Creatures,  Ramblings

It’s Just the Way It Goes

We are being overrun by mice. Poop is everywhere!

They began their assault by entering through plumbing holes beneath the kitchen sink. We plugged the holes with steel wool, which they then pushed out of the way to continue peeing all over the dish rack. So we hot glued the steel wool in place and stopped their invasion. Then the assault came from behind the stove. We moved the stove and the refrigerator and glued steel wool into any opening big enough for a ball bearing to fit through. Following that, the mice started pouring from the furnace closet. We can’t remove the furnace to reseal the room so we blocked access to the bottom of the door by installing a threshold.

Finally, the onslaught of mice abated…for about three hours.

Mice started showing up beside the refrigerator again. We could hear them clanking around in the oven. They’d shoot across the floor to a dog bowl and back into their safe haven. Occasionally they’d make their way into the living room and hide behind the couch as Levee, our heeler/shepherd/mystery mix stalked the area, waiting for them to emerge. Our bedroom is off the living room and yesterday I watched as a shadow flew across the floor and disappeared around the corner. “Mouse!” is Levee’s new favorite command and when I saw it bolt into our room I shouted “Mouse! Mouse! Mouse!” and pointed to where it went. I followed her in and checked the only place I felt they would have the nerve to hide: the closet.

Poop. Was. Everywhere.

We use a large metal shelf in our closet to hold all the sheets, towels, blankets, and a couple baskets of socks. Everything was covered in little black pellets. I found two holes, no larger than marbles, against one of the walls.

ARGH!

We pulled everything out again in the kitchen and the bedroom closet, found they had made a sizable entrance next to the gas pipe, resealed everything with steel wool, glued in place of course. This time we also nailed or screwed 1×2″ strips of wood above the steel wool.

Next we need to check every other closet and seal the bathroom as well, where they’ve started coming in behind the toilet. If they get through these barriers, our last attempt at finding a way to stop them without murdering them, will be to staple screen or flashing over the steel wool and wood. If they still persist, they’ll leave us with no choice.

We’ll have to move.

Title From:
What It Is
by Kodaline