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harmonyharmony
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« Reply #4035 on: 15:40:28, 09-12-2007 » |
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If you lived in a Dutch windmill it might be easier...
I've had a quick search for my mouse story and can't find it.
So here it is (again, possibly).
I was staying with a colleague up here before I moved into my flat.
A couple of days earlier we had both been involved in a conversation revolving around Edinburgh mice.
My colleague announced that, since I was moving in to the Old Town, I was bound to have hundreds of mice, while she, in the New Town, was mouse-free.
I settled down to sleep and was aware that she was moving around the flat a lot and (or so I thought) was taking medicine out of little foil packets. I was half-aware that this wasn't quite right (a hell of a lot of pills for a quiet night in) and there was a nagging voice in the back of my head saying 'mouse'... But it was countered by the thought that I was just hearing things based on that conversation.
Suddenly I realised that the noises were very close (I'd assumed that they were coming from the kitchen through the wall) and almost sounded as if they were coming from the futon. I adjusted my pillow and felt something fall off it followed by a scurrying sound and little chirrups.
I leapt out of bed, switched the light on and began to hunt for it but in vain! Eventually my colleague came in to find out what the noise was about. After a thorough search, she convinced me that I'd probably been half-asleep and so I attempted to sleep once more.
After a short while the little bugler reappeared. This time I saw him (by the light of a mobile phone). Decided not to disturb my colleague but to try and sleep despite the interruptions but in vain. Tried sleeping with the light on (since it seemed to scare him off) but he soon got used to it. Sat up and filled in my RA2 forms and after a while he started coming closer until I scared him away. Finally tried turning the light off again but didn't get to sleep. At 6:15am, I heard a crinkling noise nearby and suddenly realised that the only plastic bag in the room was inches away from the futon. I shone the light (mobile again) on the bag and he was just looking at me. He looked at me, I looked at him. And then he leapt under the futon.
I yelled and leapt off it. And decided that I should get up now. 6:15 wasn't that far away from 7.
I didn't realise that I was scared of mice before.
Unfortunately it met a sad end.
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'is this all we can do?' anonymous student of the University of Berkeley, California quoted in H. Draper, 'The new student revolt' (New York: Grove Press, 1965) http://www.myspace.com/itensemble |
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Kittybriton
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« Reply #4036 on: 15:41:24, 09-12-2007 » |
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'tis true about the little beasties. They move like greased lightning. I remember waking up thoroughly spooked in the small hours of the morning when I was living solo, having heard a "rustlerustlerustle" noise. Half my stuff was still packed up in boxes and it turned out that was where mouse was making an apartment. It took a bit of doing but I did manage to get the whole mouse family out in plastic bags and out of the building.
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Click me -> About meor me -> my handmade storeNo, I'm not a complete idiot. I'm only a halfwit. In fact I'm actually a catfish. |
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Antheil
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« Reply #4037 on: 16:13:49, 09-12-2007 » |
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My field mice, who were camped out here, seem to have vanished completely  I had a humane mouse trap and was baiting it with some tasty cheddar only to find the cheddar had been wolfed down and the trap hadn't been sprung! I could only assume that one mouse counter-balanced it whilst the other mouse crept in and snaffled the bait. Unfortunately I accidentally stepped on the trap and broke it. Since then, as they don't have a ready supply of cheese, the little buglars have gone elsewhere! |
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Reality, sa molesworth 2, is so sordid it makes me shudder
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #4038 on: 17:04:42, 09-12-2007 » |
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SOB!  It hasn't had a happy ending. I went downstairs and just sat on the sofa for a couple of minutes and it came out of my hi-fi unit. I rang animal-loving son to come back who told me to "operate a closed door policy"  - but we both agreed that it might be time to ring non-animal-loving son as well. They duly arrived with 17-year old stepson, ordered me out of the room and reappeared in due course with the shoebox I'd given them to try and catch it in. Unfortunately it hadn't gone in voluntarily. Astonishingly, it ended up that animal-loving son had been the one to kill it in the end - but it was a team effort to put it in position so to speak. The worry is now over of course - there was wiring to chew, Christmas tree lights - and of course it would be peeing and poohing everywhere. I just hope it was the only one! They don't usually arrive in ones do they? Time for tea. Children have gone home. Ironing still isn't done, nor is Christmas tree dressed.....I'm really upset and stressed! I'm going to buy a humane mouse trap tomorrow just in case there are more. |
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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Antheil
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« Reply #4039 on: 17:09:58, 09-12-2007 » |
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Milly,
could have just been a single mouse, wandered in on the off chance of some warmth and food, but won't hurt to get a mouse trap just in case.
Ironing isn't important and it's only 9th December, far too early to dress as tree, just chill out and put some music on. There is always tomorrow
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Reality, sa molesworth 2, is so sordid it makes me shudder
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #4040 on: 17:13:44, 09-12-2007 » |
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Thanks Anna. I'm gutted that they had to kill it in the end, but we truly tried our very best to get it out alive. All day....hours and hours.... I had tried to do the tree for the children today that was all - I know it's early otherwise. Time for tea now anyway. |
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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Lord Byron
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« Reply #4041 on: 17:28:38, 09-12-2007 » |
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My field mice, who were camped out here, seem to have vanished completely I had a humane mouse trap and was baiting it with some tasty cheddar only to find the cheddar had been wolfed down and the trap hadn't been sprung! I could only assume that one mouse counter-balanced it whilst the other mouse crept in and snaffled the bait. Unfortunately I accidentally stepped on the trap and broke it. Since then, as they don't have a ready supply of cheese, the little buglars have gone elsewhere! i am so nuts i would probably feed them,chat with them, and make them my friends have you read about archie grey owl ? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grey_Owl |
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Mary Chambers
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« Reply #4042 on: 17:53:23, 09-12-2007 » |
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I had the book Grey Owl and the Beaver when I was a little kid. I think it was probably my brother's really, and I didn't take to it. Sorry about your mouse, Milly  . |
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Lord Byron
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« Reply #4043 on: 17:55:31, 09-12-2007 » |
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MabelJane
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« Reply #4044 on: 18:05:51, 09-12-2007 » |
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Thanks Anna. I'm gutted that they had to kill it in the end, but we truly tried our very best to get it out alive. All day....hours and hours.... I know it's too late for that mouse, Milly, but don't forget the method that we find often works - a strategically placed welly with chocolate, grapes or birdseed in it - mousey will usually take the food into the toe and take up residence there. (one once made a nest in there with paper it shredded! I sometimes leave a tiny dish of water out too as mice can die from dehydration - unless you offer grapes then no need to. But remember to hold the top closed when you take it outside to check if it's occupied as they're quick to jump out of the top. Opposite problem too -they also hang on inside the toe and it's hard to shake them out! |
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Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.
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Jonathan
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« Reply #4045 on: 18:12:40, 09-12-2007 » |
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Seeing as many of you have trouble with mice also have said you've got / had cats, you must have some very brave mice living nearby!
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Best regards,
Jonathan
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"as the housefly of destiny collides with the windscreen of fate..."
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #4046 on: 18:20:02, 09-12-2007 » |
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Seeing as many of you have trouble with mice also have said you've got / had cats, you must have some very brave mice living nearby!
I don't have a cat but my dog was merrily chasing it round the lounge. The speed was amazing. I'm astonished that they ever get caught by anything quite frankly although I could see how something could get them from above, like an owl. Mabeljane, I've got field mice in my woodshed down the garden and I'm quite happy for them to stay there so long as they stay outside. They eat the food I put out for the birds. This one had obviously wandered too far up. I hope there isn't a nest somewhere and a load of starving babies. I don't like your welly idea! If I put my feet in mine - they're kept in the garage - and there's a mouse in it would be awful. I had tried getting a bird-seed container and baiting that for it. In fact it did go right up to it and was sniffing the food inside. I was just going to put the lid on if it went in and then transport it on to the sand dunes. Unfortunately it wouldn't go in. This wasn't your ordinary field mouse! It was much bigger, very dark brown with a long nose and it didn't have a bare tail like a rat. I'm going to google mice and voles and see if I can identify it. |
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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MabelJane
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« Reply #4047 on: 18:23:52, 09-12-2007 » |
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Seeing as many of you have trouble with mice also have said you've got / had cats, you must have some very brave mice living nearby!
No, the silly cats catch the poor mice, release them into house to play with! We then have to outwit the cats as well as the mice... I've posted it before but don't know where so here it is again - Zoe convinced there's mouse still hiding in the welly:  Milly, in reply to your post which has just appeared, we use the kids' old wellies, no longer in use for feet! Mind you, I've a feeling that welly in the picture is mine! |
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Merely corroborative detail, intended to give artistic verisimilitude to an otherwise bald and unconvincing narrative.
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Milly Jones
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« Reply #4048 on: 18:32:15, 09-12-2007 » |
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I've just been having a look. It was definitely a house mouse.
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We pass this way but once. This is not a rehearsal!
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Andy D
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« Reply #4049 on: 18:46:47, 09-12-2007 » |
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This wasn't your ordinary field mouse! It was much bigger, very dark brown with a long nose and it didn't have a bare tail like a rat. I'm going to google mice and voles and see if I can identify it.
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