Confession

I haven't posted because I just haven't had the time. We are very busy! I've been hemming and hawing over whether to blog about the mess we have over here. You see, it's a little embarrassing. I don't want you to stop reading my blog out of sheer disgust. Please don't judge, but it's time we came out to our family, friends, and strangers......

via Google Images

We have a mouse problem! I know, I know...almost every house has some at some point... but come on -  gross!!! I debated whether I should wait until the problem was solved before I said anything to anyone. There's a little less of a stigma applied if you are the homeowner who, had a mouse problem vs the homeowner who has rodents running amuck in their home. Problem was, when people asked what I did this weekend and I said, "some spring cleaning" the look on my face signaled to everyone that there was a story behind it. I just can't lie!

I guess I was only half joking when I wrote about a Mickey who wanted my cinnamon.  Shortly after I pushed publish on that post we discovered a torn up oven mitt in our drawer. I blamed the washing machine. Then, we opened another drawer and found corn kernels and black beans shoved in the corner.  Everything (!!) was pulled out, washed, scrubbed, and sterilized. Cabinets were scrubbed from the inside out. Traps were laid.

Death toll is currently four. We do feel a little bad for the cute little vermin. I thought about doing the catch and release traps. Problem with that is I would need to drive the fur balls at least a mile away if I didn't want them to come right on back! I pictured my mouse family, the dad waving his little bus ticket, 5 little ones, and a pregnant wife to boot, out there in the cold, running from barn owls and hawks, just trying to get back home. I think the current plan is working out better for everyone. Fact of the matter is, they are dirty little pests. Nobody would dream of catching cockroaches and setting them free.. ..    I hope...

Good news is..my kitchen has not looked cleaner! We cleaned and scrubbed like crazy. We still won't eat here until we know the little ones are gone. And then, we'll need to clean and scrub it again...just to be sure..

I've already learned a lot from this experience....both from research and personal accounts. First off, cheese is so 1950's. Modern mice love peanut butter. This last run I left them a chocolate chip on their traps too. Also, people are just as inclined to go into detail about their history with house mice as they are to tell their birth stories. I felt a little better as I stood in home depot with 4 other people picking out just the right traps for our little buggers. Speaking of birth, mice ovulate every 4 days!!! Yikes! Gestation period of 21 days. Gotta move fast. I WORK at a pregnancy and birth center, but despite feeling like it sometimes, I don't LIVE at the pregnancy and birth center.  

Ortho makes this trap. So far so good. Out of the seven we have out only one hasn't worked as advertised. It's meant to be disposable after one use but for 4 dollars for a pack of two they are completely re-usable. No need to even touch the mouse! Super easy to set.

Few other tricks and tips -  Mice hate peppermint. Once I know we have them gone I'm going to put a little peppermint oil on a cotton ball and put it in the corner of my cabinets. Mice can fit through a hole the size of a nickel!!! I think they are coming from the sink hole. You can plug up the holes with steel wool. It's difficult to chew through. Mouse with a tooth ache? It's only suggested you plug up the holes when you know they are out..otherwise you'll have dead mouse in the walls... stinky.

I'm giving it another few days...then I'm trowing in the oven mitts and letting Dad come over and see if he can add exterminator to his ongoing resume.

So please, don't hold my confession and lack of blog updates against me.....Or I'll catch and release them in your backyard!