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Hi there
We are having trouble with house mice at the moment - cute and cuddly as they are.
Mr Mouse is on the move again from a month ago. OH and I have seem Mr Mouse appearing all over our house in the last 2 days. You can see him moving at the corner of your eye - little devil. He is getting everywhere at the moment! I was sitting at the PC tonight, and I could hear some rustling going on in my cupboards in the kitchen. We do not have biscuits or anything like crisps around, but the rustling sounded like a crisp bag. I called OH through and the little monkey disappeared all together. So I went back and sat at the PC once more and there is more of the same rustling. So I stayed at the PC, and called OH through and he looked in the cupboard, and caught the mouse eating a bag of pasta in the cupboard - brazen little grrrr ! There is fresh mouse poo in our cupboard, and I will not tolerate that at all. So now it is a war of mice and men. Mr mouse will have to go now.
Should I do it the humane way, or another way?
Thoughts please {hmmm ..}
Regards Kathy
Hi Kezmo
Great story - and it could have been worse, you know. Had it been alive it might have given you a nasty nip before dancing a little jig on your desk...☺
Squirrel
The necessity of bird-watching is a really good reason for avoiding all forms of housework.
The dust will still be there tomorrow - the birds may not be!
Hi Blackbird, Hi Squirrel
My workmates still don't let me forget it - "Oh Kerry I don't suppose you've got a mouse I could borrow" I've just realised it must have been 4 years ago, as we are due another Ofsted next term so I think I'll leave the handbag at home this time! lol
Regards
Kerry
http://www.flickr.com/photos/kezmo6310/
Hi There
There I was sitting watching Masterchef and Mr Mouse trotted across the floor, sat and had a look at me. Then went behind the chairs in the front room. Cheeky little mite. There is no fear in him at all. He is making himself at home.
It is although he is tame, and used to people.
Now he is playing mind games with me, and each room I go into he runs as close to me as possible. Hmmmm
When OH comes home at the weekend, we will get a trap to catch him, and give him a little car ride so he will forget about us.
Kathy and Dave
Oppps..I think we posted at the same time.
I bet that your workmates do not let you forgst about it. On the Ofsted day they will repeat all the juicy details once more.
That handbag needs a padlock and chain on it to make it cat and mouse proof LOL.
Unknown said: Hi Blackbird, Hi Squirrel My workmates still don't let me forget it - "Oh Kerry I don't suppose you've got a mouse I could borrow" I've just realised it must have been 4 years ago, as we are due another Ofsted next term so I think I'll leave the handbag at home this time! lol
Sounds very much like he is getting really comfy with the warmth of the house and food on offer. Are you ok handling mice Blackbird? I know that some people would rather not touch them. If you are not worried why not try putting some food by you and see what happens - you never know he may be much more easier to catch than you think and if you wait until the weekend to do it then he may be even more used to you.
hi Kezmo
You have said the right thing, I think he is making/made himself/herself at home. Not heard any more noises at the moment. I have decided to keep the sink clear of dirty plates, and they go straight into the dishwasher.
Just trying keep the work tops clear of any food stuff so not to tempt him to run about on the work tops.
Yes, some tempting food may put him at ease so I can catch him. I think I will wait until the weekend and get something to place over him if he is docile enough to come up for food. OH said he is going to buy a humane trap so that will help get a hold of him - still prefer not to have my fingers bitten!
I do not mind mice at all - only slugs are a big no no for me to handle {yuk}
Unknown said: Sounds very much like he is getting really comfy with the warmth of the house and food on offer. Are you ok handling mice Blackbird? I know that some people would rather not touch them. If you are not worried why not try putting some food by you and see what happens - you never know he may be much more easier to catch than you think and if you wait until the weekend to do it then he may be even more used to you.
Hi Blackbird - was thinking of you all night last night ---------- it was very warm here so when I went to bed I opened the main bedroom window (we live in a bungalow) I was constantly woken up by scratching noices which made me think of your mouse - about 5.00 a.m. I put the light on and there it was running along the top of he curtain rail trying to find its way back out of the window. It constantly tried to run up the wall but unlike the outside walls these are papered and it couldn't get a grip so we got up and spent a happy our trying to catch it and put it outside - no luck there! I could here it chewing the wallpaper and lifting the carpet by my bed but was too tired to bother so went back to sleep. After breakfast we investigated further and could hear it in my bedside cabinet so we wrapped the cabinet in a blanket and carried it into the garden (as everytime we opened the drawers in the house it ran behind another item) hey presto we uncovered the chest opened the drawer and out it popped. Part II - it then ran straight under the fence and made a beeline for the potting shed I keep the birdseed in I was so sure it was 'my mouse' so I quickly followed it and sure enought it was sitting on the shelf eating its breakfast (fatball) poor little chap had only had wallpaper to eat all night!
hi Lucybob
Oh dear, I hope I am not putting everyone on all night 'mouse' alert {eekk}
Your mouse sounds a lot more afraid of you than the one I have here. this one is a bit laid back and does not get hassled at all - groovy boy he is. I wonder if he has arrived since we moved in, or he has always been here.
I hate to say this but the previous tenants where not the cleanest people. The house had to be cleaned from top to bottom before we moved in. So that makes me think that the mouse liked the fact that there was lots of food on offer. So not so good.
Anyway I hope that you sleep better tonight and your mouse is outside now - with his bird seed for company LOL
Let me know if he comes back for another visit.
lucybob said: Hi Blackbird - was thinking of you all night last night ---------- it was very warm here so when I went to bed I opened the main bedroom window (we live in a bungalow) I was constantly woken up by scratching noices which made me think of your mouse - about 5.00 a.m. I put the light on and there it was running along the top of he curtain rail trying to find its way back out of the window. It constantly tried to run up the wall but unlike the outside walls these are papered and it couldn't get a grip so we got up and spent a happy our trying to catch it and put it outside - no luck there! I could here it chewing the wallpaper and lifting the carpet by my bed but was too tired to bother so went back to sleep. After breakfast we investigated further and could hear it in my bedside cabinet so we wrapped the cabinet in a blanket and carried it into the garden (as everytime we opened the drawers in the house it ran behind another item) hey presto we uncovered the chest opened the drawer and out it popped. Part II - it then ran straight under the fence and made a beeline for the potting shed I keep the birdseed in I was so sure it was 'my mouse' so I quickly followed it and sure enought it was sitting on the shelf eating its breakfast (fatball) poor little chap had only had wallpaper to eat all night!
You all sound so relaxed about having a mouse in your homes! Sorry, but I couldn't go to sleep knowing that there was a mouse in the bedroom. I would have locked Hubby in bedroom untill he had got rid of it !!!! I had a harvest mouse in kitchen some years ago and left door open for it to go back outside again, only to watch it's friend walk in and join it !!! Eventually caught them and released them in a field, well away from my kitchen door.
This has to be the most entertaining thread I have read on a forum for a long time. Lucybob and Brenda H - love your stories [squeak!] please keep them coming.