Traps were set. The great George Gardner gave me a bucket of snap traps and told me how to do it. 2×2, one inch in between, along the perimeter, basement, attic, anywhere they might be hanging out. George was, I think, slightly aghast at how long it took me to get the hang of setting the bait and pulling back the snapping bar. I tell people I am hand-eye challenged and they don’t believe it until they see it.
George is a photographer and his marketing is spot on. I cracked up when I got his card the first time, and the recipe is in fact the real deal.
Anyways. I realized I could not put it off any longer. As a bona fide rural dweller this is part of the deal. Vary the bait, George said. Don’t go all peanut butter. So cheese bits and bird seed also went in the mix. In the basement, in the attic. Two mice and a vole the first round, two mice the next, all in the basement. Thankfully must have been instantaneous, my biggest fear is to find one still alive and in pain.
Had to scrinch my eyes when I collected them, and the first round I could not bear to remove the poor creatures, just tossed the traps out in the field. I know, I know. Second round, getting tougher, eyes still scrinched but I removed the little bodies. Placed them out in the snow–no heartless tossing for me. I know….if I had to do this everyday I’d be tossing in no time.
Right away it got a lot quieter at night. No more waking up to scratching and pitter pat running in the walls. But last night, in what I considered a safe zone–the living room–one came running out from behind the sofa opposite me, around the corner of the doorway and up those everloving stairs, must have dashed through the grate because was gone by the time I arrived to peer. Maybe some gingerbread is still stashed in there.
Enjoy the crumbs Tom and Jerry because traps will be awaitin’ tonight…sorry guys.