I Can't Believe It Worked!

Good Saturday morning to you! I don't have any photos to share, but I have another installment of our Adventures With Mice. Read on, if you'd like. But, be forewarned, this could get long.

One morning last week, before the girls got up, I was catching up on reading my emails and blog entries. Steve was getting ready for work. It was quiet. I kept hearing a rustling noise, which is the tell-tale sound that a mouse is out and about. I almost always hear this noise in or near the corner where the girls' computer is located (the opposite corner where my computer is located). Which is odd, since it's fairly open (no hiding places). So, after a few minutes of hearing the noise I got up to investigate. Steve at this point was sitting at the kitchen table getting ready to eat breakfast. I looked in the corner and sure enough, didn't see any mouse there, but I sure could hear the rustling. As I turned to tell Steve it was around there somewhere, my eyes scanned our fireplace, which is between the two computer corners. Steve often throws papers in there to burn. Sure enough, one of those papers was moving inside the fireplace! I quickly slammed the glass doors shut and told Steve the mouse was in there. He didn't believe it, and came to look. We could see the critter running around in there, trying to find a way to escape. Now what? I wasn't about to open the doors again, even though Steve said I should put a trap in there.

The fireplace has a door (vent?) on the floor that can be opened up and on the outside of the chimney (in our backyard) there is another door to open. I think it is so you don't have to scoop out the ashes, you could send them all down this hole when the door is opened. The thought was I should go outside (when it was light out) to open the trap doors and let the guy scurry out that way and be gone. I tried it, and got it open (using a couple of sticks). I went back into the house to see if the mouse was still moving around in there. But then I worried the open doors might invite other mice IN, so I went back out and closed it all up. I didn't see any evidence that he had jumped down (there were ashes in the opening). I figured just keep the fireplace closed and let Steve deal with it later. LOL We (the girls and I) saw no movement in the fireplace the rest of the day. Steve got home from work and decided to light a fire. Great, bbq'd mouse, if he was still in there.  Thankfully, he didn't seem to be in there anymore. Not that I know for sure, because I haven't investigated too closely, but we didn't see him run to the glass doors to get out either. We think he might have climbed up the chimney and got away.

I was relieved to think that we might be done with mice finally. But experience this year has taught me not to celebrate too soon and I decided not to gloat on the blog. Good thing. THAT NIGHT I saw another fricking mouse scampering around the living room. This one looked smaller than other ones I've seen. GREAT...they had babies! I cannot for the life of me figure out WHERE they are hanging out! Steve got up and helped me look around. Then we discovered the HOLE in the chair. UGH. Yes, there was a hole in a chair we have sitting by the girls' computer. Steve and I quickly dragged it outside and he proceeded to take off the bottom mesh. No sign of a mouse OR a nest or anything. He did find some scraps of fabric so I could patch up the hole (which I did the next morning).

Are you laughing yet? Because it is comical!

So now Steve is more involved in trying to get rid of the latest mouse. He decides we should put dog food in the traps (remember I have like 7 or 8 of them IN THE LIVING ROOM alone)! No takers on that. Then he thinks raw nuts would be good...nope no go there either. Amy saw it the other night and it freaked her out.

We were out and about most of yesterday for Steve's birthday. We went out to dinner to celebrate. As I walked into the kitchen after that, I could swear I saw something run across my counter behind the sink. Steve said he'd SEEN the mouse on the counters (but never said anything to me....ewwwwww). But of course, we couldn't find him.

So, Steve gets on the internet and is searching out ways to get rid of mice, because now I'm thinking we just might need an exterminator. He doesn't think so (they cost money, you know). So he comes across this article? Post? Something where a guy explains that he had a mouse and he caught it without a mousetrap, in an hour, no less. It involved using a toilet paper tube or paper towel tube and a bit of bait. You balance the tube on the edge of the counter with the bait on the side of the tube hanging over the edge. Underneath the tube, you put a tall,empty trash can. The idea is, mice like tunnels (guess for the furtive aspect of getting around). He runs through the tunnel to get the bait, and falls into the trash can. I was TOTALLY skeptical, but our other methods weren't working and it didn't cost a thing. Steve set it up last night and we went to bed.

At about 4am this morning I thought I heard a thunk coming from the kitchen. Wishful thinking, I thought. Then I heard the sounds of something moving around, bumping into the sides of something. I finally get up and investigate. The tube is no longer on the counter! I creep up to the trash can and in the dim light of the stove light, I saw a mouse in the trash can! I gasped and jumped a foot first. I cannot believe it worked! I gingerly took the trash can and set it outside because if that puppy gets out, I want it to get out...OUTSIDE! Then I thought, I don't want him to get out by the house, so I found a box large enough to cover the top of the trash can.

I am leery of saying we are done with mice, but I sure hope so. I think this makes #3 or #4 that we've gotten this year. If Erin's theory of when you see 1 there are really 10 holds true...then we've got a ways to go!

If nothing else, I could have more mousecapade stories to "entertain" you with this winter! I still can't believe the tube thing worked! I'm going to take the trash can with the mouse over to a dog park to dump it. It's about a mile away from the house.

Thanks for reading if you got this far!

Jeanne