Dirty S.O.B's!

We've got mice. Its embarrassing. Ironic, coz I was visiting a Danger Mouse website just the other day.

They're all cute when you see them in a pet store, but now imagine 5 or so of them in your cupboard uninvited eating your bread. Nibbled a hole through the wall and got in they did. Mice can squeeze in through a hole one quarter of an inch big. After making this discovery, I suddenly noticed mouse crap in the cupboards and on my computer table. (that's why my screensaver kept getting interrupted!)

And I caught one. Without a trap.

Early Wednesday morning, I woke to a scratching sound. After realizing the sun had not risen yet and my clock boldly proclaimed that 5:25am does exist, I turned the light on and spotted a little black thing zoom past in the corner of my eye. LITTLE BASTARD got in my bedroom! But the door is shut - WTF?

This mouse ate a corner out of my door, ate the carpet under the hinge and tunneled himself access. Oh yes, this is war.

I creep back into bed, with badminton raquet in hand. I end up waiting only 3 or so minutes as it seems this mouse only has the one escape route - and he wants out.
I scare him off. 3 minutes later he comes back. I scare him off. I think hes got the idea now, coz he somehow manages to get up on the window ledge and tries to find an exit there. I wait. He seems more adventurous, so comes right out in the open to look around. I leap out of the bed with raquet in hand screaming "die motherfucker" - he freaks and dives into a pot plant. HA! Fooled you dirty S.O.B! It's a fake plant, and the pot is effectively a long drop.

What happens next may seem cruel, so I will condense it to the fact the mouse died drowning. It had nothing do to with a pot, and everything to do with a bath. I just happened to 'accidentally drop the pot plant into a half full bath of 5:25am icy cold water'. Nature's cruel hand.

Tonight, I came out of the lounge and discovered two more mice hiding in the bird's cage. Trevor (the bird) was FREAKING! The mice bolted as soon as my shadow was cast under the 100W bulb. How the hell did they get up into the birdcage? This is bewildering.

Turning to camera 3, I raise my chin and proclaim "Thats it!"

There's only one thing to do. Traps. I could call Mainzeal and borrow a crane to lift the house, then phone the NZ Air Force to concoct a deadly recipe of rat poison and lavender and bomb our section, then phone Instant Lawn to cover the mess. Traps are easier, and far cheaper.

Peanut Butter is the golden ingredient I'm told, as it's tricker to remove from the snap-trap. I'll post again after the weekend - hopefully with pleasing results.

If you have mice (it's Winter after all) - here's a few links to help ya:
Get Rid Of Mice
So You Wanna...
How To..
If you love all animals, try Shake-Away Rodent Powder..

-update: 19 Aug
Props to the PI salesman @ Hammer Hardware Otahuhu, whom sold me 3 fantastic mousetraps. Dei Hamo needs to write a rap for him, totally. And get Jane Yee to cameo again!

It was a carnical atmosphere when I came home with the traps. The mice had clowns, ferris wheel and a great big welcoming party for their newly arrived "death machines".
I gave them a welcome treat on the first night. Peanut Butter with bread, and butter. Next morning, the food was gone yet trap still armed. I left them armed over the first few days of this week with no bait. And rightly so, I'd snub that menu too and ignore an empty smorgasboard. Last night I placed a fingertip amount of ETA Crunchy on the nib of the trap. I waited no longer than 15 minutes and I had a dead mouse. It shocked me on how quickly it worked. I have refreshed all traps again (after composting the cheeky sod) and expect the rest sprung by weeks end. Check back for more. oh the humanity!

Read the follow up in 2005 here.