Critters

The first time I saw a mouse in my house it was as if my whole home had been invaded; hundreds rather than a mama and a couple babies sticking out from the wood box (where, when I looked within, there was an actual hole to the outside.)  It was only later I realized that most people, whether city, country or somewhere in-between have to deal with little critters at some point in time.  (I had taken it as a personal invasion and was somewhat offended by the family of rodents.)

A second and more troublesome mouse appeared in the house more recently, coming out from the side of the dishwasher (right after I had seen a chipmunk scoot in the small crack).  It was not a happy morning.  The original builder of the house (not the new cabin) apparently just cut a circle of wood out of the floor wherever a pipe was to go through (fixed now).  
Although I have been known to let out a squeal upon seeing that quick movement on the floor, keeping one’s wits about oneself to see where critters go (after the chipmunk ran across the dining room), can keep the imagination from thinking they are coming out of every nook and cranny.  
I began to scout near the appliances regularly and changed to a policy of always wearing shoes in the kitchen.  Soon I saw the mouse come out again.  I set a trap using peanut butter and the first night (while lying awake upstairs in bed listening for loud snaps and dreaming of creepy crawly things in my bed) it was set off, but was a false alarm.  The next night, the same thing, with the peanut butter having disappeared and the same the next night.  This was the biggest, boldest mouse I had seen and now it was war.

Admittedly, in the past, I have had some trouble setting mouse traps.  You would think with a masters degree and some level of intelligence this would not be so difficult, but the instructions are weak at best and perhaps I did not really want to catch the little critter.  Still, it was time to ask for help and I called over my neighbor Ted to request assistance.  “That will take care of it.”  No doubt, he said.  Nope.  When Ted’s trap still did not work, Tom decided to take the lead.  Finally the mouse was caught.

A few years ago the disposal of said creature would have set me off the edge.  I can do it now, but Tom and I disagree on the method.  I pick up the trap and dispose of the mouse, trap and all.  I think the trap costs about 89 cents and it is worth it to me and something I do not want to use again.  Tom gets rid of the mouse but reuses the trap.  Since the incident I have done a small poll and I find that most women are trap tossers, most men are trap keepers and everyone has a firm belief in their method.

I am thinking about all of this today as I walked out into our garden with the pups a bit ago and saw a dead vole (nasty little mouse like creature who tears up the garden).  In the house I marched and grabbed a bag and scoop.  Done.  Then I walked to the other side of the house and found a bird.  Scoop.  Done.  I’m better than I was at handling these things, but I still want Tom to get rid of all of our garbage, critter bag included first thing in the morning.