Taking Care of Business

Dealing with the mice has become a little more complicated since we discovered there were at least two of them. It is very important to locate where they are getting into the patio. They don't need to be inviting their friends over or getting comfortable enough to start a family.

  

Finding their entry didn't take very long, it would've been hard to miss a hole that big. After a quick search on the internet it seemed like the easiest way to deal with the situation was to scare them off.  Alternatively, trapping and releasing them far away, in a wooded location.

So, we picked up some humane traps as backup in case they were deaf or heavy sleepers. These mice were definitely benefiting from our fondness for The Bramley Hedge books.

Burt generously offered a few tiny morsels of his favorite snacks but peanut butter is the number one recommendation. It was nice of him to offer anyway.

The local Earth Science Club's annual Gem and Mineral Show was being held at the fair grounds, next door to the county park. It was the perfect opportunity to check out possible mouse relocation sites and pick up some pretty rocks for the sparrows to perch on while they shower in our pond. 

According to the info on the humane traps site, the mice should be released somewhere far enough away so they won't find their way back. Seriously, how far could they get on those little feet? This area looked promising, but it's too close to the maintenance buildings where something tells me they might not bother with gentle entrapment methods.

This place seemed better and looked to be very popular with the locals.

They wouldn't be lonely.

So we cranked up the death metal, lit some scented candles and hoped they would just leave. After the concert, just to be safe, the traps were loaded with peanut butter and placed along the escape route. There has no sign of the mice for several days. The birdhouses appear to be abandoned too, or at least uninhabited. There's a spot for them in the backyard, as far away from the patio as possible, except for the one that had been occupied. That one is definitely going in the trash. 

Who knows when or where they went but I'm glad they're gone. Has peace been restored? Can we finally relax? At least until the next time a mouse sticks it's head out of one of the haunted houses or plastic jack-'o-lanterns. The sparrows are happy with their new rocks and we can only hope the mice will follow the good example set by the birds and stay on the other side of the screens.

Halloween is getting very close, it's about time we get back to the busines of being spooky.

Thanks for stopping by, see you soon!