Mouse capades - how much trouble can one rodent cause...

[Wayward Clam]

Well my parents generously dropped off a box of assorted food from the food bank they run, knowing that my wife and I are on a pretty tight budget.

Well, you guessed it--I'm half way through unpacking the box and a mouse moves in it.

Well I tried to catch the little bugger. It is about two inches long plus tail and one inch around, and like a little greased torpedo. It got away and disappeared under a kitchen shelf.

So I closed the door to the kitchen, brought all three of our cats to bear on the problem, and dismantled the bottom shelf (as it is attached to the wall). Of course, the amount of noise and time I took to do this, when I finally got the bottom shelf wrenched free, the mouse was nowhere to be found.

Long story short: It is loose somewhere in our kitchen. I have barricaded our three cats into the room with food, water, and clean litter, and mouseproofed all entrances and exits. We are going to a hotel for the night.

Sound pathetic? Well, what the hell, it gives us a night out and a pool... my son and my wife will be unable to sleep with a mouse in the house, and my wife really needs sleep as she works tomorrow and didn't get any last night.

I put out a dish of peanut butter to try to lure the rodent out for the cats to catch--apparently they like peanut butter.

Any other bright ideas?

[DiR[ëctory]]

[quote]Originally posted by Wayward Clam:
<strong>Well my parents generously dropped off a box of assorted food from the food bank they run, knowing that my wife and I are on a pretty tight budget.

Well, you guessed it--I'm half way through unpacking the box and a mouse moves in it.

Well I tried to catch the little bugger. It is about two inches long plus tail and one inch around, and like a little greased torpedo. It got away and disappeared under a kitchen shelf.

So I closed the door to the kitchen, brought all three of our cats to bear on the problem, and dismantled the bottom shelf (as it is attached to the wall). Of course, the amount of noise and time I took to do this, when I finally got the bottom shelf wrenched free, the mouse was nowhere to be found.

Long story short: It is loose somewhere in our kitchen. I have barricaded our three cats into the room with food, water, and clean litter, and mouseproofed all entrances and exits. We are going to a hotel for the night.

Sound pathetic? Well, what the hell, it gives us a night out and a pool... my son and my wife will be unable to sleep with a mouse in the house, and my wife really needs sleep as she works tomorrow and didn't get any last night.

I put out a dish of peanut butter to try to lure the rodent out for the cats to catch--apparently they like peanut butter.

Any other bright ideas?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Them little micers are a pain.

If he is still in the kitchen I would consider yourself lucky. Those things can squeeze under a door easily.

I would just set up some mouse traps and leave it be.

Good luck!

A Mouse!

[Spaceman Spiff]

Claymores. They take care of mice and other pests. Just point it in the right direction, though...

[Outcoded]

[quote]Originally posted by Wayward Clam:
<strong>Any other bright ideas?</strong><hr></blockquote>

Poison

[freddy]

just for you i dug this out <a href="http://www.stupidinternet.org/mouse.html" target="_blank">http://www.stupidinternet.org/mouse.html</a> hope the link still works

[Papa Smurf]

If the cats dont work down at my little pad where I relax after a mission saving the world I just call up the Q branch and ask them to sort it out.

Last time I gave them run of the house we had a string of motion sensors all linked into a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System in every room



To quote the US Navy "Thanks for purchasing" Guide it informs "Phalanx is the only deployed close-in weapon system capable of autonomously performing its own search, detect, evaluation, track, engage and kill assessment functions. Phalanx also can be integrated into existing Combat Systems to provide additonal sensor and fire-control capability."

This was a great idea killed mouse that moved or even dared to breath. The down side in this you do have to be VERY careful when you open the kitchen door now.

Funny were not bothered by door to door salesmen now either

Cheers
Papa"You need more firepower"Smurf

[Larommi]

[quote]Originally posted by Wayward Clam:
<strong>

Any other bright ideas?</strong><hr></blockquote>


Mouse pad. Let the cats get it when it is sleeping!

[Larommi]

[quote]Originally posted by Outcoded:
<strong>

Poison</strong><hr></blockquote>

Absolutely NOT with cats!!

[IT Len]

Clam, I hate to tell you this, but the mouse has probably joined the pack that's been living there all the time!

Ideas? First, you may want to forget about the cats...they have to learn how to be mousers, so if they haven't already brought you "little dead rodent gifts" already, chances are they won't know what to do.

Second, every now and then I have to clear the mice out of the work shop out back...and find that traps with plain old cheese or some kind of fruit usually do the job overnight.

Lastly, whether the traps work or not...it may also be time for a white lie to the rest of the Clam clan...about the recent demise of your house guest. You may never see it again, anyway.

[Brian G]

I had a mouse in my kitchen last year. I put both of my cats in the kitchen to take care of it. After a few moments of some tag team action my older kitty came to me in the living room with a tail sticking out of his mouth!

[PitaBred]

Yeppers. They have traps at supermarkets, very cheap. I'd recommend the plastic types vs the wooden ones, a lot nicer and easier to deal with than the wooden ones. And use peanut butter on the traps as bat, put them along the walls. Mice don't have good vision, which is why they stay in the corners and along the walls, so they can mostly feel their way around. They usually aren't dangerous though, and will stay the hell away from you, so your wife and son really don't need to worry. But I understand if it's just one of those irrational fears people have.

Make sure you check the traps at least once a day, and replace any old or spoiled bait. You'll get rid of it/them soon.

Not that I have ever had to deal with them

[Spaceman Spiff]

[quote]Originally posted by Papa Smurf:
<strong>If the cats dont work down at my little pad where I relax after a mission saving the world I just call up the Q branch and ask them to sort it out.

Last time I gave them run of the house we had a string of motion sensors all linked into a Phalanx Close-In Weapons System in every room



To quote the US Navy "Thanks for purchasing" Guide it informs "Phalanx is the only deployed close-in weapon system capable of autonomously performing its own search, detect, evaluation, track, engage and kill assessment functions. Phalanx also can be integrated into existing Combat Systems to provide additonal sensor and fire-control capability."

This was a great idea killed mouse that moved or even dared to breath. The down side in this you do have to be VERY careful when you open the kitchen door now.

Funny were not bothered by door to door salesmen now either

Cheers
Papa"You need more firepower"Smurf</strong><hr></blockquote>

Papa, you beat my Claymore mine suggestion by leaps and bounds. I love the idea of a Phalanx CIWS to take care of those pesky critters. It's nearly foolproof.

Remember, he who has the most firepower wins...