored wall ends? Look at that and then the fact there is about a 3 inch gap between the end of that and the outer wall. On either side of that outer wall, perpendicular to the white wall, is our garage doors. That 3-inch space runs all the way to the ceiling and is not damage, but a fact of building design. It is why I get smoked out of my own garage all winter because of the smokers on either side, and why cig smoke comes into my house through whatever openings there are between my garage and house.
Plug it with steel wool?
Not possible. Destroy the garages, maybe, which means the loft townhome above the garages leaves a family homeless or deceased among the rubble.
I'd rather just kill the mice. It's much simpler and more just.
Charlene Duline, Does St.Martin also keep snakes out of the house?
Belinda ~ EW!
Yeah, those suck and reproduce at an alarming rate, too.
AKOTBC(ty): Yes, I just called you Crusty. I saw my opportunity with this new series and your link back to the Crust saga and I jumped at it! Bwah-ha-ha! Kickin' it old school for your new readers! Ha-ha-ha. Ok, I'm having way too much fun with this...
In the Pioneer Press today was a story about how the mouse population is high this year due to optimal weather for them in the Spring. You are not alone.
Mice are tough to get rid of. Prayers here!
Cathy ~ Who are you talking to and what does your acronym mean?
If you've posted prior, know that my email is down & I am trying to pick up crumbs. How ironic.
I have another post on this but have't written it yet.
I can't offer you help with ridding your place of mice, Adoro, but I know of a hawk who just loves mousies to eat, and so if you want to get rid of the ones you do catch....
Adoro Keeper of the Bread Crust(y).
Austringer ~ I'm assuming you hawk would prefer that the mice be alive? I threw away my 4 dead ones (well...I think the no-see trap left a baby mouse alive and without giving me a way to kill it.) It's still gone, though.
Or does your dear friend like the dead ones just fine?
Cathy ~ OF COURSE! Sorry, I totally forgot.
We had good luck with the old spring traps baited with peanut butter. We weren't infested, we only had 2, but that is what got 'em, with glue traps & other traps. Plus it kills them for you. Good luck!
Belinda, I don't know if St. Martin deals with snakes or not. Sorry.
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