Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The Horror Of Household Pests

Hi, my name is MaryAnn and I hate household pests. The ones that are brave enough to venture inside my house very rarely live long enough to to be able to tell their friends what new things they have discovered. Woe unto any spider that dares to start a web somewhere. It will surely be destroyed and it's life ended in a crushing manner.

No insects have a chance if I'm around, but there is a certain pest that turns me into a pathetic mess of shivers and shrill noises.

Our house is fairly new, and ever since we live in it I was able to go where I wanted 24 hours a day without the fear of a furry rodent scampering across my toes. That has all changed now.

I am the first one up every morning. I enjoy the few moments of quiet, as I start the coffee, do some reading, and turn on the computer and then visit with Sunbeam as she comes to join me.

On Monday morning I was happily going through my normal morning routine, I opened a cupboard door to get a water pitcher to get water for the coffeemaker, when to my horror I almost touched a mouse. I let out an involuntary noise that woke the entire household, I slammed the door shut and ran to the bedroom gasping, a mouse! there's a mouse! my husband looked at me groggily and calmly said "I'm sure you scared it away." I headed back to the kitchen shivering and gingerly opened the cupboard door again. He was right, it was gone, so I went ahead and got the coffee under way.

A few minutes later my husband came to see if he can find the little intruder, but there was no sign of it any where. I went ahead and started on breakfast right away, since everyone was awake already, when oh horrors there goes the little fellow scampering bravely across the kitchen floor. I declare he must have been related to Desperaux. My mouse reflexes kicked in again as another shrill sound pierced the air and I somehow wound up standing on a chair.

We didn't see it the rest of the day and I managed to be myself, I tried to tell myself that I'm much bigger than a mouse and sent Sailor on a quest of locating a mousetrap. It was of no avail and so I had to contend with the fact that I might have to live with a mouse in the house until we get to town to buy a trap. (Shiver and shudder)

Yesterday morning I was once again enjoying my solitude when Sunbeam, my early riser got up like she normally does. It is nice having alone time with her before everyone else is up and about. We were sitting, chatting pleasantly when we both heard the pitter-patter of tiny feet. I froze in my chair with my feet pulled up off the floor, Sunbeam had no such problems and went to investigate, she opened a cupboard door and whispered excitedly. It's right here Mom! And watched as it disappeared behind the refrigerator.

We got through the day without seeing it again, but last night with my mouse detection senses on high I woke up in the middle of the night to distinct gnawing noises. I woke my husband and pleaded that he go and find it, as I sat in the middle of the bed and wrapped all the covers around me, while he not nearly as convinced as I was investigated the noise I said was coming from underneath the baby crib.

This particular crib is different from most in that, since Sunbeam moved out of it, I used it to store lots of things in it and under it. I also buy old Dick and Jane books and store them under the crib until I have enough for a set and then I sell them. My patient husband got everything out and there was no mouse in sight.

I can hardly wait to get a trap and be able to sleep soundly once more. I really, really hate mice.

The scene of investigation. It looks so peaceful with the Flower Garden quilt that Grandma Mast made for our babies, hiding the host of things I store behind it.
Now doesn't that look like a place a mouse would like to explore? I will prevail and our house will soon be a no pest zone once again.
Please tell me I'm not the only one out here with a loathing of furry rodents.

18 comments:

  1. Hi there! I loath rodents in my house as well. I like to use glue traps when we have one because it catches them EVERY TIME. I put a dab of peanut butter in the very center to ensure their enticement. The only problem is then someone (my husband or a son) has to kill it. I guess I would if I had to, but am thankful that I don't have to!

    That quilt is beautiful!!!

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  2. I can not BELIEVE you posted this today because I was just freaking out this weekend about a mouse on my back patio! Granted, yours wins because it was actually IN the house, but let me tell you, I don't even like them NEAR the house - and why is it that husbands all have the same reaction??? We had mice in the house a long time ago and all I kept thinking is that it was having it's babies in every cabinet and pooping all over. Honey, I'm so sorry for you - don't worry, they'll be gone in no time!

    On a side note, I love to see that crib used as a store-all. My dining room table gets that way sometimes because it's the first thing we see when we walk in the door with bags, papers, etc. Go Grandma Mast - awesome quilt!!!!!!!!!!!! The mice said thank you! ha ha

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  3. Good lord I would have lost my mind!!!!!!

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  4. When you go to the store to buy that mouse trap make sure that you buy some of that spray insulation in a can!!! When you get home you will need to have your man to go under the house and use that spray can of insulation to spray around all pipes and cracks and the such that is under your house that a mouse could somehow squeeze though and get in your house. It might take a couple of cans depending on the size of your house. It will help to keep those fury critters out of your house! That is what we did to our new house when we built it and I have yet to see one ~ Thank God ~

    Now if you are brave enough and you have a bee bee gun shoot it the next time you see it! That is what I did to one in our old farm house several years ago! hehehe This mouse kept walking back and forth inbetween the dining and living room. I couldn't get the dog to do anything about it so I got out my bee bee gun and I shot it!!! My husband couldn't believe that he was married to a sharp shooter! lol I wanted to get it stuffed and mounted and hang it over the fireplace but we didn't.... Sigh.... lol True Story!!!

    Recap ~ Items to buy at store: Mouse traps, foam spray insulation in a can and a bee bee gun!!!

    God Bless!!!

    Angela

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  5. I am just like you....I HATE MICE, and usually am not scared of much of anything. THAT AND SNAKES. Both of them make me SCREAM! I miss a mouser when I see them, we used to have a cat that was a good mouser, but she passed away of old and age the cat we have left could care less about mice and wouldn't know what to do if one walked up to it and said hello!

    And you sure know how to tell a story!
    XOXO
    Joni
    PS: Would you like to email me next time you have a whole set of Dick & Jane books? I love them and would be interested in a whole set!

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  6. I actually think they are cute. We get them every fall and my husband insists on using the traps that kill them. I prefer to use the little humane traps that allow you to relocate them instead. My cat Fifi who is a bit of a household pest herself, actually kills mice. She is my first cat to do me such a favor.

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  7. We get them in the bottom of our gas stove, so that's where we set the traps. One day, last fall, while fixing dinner for our daughter and her boyfriend, we heard the trap snap, then awful squealing! Boyfriend got the trap with the live mouse, brought it outside, released the mouse, who very quickly jumped in the swimming pool!!! Boyfriend then had to fish mouse out and let him go in the field!!!
    I think the mouse had a death wish!!!

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  8. I agree, I do NOT like Mice and I also do NOT like Snakes! Reminds me of summers when I was in college and a year or two just out of college when I worked nights or had a date I spent the night with my parents dear friends instead of driving an hour back home....she and my mother were like extremely close sisters. Anyway some nights I stayed when I didn't have to work late or have a date and this particular night was I was off, not date, my like an aunt friend and I were in her living room doing embroidery and Christmas decorations and her husband outside in his workshop. He came in with her and I sitting on the top part of the back of the chairs we were sitting in and our feet in the seats of the chairs, shaking and ewing, a mouse had ran across the living room floor. We were terrified and in a panic. He thought it was the funniest thing he had ever seen! He got a trap from his shed and set it with cheese. She and I laid in our beds wide awake all night listing for the trap to go off!

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  9. I don't think Florida is bothered with mice. We have too many other creepy crawlers. My house either has ants, which I hate the worse, or roaches, which I can tolerate a few if they don't loose their balance and fall into my arm pit, or little lizards. Lizards eat roaches and roaches eat ants. Right now I have a lizard or two in my house and haven't been able to catch them by throwing a wet rag on them and then gingerly shake the rag outside and the lizzard escapes until the next time...

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  10. Yikes! I would freak out too! However probably not as bad as I would if I saw a spider in my cupboard. Spiders scare the livin crap outta me!

    Good luck!

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  11. I too do not like to be ''bugged''.
    and mice are off my list too.And because I do not
    have kiddlets here I buy that little green mouse poison and wait for the mice to have a picnic- we get them in the spring but other wise we are ok.
    this poison kills them so that they do not smell and just disappear- sigh-
    hoping for a bug free summer for you and me.
    hugs from Meme

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  12. I don't like mice but I loved reading your story about one. Thanks for sharing it.

    I hope you are able to catch this little pest very soon.

    Blessings,
    Elizabeth

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  13. You had me giggling with solidarity on this post for sure!

    Twenty-four years ago we moved to this house. It is a very old farm house hand built by the homesteader and then subsequent farmers who lived here, consequently nothing is mouse proof. There were entire drawers in the kitchen that I finally gave up using because they were "mouse drawers". My family has been woken up, or their quiet time has been disturb by my involuntary scream at the sight of a mouse. I should have been in opera because it appears that I can hold a note for about five minutes while staring at the stunned rodent.

    We have lots of cats and a pack of Rat Terriers now.

    I hate to tell you this but the truth of the matter is that for every one rodent you do see there are a couple dozen you don't. Set many traps, tie lunch meat to the trigger (it is a quickly aquired skilll), set them frequently.

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  14. Do you have a cat? That's the best way to get rid of mice!!!! I feel for you, I only like the cute little ones that I sew, not real ones!!!
    I love the quilt though, it's stunning!!!!
    Hugs,
    Margaret B

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  15. I cannot STAND mice. They totally FREAK ME OUT! I am scared of the nasty little things. But you are right, living in the country, we are going to get them. We have a PLAN OF ATTACK with our exterminator this year that will start in August :) I CAN'T WAIT!

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  16. Hee-hee... You're not alone. As much as I love wildlife I do not like them in my home. No insect has a chance on my beat. I become a woman on a mission when I think there is a mouse in the house. Actually, I stone my hubs to check the trap like every 20 minutes. Livin' in an old farmhouse we've had mice, a few birdies and two bats. I almost had to be resuscitated after the latter.
    Love you blog! I will be a regular visitor for sure. :> )
    ~Karin

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  17. I agree about the mouse. Time he goes. assuming it is a he. My father called me one time telling my he had houdini mouse. He seen him, set traps and the bugger would steal the bait everytime. I said maybe he will stick around for some sweets. So my dad got ingenious and put some soft German Chocolate (the kind with the nuggets) on the trap. He walked downstairs and 10 minutes later SNAP! He got the bugger! then he thought I better set it again just in case. Reset. went downstairs 5 minutes went by and he heard a snap. Investigated and got another one. Hmmmm? Reset. again and again until he got 7 total that day. German chocolate is the BEST!!!

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  18. I must be really, really odd, as neither snakes nor mice bother me. The house my parents bought when WWII ended was built on farm land, and we had garter snakes in the garden. When Mum found one, she pick it up and "let" me hold it. "Now, gently, gently, right here behind his head. Don't squeeze. You'll hurt him." I'd let it wrap around my wrist - it tickled! - and then we'd put it back into the garden. As a result, I never learned to be afraid of them. We had a snake in the church kitchen, and while all those macho types were standing around wringing their hands, I muttered "Oh, for Pete's sake" and carried it out the door.

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