It all started with a phone call. Michelle called on Saturday morning to say she heard noises in my bedroom. It sounded like nibbling and it stopped when she called out my name. After a little while it started up again. She said she thought it was a mouse or rat. This was very unsettling to hear.
Saturday, the hunt started. I looked for anything that had been nibbled. I cleaned the room, picking up things from the floor. Then I discovered it. My halloween candy in a brown paper bag from school. With some tiny nibbles in the corner. This was both alarming and reassuring. With such tiny nibbles, it had to be a tiny animal. It hadn't even made it through the paper to the candy.
Saturday afternoon was time for a Home Depot run. Time to buy some traps. It was surprisingly busy in the mouse trap aisle. Many people were discussing which traps were best and whether or not to use poison. A worker said that the mice in the store ironically like to hang out near the traps. I chose 4 standard spring-loaded mouse traps for a totaly of $2, and 4 sticky traps for a total of $3.
Saturday evening, I set the traps up throughout the apartment. I used peanut butter on the spring-loaded traps as bait. Then I waited. And waited. And waited.
Sunday morning comes and I awake to some sounds. I sat completely still for about 10 minutes but I didn't hear anything else. I had made myself paranoid. I went out for a while on Sunday and when I returned, I noticed that all of the peanut butter had been licked off the trap in the kitchen. Smart mouse. I decided that I did not want to lure any mice into my bedroom, so I moved that trap into the kitchen to double up. Each of those spring-loaded traps were set up with a sticky trap next to it. I wanted to cover my bases and not be outsmarted again.
Ben ask me, "Do you know what the problem is with mouse traps?" I asked what. "You might catch a mouse!" Ack! I hadn't considered what I would do if I actually caught one.
Monday morning nothing new. One of the traps may or may not have been licked a little. I can't remember how much peanut butter used to be there. I go to class and return. No change. I turn off the light in the kitchen and go into my bedroom to do homework.
SNAP! ACK!!!!!!! Holy Crap! It couldn't have been. I pick up my feet so they're not touching the floor and listen. A tiny little sound of movement then nothing. I'm totally freaked. With my feet still in the air, I grab some shoes and put them on. I tiptoe hesitantly toward the kitchen. I'm freaking out inside, expecting something to run up my leg or something. I'm not sure what. I reach my hand into the kitchen to turn on the light, standing on my tip toes. I glance at trap #1. Nothing. I look towards #2. ACK! A tiny little mouse on its side. It doesn't appear to be moving. I jump back and stand on a chair. Oh my gosh. What am I going to do. Where's my roommate when I need her?
I call Ben. Get over here! He's somewhere out near Providence. He advises me to get a shovel and laughs and laughs. I call my parents and leave a message requesting help. I call my Granny and she answers. She laughs and laughs. She tells me that she won't get off the phone until I get a bag, pick up the mouse with the bag, and throw it out. It takes a long time. She says not to use the shovel. She laughs and laughs. I'm still freaking out. There is mouse blood on the floor and on the traps. The mouse had been thrown from the trap.
Now Mickey and the two traps are in the dumpster. I have replaced those two traps. I hope that is the last of the mice but I will not let my guard down. I'm still a little freaked. Oh, I left out the part where I took pictures. I'm not sure why, but it seemed like the right thing to do. Should I post one? Or would that be too disturbing?
