Tuesday, November 22, 2011

Under Attack!

There is a mouse.
A mouse.
A MOUSE in my HOUSE!

And I am F-R-E-A-K-I-N-G out!

Okay in all reality, I am sure there is more than just one mouse. There are probably several mice in my house, and my overly-active imagination has me convinced that they are plotting, just waiting around every corner to jump out at me.

Maybe that's an over-reaction.
Let me back up.

Late last month we were out of power for eleven days. I don't know what it was about being out of power, but when we returned home we found that a mouse had left us some little "presents" in my dish towel drawer. We have never, and I mean NEVER, in the five years of living here, had a mouse in our kitchen. There were a few that had made it into the garage when we first moved in, but we replaced the garage doors and that was the end of that problem- until now!

So I did what any manic sane person would do, I threw out every dish towel, cleaned the drawer out, and lied to myself that that was the end of my mouse problem.

Then I found another "present" in the bottom drawer of the stove where I keep the lids to my pots. Then near our furnace. Don't like where this is going? Yeah, me either.

I am totally beside myself as to how this could have happened. Anyone who knows me knows how OCD I am about things being clean. I never EVER go to sleep with dishes in the sink, always wipe counters down before and after use and before bed, mop my floor at least once if not more a week, don't leave food out etc. etc. So where did I go wrong?

I spent the better part of the first week we were back scrubbing every surface, every toy, washing all the blankets and playmats that the babies use just-in-case a mouse had so much as looked at them. It was a lot of work, mainly because in my mind nothing is ever "clean enough," and because I consulted Dr. Google who scared the shiznit out of me when it brought me to pages about the Hanta Virus (we actually don't have this in my state) and some crazy blurb about mice liking babies because they smell like milk! How can you relax at night after reading something like that? I can't!

Then things calmed down, and we had a few beautiful weeks of non-mousey bliss, and all felt right in the world again. I never actually had seen any mice, so I told myself that it was us not being home for that length of time that made them come wander into our home, and that I was sure they had fully vacated the premises before our return-how considerate of them.

I started to feel safe again. To live life the way I had before the mice had come calling. I was once again happy in my home... and then it happened. This morning while cleaning the floor, I found one-lone-"present" waiting for me in the corner. It hadn't been there the night before... it hadn't been there the hour before! That means while the snowflakes and I were playing just a dozen or so feet away, this mouse was helping himself to my - as I later discovered - onions of all things. Blech!

I freaked out. Left hubs a message that was something to the affect of "Oh-my-gosh-there-was-a-mouse-it-pooped-on-the-floor-I'm-outta-here-this-is-NOT-acceptable" then packed the kids in the car and got the hell outta dodge - which really means I drove to Target and walked aimlessly with the babies in the carriage while drinking a tasty treat from Starbucks and waiting for my husband to come home to rescue me.

So yes, it seems. We are under attack.

Eeeek!

18 comments:

  1. it is just a mouse though. Look outside to see where they are coming in from and block the hole. Use a have a heart trap with cheese its and then relocate them.

    A mouse will not kill you.

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  2. We had that problem a few weeks ago. Nothing makes you feel more disgusting. We caught two and I cleaned like a mad woman with no returns. We will see if they are there when we get back from Thanksgiving break.

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  3. We had mice in our house when we lived up in Pennsylvania. Mainly in the attic though. We used the poison pellets and apparently that did the trick. There are lots of home remedy type things you could try to get rid of them, if you're opposed to traps and poison; or getting a cat. I have read that even just the smell of a cat is enough to scare mice away .... I'll gladly put some fur from a shedding session in a Ziploc and mail it to you! : )

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  4. I totally understand...i would be like those cartoon women freaking out on-top of the table whether I saw the mouse or not...just the "present" would freak me out. Hope they find thier way outside were they belong- P.S: Love the new look. hugs,
    Felicia

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  5. I'm freaking out for you. I can tolerate many things. A mouse, however, is not one of them. I'm terrified of them. I mean terrified in the sense that I probably need some type of shock therapy. As for the heart trap, I disagree. I say get a trap that will kill that little sucker. You certainly don't want him telling all of his friends about your amazingly clean house with the tasty onions!!!!

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  6. We had the same problem a little over a month ago after never having a problem in the 5 years we've been here! I know how gross it feels to have my baby crawl around on the floors and pray that there are no more mouse germs left!! I agree with Megan - it's disgusting with a capital D!!! In our kitchen pantry, with kitchen pans, with cloths/bibs/placemats...So much stuff went in the garbage! Out came the bleach, out came the traps. The one that worked the best was the trap they wander into smelling food (peanut butter) and then can't get back out. We caught two and it seems that's been it. Good luck!

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  7. Don't worry! I am sure your hubby will be a superhero and save you all!!The worst part about mice (or spiders for that matter) is that they compromise that feeling of safety your home has been. But they are only squatters, and you can take care of them! Good luck and keep us posted!

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  8. =) I once threw away half of my basement because I found some mouse droppings. I can totally feel you!

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  9. Oh, you just put my worst fears into words - very elopquently too I might add. YIKES and double yikes. We have taken the Target escape route a time or two too. Hope you are able to nab those squatters soon.

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  10. Just think, it could be a snake...actually, if you had a snake you wouldn't have mice...come to think if it, that might be why I don't have mice...wanna borrow my water heater closet snake?

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  11. Peanut butter, on coke can, string running through coke can to suspend over bucket filled with water, leave out until mouse or mice is gone, no chemicals, safe and very effective. There is the side effect of having a drown mouse at the bottom of said bucket, but problem solved. :) (btw it works by the mouse when the hit the coke can to get to the peanut butter which they love the most spins the can falls in bucket and well bye bye mousy

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  12. Lol this is a funny discussion. But I just want to ask if you know that a little mouse has less germ than Target, right?

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  13. What about that little cat you had living in the box outside? Maybe it could move inside and help you out.

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  14. We were having bee issues inside my house. Since it was the end of their season they were slow and easy to kill. it freaked the life out of me when I found Hayden playing with a live bee. I did the same thing you did. I grabbed my kid and left. I hope you can get rid of them. I know because it is getting colder they may be trying to find a warm place.

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  15. Well, I like the ending...shopping wth your little honeys, drinking a nice Starbucks treat, and waiting for your prince charming to rescue you...what could be better?

    xo

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  16. Oh no! I totally understand your reaction. Please realize though this is *not* your fault, and a mouse can find its way into the world's cleanest house. it's getting colder out and they just want to be warm and find food. Walk around your house (or have hubby do it) and try to figure out how they are getting in. They can squeeze into a tiny opening in a wall or whatever. If you can't find it, an exterminator would be able to help. We had a few in our attic, and some poison pellets up there did the trick.

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  17. You know what would cure you? Get a pet mouse! They are the sweetest, softest little things and you will love them!

    Haha!

    I didn't convince you, did I?

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  18. There is a mouse.
    A mouse.
    A MOUSE in my HOUSE!

    And I am F-R-E-A-K-I-N-G out!

    I had to laugh, because this sounds like the beginning of a children's book. Nice tempo! You should consider it!

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