mazakaal Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Friday morning, while I was enjoying an early quiet time, I spotted a little furry creature skittering through my house. So it's that season again, when the furry creatures start to feel that the great outdoors is getting a touch cold for their liking, and they try to take refuge in my home. I mentioned said creature to dh and let him know that he needs to set the trap out again. Of course nothing gets done about it until dh, ds's and I are watching a movie on Sunday night and again see the precious little rodent. So dh sets out the trap. Monday morning, again up early for a relaxing quiet time, I find a not-so-little furry creature has been caught in dh's trap. After dh wakes up I let him know that he'll need to clear out the trap and re-set it because the mouse we caught is much bigger than the vole that we saw the night before. I think that dh thinks I'm totally clueless because when he saw the trap he was astonished to realize that, yes, the mouse that was trapped was not the vole that we had seen. Hello! I already told him that! So dh resets the trap. No activity Tuesday morning. This morning the cheese is missing, but the trap is empty. The vole isn't heavy enough to cause the trap to spring. Lovely. This morning, in the middle of school time, the vole appears, skittering along the skirting boards. Of course everyone screams and lifts their feet up. Dh comes running from his office (this is one occasion that I'm actually glad that he has his office in the house), and he begins the elaborate process of trying to set an old fasioned trap - string attached to pencil which is holding up an inverted box. 12yo is standing on a chair with his airsoft gun. The 4yo is causing general havoc. 10yo ds is trying to get his Typing Instructor Deluxe finished. I'm trying to read about Egyptian hieroglyphics to dd. Dh finally gives up on the trap and sets up a barrier system to try to force the vole, once it leaves the schoolroom, to go out the front door, by blocking the stairs and hallway. Unfortunately what I had feared would happen did, and the vole ended up under the shoe shelf, the only hiding place on the front porch. We left him there on the porch, hoping that he would go out the open front door and leave us alone, but I don't really think we've seen the last of the vermin. Isn't country living fun? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in the Kootenays Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 We've just started the annual process of clearing out mice that think my house is a good place to winter. Terriers are great mousers if you're in the market for a dog - way better than our cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 Our landlady won't let us have pets. I'll keep the terrier idea in mind if we move, though. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Our landlady won't let us have pets. I'll keep the terrier idea in mind if we move, though. :001_smile: I know you didn't mean it to be, but *that's* funny! You have creatures running around your house, but "our landlady won't let us have pets"!!!!!!! ;) Your pets just weren't *invited*!! It sounds like you have a great attitude about it! Good luck!! Chelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 We live in a rural area, too!! The field mice drive me crazy every fall!! We've only had them in the basement once, and our cat took care of them pretty quick! But we get them in the garage all the time. My hubby bought these sticky traps and caught some of them .. but my children felt sorry for them!! I caught my 17yo and my 8yo cutting them off the traps and setting them free!!! One day, my hubby commented, "There's a mouse out here, missing all the fur on one side. Isn't that strange?" My kids are whistling innocently! ;) What I can't STAND are the huge black snakes!! Ugh! They come into the garage to eat the mice, which is terrific, but they're gigantic!!! Yuck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aggie Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 The last time I saw one of Mickey's relatives scamper across our floor, I asked dh to put down a trap. Because of his long work hours, I didn't want one that would kill the poor little thing...I surely wouldn't touch the trap, and I couldn't have a dead rodent in the house. So, at my request, he put one of those sticky traps behind the piano. One morning, Mickey proceeds across the hall floor and runs behind the piano. Our schnauzer witnesses this and runs, yipping, to said piano. Mickey manages to just get his back feet on the sticky trap and claws his way to the front of the piano where now 2 yipping schnauzers are waiting on his arrival. Before I can get there, one of the dogs attacks the intruder, but only manages to get the rest of the sticky trap stuck on her little beard. By this time, the 3 children have joined the fray...3 screaming kids, 2 yipping dogs, one of them swinging her head wildly to get at that pesky rodent, and me...completely unarmed to handle a crisis of this proportion. Somehow, and this memory has been repressed, I must have grabbed the dog and yanked the trap and mouse off her beard. To this day, I have no recollection of anything past seeing my poor dog with a sticky trap and a mouse attached to her beard. I cannot recall how that trap got off her beard or where the mouse and trap ended up. Yup, I love living in the country! :) Aggie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 We live in a rural area, too!! The field mice drive me crazy every fall!! We've only had them in the basement once, and our cat took care of them pretty quick! But we get them in the garage all the time. My hubby bought these sticky traps and caught some of them .. but my children felt sorry for them!! I caught my 17yo and my 8yo cutting them off the traps and setting them free!!! One day, my hubby commented, "There's a mouse out here, missing all the fur on one side. Isn't that strange?" My kids are whistling innocently! ;) What I can't STAND are the huge black snakes!! Ugh! They come into the garage to eat the mice, which is terrific, but they're gigantic!!! Yuck! You are giving me cold chills!!! Ick! (asking sheepishly)...do I want to know why the fur was missing?? Chelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 The last time I saw one of Mickey's relatives scamper across our floor, I asked dh to put down a trap. Because of his long work hours, I didn't want one that would kill the poor little thing...I surely wouldn't touch the trap, and I couldn't have a dead rodent in the house. So, at my request, he put one of those sticky traps behind the piano. One morning, Mickey proceeds across the hall floor and runs behind the piano. Our schnauzer witnesses this and runs, yipping, to said piano. Mickey manages to just get his back feet on the sticky trap and claws his way to the front of the piano where now 2 yipping schnauzers are waiting on his arrival. Before I can get there, one of the dogs attacks the intruder, but only manages to get the rest of the sticky trap stuck on her little beard. By this time, the 3 children have joined the fray...3 screaming kids, 2 yipping dogs, one of them swinging her head wildly to get at that pesky rodent, and me...completely unarmed to handle a crisis of this proportion. Somehow, and this memory has been repressed, I must have grabbed the dog and yanked the trap and mouse off her beard. To this day, I have no recollection of anything past seeing my poor dog with a sticky trap and a mouse attached to her beard. I cannot recall how that trap got off her beard or where the mouse and trap ended up. Yup, I love living in the country! :) Aggie no. WAY! The mental picture is just too much! Chelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hsmamainva Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 You are giving me cold chills!!! Ick! (asking sheepishly)...do I want to know why the fur was missing?? Chelle Well, when my kids cut the mouse off of the sticky trap, they had to do it by leaving some of the fur on the tray! So they basically gave it a shave to set it free. :rolleyes: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chelle in MO Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Well, when my kids cut the mouse off of the sticky trap, they had to do it by leaving some of the fur on the tray! So they basically gave it a shave to set it free. :rolleyes: Too, too funny. I would have passed out. Chelle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 I know you didn't mean it to be, but *that's* funny! You have creatures running around your house, but "our landlady won't let us have pets"!!!!!!! When I wrote that I did feel it was a 'bit' ironic.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 What I can't STAND are the huge black snakes!! Ugh! They come into the garage to eat the mice, which is terrific, but they're gigantic!!! Yuck! I would not be at all happy if we had snakes. I don't like snakes in general, but even worse, the snakes here are poisonous. I'll take mice over snakes any day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lolly Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 fun fun fun!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted September 24, 2008 Author Share Posted September 24, 2008 The last time I saw one of Mickey's relatives scamper across our floor, I asked dh to put down a trap. Because of his long work hours, I didn't want one that would kill the poor little thing...I surely wouldn't touch the trap, and I couldn't have a dead rodent in the house. So, at my request, he put one of those sticky traps behind the piano. One morning, Mickey proceeds across the hall floor and runs behind the piano. Our schnauzer witnesses this and runs, yipping, to said piano. Mickey manages to just get his back feet on the sticky trap and claws his way to the front of the piano where now 2 yipping schnauzers are waiting on his arrival. Before I can get there, one of the dogs attacks the intruder, but only manages to get the rest of the sticky trap stuck on her little beard. By this time, the 3 children have joined the fray...3 screaming kids, 2 yipping dogs, one of them swinging her head wildly to get at that pesky rodent, and me...completely unarmed to handle a crisis of this proportion. Somehow, and this memory has been repressed, I must have grabbed the dog and yanked the trap and mouse off her beard. To this day, I have no recollection of anything past seeing my poor dog with a sticky trap and a mouse attached to her beard. I cannot recall how that trap got off her beard or where the mouse and trap ended up. Yup, I love living in the country! :) Aggie Okay, your story beats mine. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denisemomof4 Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 I wouldn't trade country living for ANYTHING! :) We don't have any evidence of uninvited critters IN our house, but we do hear them periodically in our walls. I think the reason our house is so clean is because it's newer, but more important than that, we have 3 cats, a rat terrier and a dachsund who would POUNCE on any furry creature that dared cross their paths. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 Today we watched one of our barn cats take down a chipmunk, which was very upsetting. I've never seen that before. But our cats are very good at getting the meece. I walk into the barn with one eye closed every morning, simply afraid to see what they've dragged in. I've never seen our house cat find anything, although we have to lock her in a bedroom when we get new chicks. She's a hunter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Starr Posted September 24, 2008 Share Posted September 24, 2008 When I was pregnant with my dd we lived in NYC. My husband was a priest on staff at a large church and we had an apt. in the building. I was on bedrest for several months. One day our cat caught a mouse and continued to play with it and not kill it. She brought the mouse to the couch where I was hiding under a blanket. I called my dh in the middle of a clergy meeting and he came running up the stairs to save me and keep me from getting up. They all thought I was having premature labor again and prayed for us until he came back. :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 When I was pregnant with my dd we lived in NYC. My husband was a priest on staff at a large church and we had an apt. in the building. I was on bedrest for several months. One day our cat caught a mouse and continued to play with it and not kill it. She brought the mouse to the couch where I was hiding under a blanket. I called my dh in the middle of a clergy meeting and he came running up the stairs to save me and keep me from getting up. They all thought I was having premature labor again and prayed for us until he came back. :lol: LOL I can picture them all praying for safe baby while your dh tries to tame the wild beast. Too funny. :001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KidsHappen Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 So I have to trap the little buggers by hand and set them free outside, where my dc will probably feed them and keep them fat and happy until spring. Luckily, this does not happen too often because I also live with four cats who are not so humanely inclined towards the meece. Three are excellent mousers. The fourth is clueless as to how actually catch a mouse but his antics are quite fun to watch. Now should my children actually see a cat trying to pursue a mouse, pandimoniam breaks loose in the house with the children running through the house screaming at the cats to leave the mouse alone while they try to heard the mouse outside to save the poor thing. It looks much like the breakfast scene in Cheaper by the Dozen. Such fun I tell ya.:willy_nilly: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mazakaal Posted September 25, 2008 Author Share Posted September 25, 2008 So I have to trap the little buggers by hand and set them free outside, where my dc will probably feed them and keep them fat and happy until spring. Luckily, this does not happen too often because I also live with four cats who are not so humanely inclined towards the meece. Three are excellent mousers. The fourth is clueless as to how actually catch a mouse but his antics are quite fun to watch. Now should my children actually see a cat trying to pursue a mouse, pandimoniam breaks loose in the house with the children running through the house screaming at the cats to leave the mouse alone while they try to heard the mouse outside to save the poor thing. It looks much like the breakfast scene in Cheaper by the Dozen. Such fun I tell ya.:willy_nilly: Well, we were a no kill family. We had a little humane trap that caught the mouse in a little plastic box. I'd always heard that if you let them free just outside the house, they will find their way back in, so you have to release them at least 2 miles from your home, so dh got the fun job of driving the trapped mice a few miles away and releasing them into the wild. Unfortunately, one particularly active creature tossed its weight around inside the trap so much that the trap fell out of dh's hand, broke, and let the mousey free. Fortunately, this happened outside our house. But, at that point, dh put his foot down and said that we would henceforth use the traditional neck-breaking style of trap. So sad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted September 25, 2008 Share Posted September 25, 2008 We also live "way out" in the country. I recently had the opportunity to take my dd on a shopping trip a couple of hours away from home. We had to stop for 1.) a herd of cows on our road 2.) horses loose on our road 3.) Molly, the enormous pig, who hangs out with the cattle, 4.) wild turkeys crossing the road 5.) deer, numerous. And when I went to church on Sunday, someone said to me, "Did you know you have a BAT stuck to your pickup?" The kids thought that was very cool. ~D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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