I’ve only seen a mouse in my apartment once. It was at the beginning of December 2007 and I was getting ready for work. I sat on the floor in the dining room to put on my shoes and out of the corner of my eye, I noticed something move in the living room. I looked up just in time to see a little furry brown ass scamper under the couch. I learned something that day. I’m AFRAID of mice when they’re in my living room!!
I had seen mice in the wild (read: the back yard). I’d even seen them at zoos and pet stores. I thought – hey, no big deal. They’re even kind of cute. That was before there was one roaming free in my living space and possibly walking ALL OVER EVERYTHING I OWN. At that exact second, mice became vile. *
I called my landlord as soon as I saw the furry beast and he came to my apartment that night to put down bait. I also got some advice from friends and plugged up some little holes in cabinets and the flooring with steel wool. Mice can’t chew through it and so it blocks their entry. Huzzah!
I was actually surprised to see it. I keep my place clean and while the landlord mentioned the tenants before me had seen one, I hadn’t in over 2 years. When I moved in the landlord said that when the previous tenants saw one, they put down bait and the problem was solved. No more mice. I now know that he stretched the truth a little. Apparently the basement apartment has seen them from time to time. My food had also never been touched…that is, until this week.
A few nights during the past few weeks I asked for a moment of silence while on the phone with my boyfriend. I thought I heard scratching. I couldn’t tell where it was coming from though. My landlord does NOT take care of the backyard and so it looks like a jungle. I thought perhaps a bobcat or Sasquatch was living back there and maybe IT was making the noise. That was wishful thinking.
I just spent a longish weekend at my boyfriend’s apartment. I was a bit under the weather, so I was working remotely from his place on Monday and Tuesday. When I got home on Wednesday, I went to unpack my things and that’s when I saw it. Mouse poop! In the kitchen! My BEDROOM is just off of the kitchen! PANIC!!! All I could think about was mice crawling all over my things for 4 DAYS! One was even on my slipper! I know this because there was poop on my slipper!!** EW EW EW EW! MORE PANIC! ACCOMPANIED BY TEARS!!!
I called the landlord to let him know this was UNACCEPTABLE! Keep in mind, my landlord is a lazy, greedy dunce. His helpful and intelligent response? “It’s an urban environment, it’s Spring, there’s nothing I can do. Put more bait down.” I said that he should mow the back yard. He said that didn’t have anything to do with it. LIES! I know that he doesn’t want to go back there because the last time he did (1.5 YEARS ago), he got poison ivy. Hey, that’s not my problem. He finally said I could get a cat. But sadly, I can’t. I travel on weekends.
Beside myself, I did what any normal 30 year old woman would do. I called my mom and cried. She reassured me that based on the information I relayed, it didn’t sound like a whole pack of mice – but normal mouse problem due to the Spring and living environment. She also said I could move back home for a few months until I find a new apartment (and I haven’t ruled that out yet).
That night after I cried to my boyfriend (he’s a wonderful man and VERY patient…he has to be, he’s with me), I tried to settle down to sleep. Again…RUSTLING! So, I quickly shined the flashlight in its general direction. Nothing. Lights out. Rustling! Flashlight. Nothing. Repeat one more time.
Thursday morning as I’m getting ready for work I was still wondering to myself why they were there. You see, they never got into my food. Then I saw the box of packs of snack crackers I bought from BJ’s. Three of the packs had been violated. This means one crafty and nimble mouse scaled a METAL baker’s rack to get to these crackers. That’s it! This is WAR!
The crackers went in the trash, along with ANY other food they may have touched. Needless to say I threw out a lot. I now have snapping plastic bins for any food I bring into the house that does not go into the refrigerator. I’m under the impression that cans are alright to leave out. However, the MOMENT I see teeth marks in the cans. I’m moving. I don’t want to fuck with those mice.
I also disinfected the entire apartment and stuffed more steel wool everywhere I possibly could. I bought and laid a new kind of bait, as well as two snappy traps. And the pièce de résistance is the rat zapper that’s currently being shipped to me. That’s right. You want to mess with me and my slippers? You get electrocuted!!
It turns out most everyone who has lived in or near a city has a mouse story for you. It happens to almost everyone. That still doesn’t make it OK, but I think my favorite story is from a friend who said he came home to find a mouse in his bathtub one day. It looked utterly defeated. Apparently it fell into the tub but couldn’t climb back out and just kept sliding back to the center. Without an appropriate trapping device, he scooped it up in a pillow case and ran it outside.
I learned about the rat zapper from my boss who also occasionally has mice. She said it’s the best thing ever and if I were going to order one, please get another one for her too. Really? It worked so well you want two? OK, I believe you. Sign me up.
I still want to move, but I also want to buy a house some day. Rent is insane around the city and moving is COSTLY. I’m REALLY trying to save for that down payment. So, I’d rather not move and destroy the mice if I can. And so Mouse Watch 2008 (my war on terror***) begins.
*But not as vile as any sort of bugs. ALL bugs are disgusting, unacceptable and one of my biggest fears. The second I see one in my apartment, I pack up and leave. For that, yes, I will move back in with mom and dad.
**Yes, of COURSE I threw those slippers away IMMEDIATELY!
***No offense to anyone intended. I’m just saying they scare the bejesus out of me.