After three failed attempts to capture the mouse in the pantry, we finally succeeded. The most damage he did was to eat part of a potato. That, and the little mouse droppings he left in certain places. We learned over the years to double wrap foods like flour, crackers, and pasta to keep out insect invaders. The practice helps with mice, too.
This is the third mouse I've captured in the pantry this year. That's unusual. We may have had one or two others over seventeen years, but no more than that. There are a lot of mice around this year. I can see the entrances to their burrows everywhere in the yard. I've noticed Bert successfully hunting around burrows under the apple trees. I don't really know why there are so many this year. Moles, on the other hand, have been scarce. I think that when it's hot and dry, like it was last summer, the moles move down toward water courses that lead to the river in their search for buried grubs and worms. Maybe that leaves the door open for mice to take over their territory?
It is a Moose in the Hoose....
ReplyDeleteA House Mouse [Mus musculus]
hopefully, you let it go at least 5 kilometres away.... else it will be back....
any idea where it is getting in?
Portrait of a snack for Bert?
ReplyDeleteHow strange that you're seeing more this year. We had two mice in our house in Connecticut. Caught them both before they became 200. I found the droppings really disturbing.
ReplyDeleteA mouse ran across the floor in an episode of The Crown the other night :)
ReplyDeleteI saw that!
DeleteI saw that!
DeleteI saw that!
DeleteI guess she saw that! LOL!
DeleteThat is a cute mouse. I'd much rather deal with mice than moles.
ReplyDeleteAt least he looks cute. Other than that, no thanks.
ReplyDeleteThat's a lovely picture, Walt! Mind you. however lovely, I wouldn't like to have them in our house either, but I'm glad you didn't kill it (and that Bertie missed out ths time). ;)
ReplyDeleteIn very dry years, black bears will come down out of the hills, looking for water, and then people freak out because they're in backyards. So maybe there's something going on in the ecosystems that people haven't yet noticed but the mice have. Glad you were able to catch and relocate the littler critter, though.
ReplyDeletetim, I don't find a category on my attestation for taking a mouse 5 km from home. If he comes back, I'll sic Bert on him.
ReplyDeletejean, hahaha!
mitch, yeah, the droppings are kind of gross.
judy, :)
evelyn, moles make a mess with their hills, that's for sure. But they don't come into the house!
bettyann, he's no Mickey!
elgee, I've killed mice before, but it's messy and kind of gross.
emm, possible!
I hate to tell you, but that is a young rat!
ReplyDeleteI think the one covering health issues that can't be handled from afar is the one to tick.
ReplyDeleteI too wondered about Bert - isn't in his job description to manage the mice?
ReplyDeleteUpdate ! Last night Someone shrieked in the kitchen - we have a mouse in the house ! Maybe it's the same one or a cousin !
ReplyDeleteawwwwwwwwwwwwww, cute little fellow! thank you for catching him the humane way!
ReplyDelete