The Catching of Mice

January5

Here’s the thing: country living in an old farmhouse = mice in the house.

We’ve seen several mice hiding in the basement woodpile this winter so my husband set traps. (Country living tip: rodent traps are more effective set perpendicular to the walls along which the mice run.)

My three-year-old grandson has a toy snake that he threw down the basement several times without explaining why (and people brought up each time they fed the furnace). Crying, he explained, “I keep throwing my snake down and somebody keeps bringing it up. It needs to be down to catch the mice.” We couldn’t argue with the logic, so left the snake on the basement floor.

After my husband checked his trap-line this morning, here’s what Steven found.

snake and mouse

He could not believe his eyes (after all, he knows it’s a toy snake), but once he took things in, he was delighted! Ah, the joys of grandparenthood (in the country).

posted under Adapting - or what you need to know to make a move, Country Living, Family & Friends

14 Comments to

“The Catching of Mice”

On January 5th, 2012 at 11:58 pm Leslie Says:
Awwww. Poor little mouse. I live in the suburbs and we have field mice that get into the garage. I think they are kind of cute but my husband insists on setting traps so they don’t do naughty things like build nests. I’ll have to tell him to set the traps perpendicular to the wall. Or get a toy snake!
On January 6th, 2012 at 9:45 am Debbie Says:
I know, Leslie. They are sweet to look at. I wish they weren’t destructive (& didn’t leave their turds around), then I think I could live in harmony with them.
On January 6th, 2012 at 4:30 am Kinna Says:
Toy snakes are scary. The puzzling thing is why the mouse got close to the snake.
On January 6th, 2012 at 9:40 am Debbie Says:
LOL Kinna
On January 6th, 2012 at 9:28 am Elizabeth Says:
Granddaddies are so imaginative and obliging to provide simple delight for a child!

Elizabeth
On January 6th, 2012 at 9:46 am Debbie Says:
That captures his reaction exactly, Elizabeth. It was a joy to see!
On January 6th, 2012 at 5:46 pm Barbara Says:
Living in the country with a stone foundation, we’ve always had mice in the basement in the winter and Dave sets traps. Didn’t know all we needed was a toy snake! One time a rabbit showed up in the basement (and therefore we found and blocked up a foundation hole with mortar), and you should have seen us trying to catch the poor critter. Finally we gave up, put a board up to a ledge near the ceiling, went upstairs and waited. When we went down a few hours later, the rabbit was gone! 😀
On January 6th, 2012 at 7:11 pm Debbie Says:
Barbara, it’s so hard to keep up with the holes in a stone foundation, isn’t it? And it’s so hard to let wild critters know that we only want to help, not harm them. Thanks for sharing your experience.
On January 7th, 2012 at 7:50 pm Nan Says:
We only use havaharts, and then let them go down in the stone walls, but they probably walk on back. If the cat kills one, well, that’s how it is. But we can’t do it ourselves. I like mice and squirrels, but if I saw a rat I would have no such sympathy. I hate them.
On January 7th, 2012 at 8:10 pm Debbie Says:
We’ve discussed havaharts, Nan, but as much as I don’t like killing the wee things, they are a pest that just keeps coming back…
On January 16th, 2012 at 2:41 am stacybuckeye Says:
When I lived in DC our apartment had mice and the landlord gave us glue traps. Never again. It was a horrifying experience that I’ve never recovered from!
On January 16th, 2012 at 7:18 pm Debbie Says:
Oh, Stacy, that would be horrible. I may be willing to kill them, but I don’t want to see anything suffer – the end has to be quick!
On January 19th, 2012 at 8:46 am Katrina Says:
We get teeny wee wood mice in our attics in the winter and we have to trap them because they sound like horses galloping down the eaves during the night. It’s a shame though because they look so sweet, but I’d be screaming if they came into the house.
On January 19th, 2012 at 10:42 am Debbie Says:
I understand what you mean, Katrina. It sounds like there must be huge rats in our walls – and these tiny mice appear in the traps. Occasionally, they scoot across the floor – and I do scream – literally. 😉