I Am A Murder

One of my all time favorite movie moments is from "Dan in Real Life".  A widowed father of three girls tosses out the stowaway boyfriend of his barely adolescent and hormonal daughter who then shrieks in pain and agony "you are a murder.... a murder of love."  The quote makes me laugh probably because I've been a hormonal girl and I've raised and lived with a hormonal girls.  I think of this quote now because I feel like a murder today; not of love but of another fellow creature.

Warning, if you can't stand tales of death (or house mice) read no further.

I love all Gods critters, even mice.  I really love fairy tale or literary mice.  The amazing Wanda Gag's "Snippy and Snappy" is about the sweetest mouse brother and sister. (I scored a perfect copy of this when I was in California for $1.50)

 I also adore "Vera the Mouse" by Marjolein Bastin.  I wish I had bought more of these titles and taken better care of them cause Vera is a bit hard to come by now.

However, real mice in my pantry are not allowed.  Outside, live and let live, but inside - can you say Hanta Virus?  I've found mouse sign off and on in the pantry for a couple of weeks and after I scrub everything (thank heavens most of my storage is in jars) and replace the shelf liner I set out a few traps.  I like to use old fashioned spring traps that I bait with some peanut butter.  When said rodent is trapped (whacked) I then toss the whole affair into the trash.  BLHubby gives me a hard time for not emptying and reusing the traps but they cost a whopping 50cents apiece and I would pay ten times that to not empty the trap.  Unfortunately, the mouse plaguing my pantry is wise and crafty.  The mousie would lick the trap completely clean and then leave me a few poopy gifts on the shelf.  I thought the trap must be too tough to trip (though it would snap my fingers unless I was VERY careful placing it) so I bought new traps.  Same results.  I was feeding at least one unwanted rodent!  It was now war. 

 I feel strongly that creatures being. . . dispatched, should be sent into the great unknown quickly and as humanely as possible.  I don't like the idea of using poison (like D-Con).  In doing property management I've seen this go so very wrong (think stinky caucuses in walls and drop ceilings).  I've never used glue traps as they seemed cruel.  The critter isn't dead but permanently stuck.  But I was desperate.  I'd been foiled repeatedly by this mouse eating every kind of bait.  I gave it one last chance, thinking that I left too much room around the trap and I set up the mousetrap in a corner with boxes around it so the rodent couldn't reach the bait without getting on the trap and the trap came up not just clean but polished.  I bought some glue traps and set them out.  The mousy doesn't seem to live in the pantry but visit from time to time.  I checked the traps daily and nothing.  Then this morning there he was - stuck.  It was horrible!  I tried to get the BLHubbs to remove the mouse laden trap when he quit laughing he suggest I should wear work gloves while doing the deed so "it doesn't bite you".  (I will remember this)

No need to harrow your soul with the tale of bagging and tossing (with big gloves) the mouse.  I'm tossing the rest of the glue traps and praying all the field mice haven't mutated into genius spring trap avoiding super mice as here in the country getting a mouse in the house a couple of times a year is inevitable.   Pray for me.