A thorough cleaning of the balcony, revealed, among other pellet like evidences - this incriminating hole underneath the old, empty gasoline cans sitting in the corner. (Why we have gasoline cans - I have no idea)
Alister went out and came back with this mousetrap:
Actually it is a Rat trap - and it is huge - really. But the only thing else they had in the market were little plastic mouse traps that Alister didn't think could possibly do anything and even the seller said he thought the small trap would just catch a tail.
Well this trap - if the mouse would only set it off would obliterate the mouse. See the red stuff on the trap? That is ink from a red pen that Alister used to test the trap with - the pen was shattered and red ink went all over the kitchen.
So we baited the trap with the tastiest thing I could imagine = Peanut butter bread.
3 hours later - the bread is gone and the trap in perfect condition. We reset the trap - this time with a smaller piece and really wedging the bread under the bait catch so the mouse would have to work to get it off. I then sprinkled some oatmeal on the trap - and it fell on all parts of it.
Well, not only did the mouse manage to eat all of the oatmeal from out and around the trap (having to crawl all over the thing) but he actually LICKED OFF THE PEANUT BUTTER from the bread. In Alister's words - the mouse is definitely cheeky.
As if the oatmeal and peanut butter weren't enough, he then came back, finished off the bread, which we had dolloped with sour cream and topped with a kernel of oatmeal, and then he proceeded to DIG UP MY CILANTRO!!!
Alister has promised to come back with the wimpy looking plastic trap. I've also rigged up an elaborate trail of oatmeal up the dustpan and onto a basket in which I have placed a deep glass jar with oatmeal on the bottom. So far the mouse hasn't fallen for it (pun not intended).
If this fails, we will definitely have to put aside all concerns about "who can take care of a cat for us when we travel and just get one) Alternatively - maybe we could rent a cat.
3 comments:
Cheeky sounds like a nice way to describe this creature!
I sympathise about the mouse problem! We get them in the Pledger greenhouse and always use peanut butter baited traps which they seem to prefer to chocolate! We had 2 in the house many years ago on separate occasions which caused much hilarity as Julia insisted in sleeping in our room until the mouse was caught. She was aged 20 at the time! We too put down the humane traps but it is up to the mouse to choose way of death! Our love to you both. Elizabeth
aw
Post a Comment