Gus-Gus, ever see a trap-trap?
Posted October 17, 2007
Remember that part of Cinderella where Jacques the head mouse asks Gus the chubby mouse whether he'd ever seen a cat-cat? Well I have no cat, but I do have two d-CON No View, No Touch mouse traps.
Fortunately, I had just seen a commercial for these yesterday morning, so I was aware that there was an alternative to snap traps and visible mouse carnage. Also, as we discovered (and by "we" I mean "he" since my part involved staying put and not approaching the scene of the SNAP SQUEAK SQUEAK SQUEAK) at Alan's house, sometimes a snap trap only gets the mouse by the leg and then you are responsible for putting said mouse out of his misery. I want no part of that. I want my role in this business to be that of exterminator, not executioner.
I discovered the problem yesterday when I went to put some groceries away in my kitchen cabinet. I dislike grocery shopping and have to get pretty desperate before I'll go, so the fact that I had gone to the store means that I was seriously out of food. I assume this is why the mouse went for my bag of flour. (Seriously, mouse, you couldn't have found an apartment in this building where there was better food to be had?) I noticed flour on the shelf and assumed that I had just not closed it well or had somehow poked a hole in it. But no, there were a couple of pretty large holes chewed in it and paper scraps on a lower shelf. Damn.
So the traps are out and baited (nothing caught overnight) and everything that was in bags is now in sealed containers (I would say Tupperware, but in reality they're old yogurt and cottage cheese containers) or the fridge. But here's my question: If, instead of killing the mice, I got them tiny shirts and hats, do you think they would make me a dress?
A girl never knows when she might need a ball gown. I draw the line at glass shoes though. Sure, the guys love them, but they don't offer any of the support required for a long night of dancing and fleeing the scene. And anyway, if the guy can only remember you based on your shoes, chances are, he's not looking for a princess. He's looking for a queen.
UPDATE: Well, apparently I caught a mouse. Not that I saw it, of course, but the trap tells me that there's a dead mouse inside and I am taking the trap's word for it. (Aaaand now a second mouse. And I am out of traps. I will see you tomorrow, Walgreens.)
Daily Tragedies says:
October 17, 2007 at 01:30 PM
I think that's a very important point you make there about a guy who remembers you by your shoes. He's probably just not that into you.
Plattie says:
October 17, 2007 at 04:05 PM
I think tiny shirts and hats are the way to go. I used to live in a place with mice, and the other girls I lived with were horrified and put traps down immediately, but I always thought they were kind of cute, with their little ears... Of course, the morning one popped its head up out of the toaster at me, I kind of got on board with the traps. But if they'd worn little outfits. Well...
Amy says:
October 17, 2007 at 05:07 PM
I just saw those "non-seeing the dead mouse" traps. I actually think they are pretty clever, way to go mouse trap maker. Then I thought, wait we don't have mice, I don't need those, nor do I ever want to have to buy one. If they were wearing cute little shirts, hats and booties though, I would definitely think twice!!!
Sharon says:
October 17, 2007 at 07:16 PM
I had a mouse back when I lived in that crappy "studio apartment" in the back of that "house" in Rosslyn. I named him Brownie because he was an adorable brown color. And also, he pooped all over my "kitchen." And also, he would wake me up at 3am while on his feeding frenzy since I slept a few feet from the "kitchen." If only there were pictures of how crazy I looked, half asleep at 3am, in my underwear, desperately trying to catch Brownie under a vase, the only container I could find at the time. I just wanted to take him outside. It was winter and I knew he just wanted some food. I tried to make a deal with him that I would bring him food if only he would go live outside. He could be like my pet, my pet Brownie the mouse. Alas, Brownie did not go for it; so I had to kill him. But I will never forget those few terrible nights we spent together.
And, did I catch that last line right? Ha!
Horrible Warning says:
October 18, 2007 at 12:36 AM
All I have to say is, "eek, a mouse!"
Oh, and in the retail store I used to run, we kept getting them, trapped in our trash can. So that meant all I had to do was dump them over outside. Then they would come back in. Such a fun game!
And no, I did not think about how many didn't get trapped in the trash can and just lived there. Or the Hanta Virus. *shudder*
Lori says:
October 18, 2007 at 01:01 AM
The WHAT Virus? Must. Not. Google. LA LA LA I CAN'T HEAR YOU!
One Smart Cookie says:
October 18, 2007 at 10:10 AM
We made the executive decision to get the ones that are reusable - they basically electrocute the mousies when the run inside it. They are a little more expensive, but I think they're worth it in the long run. You can't see them, unless you happen to catch a glimpse when you fling the carcass out of the trap into the woods (on the one occasion I was forced to perform this task, I just closed my eyes). I hate that we get mice, since I feel like it means we're dirty nasty people, but in reality it just happens, especially when you live in the woods. (Note to mousies: I know it it getting cold out there in the woods, but that does not mean that you can move into my house.)
Also, Sharon, I once caught two mice in a tupperware container in the middle of the night in my old (crappy) college apartment.
Sharon says:
October 18, 2007 at 07:45 PM
In the same tupperware container? Impressive. I think I would have been too shocked to actually find myself within striking distance to act. And just what would I have done had I managed to trap it there? Oh, Brownie. You were so cute. But I had to poison you to death. RIP, Brownie.