Monday, September 13, 2010

Jerry's Cousins

Yesterday I went into the kitchen to make Bryan some yummy tuna melts. When the microwave beeped and I walked over to pull out my softened butter, I heard a weird squeak noise. I turned and looked at Bryan bug eyed. Please God, please say no. Not my luck. The squeak happened again, and a giant mouse poked its head out from under the stove. I screamed like a maniac and jumped ten feet to the counter behind me and got on top. After our kitty passed away, and before the house was finished, we would get an occasional mouse. Once when Bryan went home for lunch, he kept hearing what sounded like small feet running, then a thump. When he went downstairs to investigate, he found a mouse was trapped in our dryer vent hose! He took the vent off from the top, crimped it shut and put a sack on the end with a rubber band. Then hauled the dryer outside, where I disinfected it, got a new dryer vent hose, and a whole new contraption for outside (it has a 'tank', that opens at the top when you are drying clothes; no mouse can get in that).
When we did the kitchen reno, we found where the mice had been getting in. There were gaping holes where the house "attaches" to the foundation. The mice would climb the vines of the creeping ivy outside, and get in through the holes. Then they would run amok, having quite the party underneath the kitchen cabinet next to the stove. We ended up with a pregnant mama mouse, that had babies under that cabinet during the reno. Sadly, one baby mouse just got its little foot trapped, and we had to put him out of his misery outside. I cried for him, even though I hate the critters. Once we discovered the cabinet mess, we cleared it out, patched all the holes, and haven't had a mouse since.
Until now.
We could hear this mouse behind the stove causing quite a ruckus. We laid out traps, and watched him lick away at the first one! Jerry had taught this one well. So I grabbed the second trap, smashed a whole bunch of tuna on it, and placed a Lucky Charm treat on top. The mouse ran about several times, attempting to escape to the fridge, and successfully made it to the dishwasher. Fed up, and Bryan now late to work, we left. I went and got sandwiches, as our house was infected with mice and who knows what else, and then bought more mouse traps and armed myself with cleaning supplies galore. When I got home, I tip toed into the kitchen. There was the mouse, snapped shut in the trap with his mouth over the gourmet meal I had prepared him. Whew! I then spent all afternoon cleaning and disinfecting. I pulled out the stove, shoved sticks down the side of the fridge with lysol wipes attached, and same with the dishwasher. Then late in the afternoon, after I was finally done, I got a call from my boss. While on the phone, I noticed a flash of a shadow, and screamed right into my boss' ear. I thought I'd seen another mouse. False alarm; just the shadow from the bag I was playing with. Then today I got a text from Bryan. There was a mouse under the fridge, as well as the stove. WHAT?!?! How the @#&*%? And sure enough, there are two more. One is a conniving little devil, and licked the peanut butter cleanly off one trap, and stole the Lucky Charm treats from two more. I left work and bought bigger, better and meaner traps. When I got home, Bryan was in the shower getting ready, and no trap was set off. I set up all mine, but with no gourmet meal this time. These culprits were getting no prize, as they had pranced around all night in my house. And now I'm worried that this must mean I keep a disgusting home, but I know I don't. I clean every week, and deep clean once a month. I disinfect every corner, and will take the time to use a toothbrush on the stove, and q-tips in the corners of windows. I'll even use a swiffer cloth on my ceilings to get any stray spider webs. When I finally arrive home tonight, I better find two mice DEAD, snapped in traps. I know it may seem sadistic to use the snap traps, but I will never use Decon. Who knows where that mouse will end up dying. Inside your wall? Behind the cabinets? Under the fridge? Or in the floorboards between the main floor and basement? No thanks!