Comments on Silverware Siesta

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Quetz. . , I have seen a snake yet
I know this woman who was saying, "wait til you see the snakes. One day, I came home from work, and I saw two of them hanging from one of my window shutters outside."

I dread the day that this comes. But, somehow, I know it will.

posted by Joe_Love on August 2, 2005 at 5:43 PM | link to this | reply

joe_love:

you think a mouse is bad... try finding a snake.  not personal experience, mind you, but my husband's grandma.  she built the house and lived it in nearly 70 years.  my father-in-law had to save the day and get the slithering critter out of the silverware drawer.  it will, undoubtedly, go down in family lore.  as will yours.  ;)  keep writing.  enjoy the laughter as always.

posted by quetzal on August 2, 2005 at 5:37 PM | link to this | reply

Joe, get a cat.  Get two or three, and get them neutered.  Let them live out in the barn out back.  Feed them from your back door.  They will be faithful companions, and keep your residence rodent-free.  That's what we did when my parents moved out to corn country from the chicago suburbs almost two decades ago.  Works like a charm.  Be sure to spay or neuter them, first, tho.  I have an upcoming blog on that subject... 

posted by SilverMoon7 on August 2, 2005 at 7:06 AM | link to this | reply

See what happens
when you allow your imigration laws to become lax. The little varmits will move in and take over the place. Most of the mice I've had dealings with have little beedy black eyes. Or maybe that's just how I seem them, so I can justify deporting them to mouse heaven.

posted by Moondawg on August 1, 2005 at 4:07 PM | link to this | reply

JoeLove,
I LOVED the dialogue from the mouse! Gawd, that was hilarious.

Great post. You done Mickey proud.

posted by myrrhage_ on August 1, 2005 at 3:50 PM | link to this | reply

LOLOLOLOL!!!
YOu are such a city boy!!!!  That's what you get for teasing us all about the Monster.

posted by Bel_ on August 1, 2005 at 11:49 AM | link to this | reply

Mice Mice go away

Come again another day, huh?

If only wishes were horses, beggars would ride

 

posted by Straightforward on August 1, 2005 at 4:34 AM | link to this | reply

Lol JoeLove, your adventures rock on
 I hate traps too. Having a cat about does work wonders in keeping them out of the house, though I never appreciated the headless offerings on the patio...

posted by Katray2 on July 31, 2005 at 10:13 PM | link to this | reply

Great anecdotal writing. Like your blog skin. Reflects your content perfectly.

posted by dog1net on July 31, 2005 at 6:31 PM | link to this | reply

No love for Mickey
The little bastards SUCK. Take emotion out of it, 'cuz they are as cutre as the Dickens. But be a cold, heartless killer when it comes to mice, or you'll have issues..Big-time. Good luck!

posted by Mudman on July 31, 2005 at 3:37 PM | link to this | reply

Joe Love...Have the Monster buy some d-con.
I think that's the way to go. Put the little pellets around the house. But keep your doggies away from that. I hate little rodents. The tails scare me. You poor thing, you.

posted by MedusaNextDoor on July 31, 2005 at 1:30 PM | link to this | reply

Just set some traps and get some mice huntin' cats to roam the outside. I've had a mouse run up my hand escaping a bag of oats. Tis country life and in my opinion better then the city.

posted by ThomasFranklin on July 31, 2005 at 9:36 AM | link to this | reply

Hello Joe_Love,

  Mice are cute little critters, but they are not welcome in my home.  My one son bought a house when he was 21 years old and told me to come look in his silverware drawer and cupboards after he moved in and it was obvious my son wasn't the only one living there.  I advised him to use just one big cupboard for food, putting everything into heavy plastic containers to protect it. I suggested he leave nothing out unprotected, and to enclose all trash, thus the mice would not be able to party.  His entire kitchen had to be cleaned and disinfected.  They even got into his toothpaste in the bathroom!  Thus, more cleaning.  Anyway, I told him to set traps using peanut butter. I'm not a mean person, but it isn't healthy to have mouse droppings.  Yuk.  Can you imagine the bacteria?  Our health comes first! He did succeed in getting rid of the mice in his home. 

  By the way, thanks for the visit to my post and for your perceptive comment.    

posted by jacentaOld on July 31, 2005 at 8:19 AM | link to this | reply

Love
Not a cat person?  You have two adorable doggies, who you love, you must be an animal person. You just need to get to know a cat, then you will see. Besides there is some special little kitty out there just waiting to be adopted into your heart, so he can come clean out the cabinet critters.

posted by Tweeter65 on July 31, 2005 at 5:33 AM | link to this | reply

Oh yuck - how unnerving.

(I'm one who scoops spiders and other creepy-crawlers out the door because I can't bear to kill them.)

I hope you solve your mouse problem pronto!

posted by Maerdi on July 31, 2005 at 5:06 AM | link to this | reply

Hickory
you just gave me inspiration for my next post. *grin* Thanks.

posted by Joe_Love on July 30, 2005 at 9:09 PM | link to this | reply

One=two and two=a whole bunch

Where there is one mouse, there is inevitably two, and next to us and dolphins, these little things must be the next in line on the list of sex for fun.  They will move the whole damn family in.  Once they are in the walls, forget it, you might as well just move...or burn your house down.

posted by mhickory on July 30, 2005 at 9:06 PM | link to this | reply

Silverware Siesta..I love it!
You can buy traps that just catch the lil varmints and then you can release them outside! I'd never had a mouse in any house I'd lived in until last year when the little buggers made a home, and a feast for themselves in my pantry cupboard. It's true that you don't realize that it's not just their 'droppings' that are creepy...it's their urine too! I threw out about $100 worth of food..some of it just because I was afraid they'd pissed on it! Ugh!! Good luck with the creatures!

posted by ginnieb on July 30, 2005 at 7:41 PM | link to this | reply

Joe,
Oh no...that is quite a problem, huh? They are so darn cute...make them hard to exterminate...but YUCK !!!

posted by SincerityAnna on July 30, 2005 at 7:34 PM | link to this | reply

Joe, hope you're still reading along with the

Road Trip Sagas. Cuz Episode 15 is ready to go.

posted by Passionflower on July 30, 2005 at 6:12 PM | link to this | reply

Joe--
Not a cat person? Well I neva heard such a ridiculous thang! Seriously, with three cats I'm used to having finding lots of critters like mice (and big fat gophers and lizards too!) but NEVER in my silverware drawer! lol. I hope you didn't kill the little bugger with those horrible traps.

posted by Julia. on July 30, 2005 at 3:36 PM | link to this | reply

oops

I didn't think the first post "took" and hit the key again. Sorry! 

posted by Pat_B on July 30, 2005 at 3:08 PM | link to this | reply

Airtight storage
containers will not only keep the nasty buggers out of your food, it will stop odors from seeping out and attracting them into the kitchen. Place garbage in a sealed or tightly closed can outside your kitchen, maybe next to the back steps. If this fails, you may have to hire an assassin -- a nice yard cat with a territorial imperative. A bowl of water, some nibbles where the rain won't dampen it, and you may not even need to feel the critter rubbing up against your ankles or taking ownership of your lap. It's not healthy to have them around, I've heard mouse droppings sometimes carry the hanta virus. ick!  :)

posted by Pat_B on July 30, 2005 at 3:07 PM | link to this | reply

Don't think of it as a cat

think of it as a hired killer. An outdoor cat, preferrably tame rather than feral, will keep your country house relatively free of rodents. Many of them don't want to rub against your leg or curl up in your lap -- but the do appreciate a fresh water bowl and nibbles. In the country, owning a cat is a necessary evil.

Mouse droppings have been known to carry the hanta virus, which does spread to humans and can be devastating. Other means of discouragement: seal all foodstuffs, especially bread, biscuits, cereal, etc., in airtight containers. It not only denies access to the little buggers, it keeps the odor from drifting out to attract hungry four-leggeds. Keep garbage in a sealed can as well, and if possible, outside the kitchen.

posted by Pat_B on July 30, 2005 at 3:02 PM | link to this | reply

Joe_Love, somehow this just seems appropriate:

Wee, sleeket, cowran, tim'rous beastie,  O, what panic's in thy breastie!  Thou need na start awa sae hasty,  Wi' bickering brattle!  I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee,  Wi' murd'ring pattle!

I'm truly sorry Man's dominion
Has broken Nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
Which makes thee startle,
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!

I doubt na, whyles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen-icker in a thrave 'S a sma' request:
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!

But Mousie, thou are no thy-lane,
In proving foresight may be vain:
The best laid schemes o' Mice an' Men,
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still, thou art blest, compar'd wi' me!
The present only toucheth thee:
But Och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects drear!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!

(Robert Burns, To A Mouse)

posted by TAPS. on July 30, 2005 at 3:01 PM | link to this | reply

Ohhh, I got rid of the mice
I'm going to post about that some time in the future. And. ., as for cats. . , EVERYBODY's been telling me that if you live in the country, "you GOT to get a cat, even if it's an outdoors one." But. ., I'm just NOT a "cat person".

posted by Joe_Love on July 30, 2005 at 2:49 PM | link to this | reply

At least it wasn't rats. I thought I was going to up and move when one of those nasty f*ckers got in my house.  But with two German Shpherds in the house, it only lived a few seconds.

posted by Holy_Grail on July 30, 2005 at 2:20 PM | link to this | reply

yuck on gypsy redhead's
ruthless approach, Joe. Mice only become an "infestation" because of certain seasonal and food availabilty reasons, or absence of predators, usually because humans have destroyed them or their habitats. I don't mind a few ants, a few spiders, even a couple of mice--though I draw the line on roaches--but an infestation is nasty even if the creatures are cute. There are reasonably humane ways. I'd rather be killed instantly by a trap than have my guts eaten away and be in agony for hours. They are "only" mice but they are alive and they feel. Some might even call them "God's creatures." Compassion is never out of style. As far as cats go, first you have to genuinely like them, not just have them as mousers. Then, if they are not really hungry, they'll just torment the mice for hours, which is not a whole lot better than the poison. Hemlocker

posted by Hemlocker on July 30, 2005 at 2:13 PM | link to this | reply

P.S. No cats possible for me either...
My dogs absolutely HATE cats.  One of my dogs would most likely try to eat the cat!

posted by bettyboop1967 on July 30, 2005 at 2:10 PM | link to this | reply

I tried Orkin, so far with no results.
I feel like maybe I've wasted my money with them.  They've laid out sticky traps.  The first day or two some fur was found on one of the traps - that's all.  I can't have the poison bait because of the possibility of secondary poisoning to my dogs.  One of my dogs in particular used to catch the mice.  Lately they are more evasive.  We have put steel wool in some places, but I don't think we have located all the entries.  They have totally ruined my oven with poop, not just where visible and reachable.  So I don't use the oven.  I figure it is now trash.  Hey Joe, we have that in common - no oven.  All the surrounding cabinets need to be emptied and sanitized.  It is an ongoing war - one that they are currently winning.

posted by bettyboop1967 on July 30, 2005 at 2:09 PM | link to this | reply

joe love
love the love you love to share....oh yeah nice  eeee!

posted by mysteria on July 30, 2005 at 1:38 PM | link to this | reply

O NO JOE
What next? I'll send you my son..he kills critter for a living! What was that address again? Green Acers? Okay, got it! I hate those damm little mices to pieces!

posted by Offy on July 30, 2005 at 1:31 PM | link to this | reply

I have 8 cats, but they are lazy,
so I resorted to poison. It worked. The box promised the dead mice wouldn't stink, but they did.  Good luck with the infestation. 

posted by Flumpystalls3000 on July 30, 2005 at 1:07 PM | link to this | reply

Tweeter is right.  Cats instinctively hunt, but kittens must be taught to kill by their mothers, so just any cat won't do.  My tom named Tigger brings me squirrels, blue jays, rabbits, and, once, a half-grown 'possum.  He leaves them for me on the door mat at the back door.  Cats love giving 'presents'!

~Mama.Dragonfly487

posted by Mama.Dragonfly on July 30, 2005 at 12:07 PM | link to this | reply

vahe
Is this what they call " Coming to a sticky end"?

posted by ariel70 on July 30, 2005 at 10:43 AM | link to this | reply

you need to put the glue traps inside the house, and get poison for outside. They really stop being that cute when they decide to move in.

posted by Vanidad on July 30, 2005 at 10:40 AM | link to this | reply

intersting....

posted by 1965stories on July 30, 2005 at 10:08 AM | link to this | reply

Joe
The only thing that really works other than Orkin is mouse bait. Simply open the box, set it around in some corners and let them feast......the last supper!!

posted by TIMMYTALES on July 30, 2005 at 7:58 AM | link to this | reply

I didn't end up doing poision
or those sticky pads!!! THOSE things are DISGUSTING. Just pick up the live mouse and drop him in the garbage can!! LOL That's NASTY.

posted by Joe_Love on July 30, 2005 at 7:53 AM | link to this | reply

I agree with gypsyredhead although in the end we had to leave some poison.

posted by Azur on July 30, 2005 at 7:45 AM | link to this | reply

Just a few words...
to say hi...i have no time right now to read you, but i promise to do it later on:)

posted by Marshallengraved on July 30, 2005 at 7:42 AM | link to this | reply

Love

Get a cat, they are great companions, also then you dont have to do the dirty work, but let me inform you,  Kitty will be proud of the slaying, and meow until you notice and appreciate, the wonderful job she did exterminating your palace.

  • Pet kitty and tell her what a good girl she is. (she will purr loudly, this is a good thing).
  • Pet puppies too, so they don't get jealous of their new friend
  • Open all the cabinet doors so kitty can have full access to her future prey
  • First and formost Love!  Before choosing a kitty, look for Barn-cat quality, not any kitty will do, you want one who is programed gentically and has watched mama clean house.

Soon you will grow so attached to kitty, you will wonder how you ever lived without her, and please if you have hawks in the area make sure kitty is not at risk for an attack.           Love I will country-fi you yet.

posted by Tweeter65 on July 30, 2005 at 7:19 AM | link to this | reply

Another reason why I don't live in the country! If it were me, I would hire the whole army to come through and blast them out of there, but I suppose that's not reasonable...

posted by Ca88andra on July 29, 2005 at 11:28 PM | link to this | reply

Joe_Love
Come on, can't y'all just get along...they were probably there first! I don't really undertand why just an outside cat...why not an inside, too....your doggies will adjust!!!(heh,heh)

posted by Krisles on July 29, 2005 at 10:07 PM | link to this | reply

I hope they didn't leave you any presents...

posted by Renigade on July 29, 2005 at 9:49 PM | link to this | reply

Mice are no fun at all
but you are very funny indeed!

posted by MsVision on July 29, 2005 at 9:47 PM | link to this | reply

Awww I'm glad ya didn't kill the poor thing.
I hate those suckers in my house, but awww I feel so bad when I get one in a trap!

posted by allicat275 on July 29, 2005 at 9:24 PM | link to this | reply

JoeLove... cute post... a mouse in the silverware? LOL
A cat sounds like a good idea.  And when the cat becomes a problem, get a big dog... and when the dog gets out of hand... well... you get the idea. 

posted by -blackcat on July 29, 2005 at 8:24 PM | link to this | reply

Joe

Maybe an outside cat will help?

posted by dream_girl05 on July 29, 2005 at 7:01 PM | link to this | reply

That's alright... I knew what yaned meant LMAO

posted by RedHeadedGypsy on July 29, 2005 at 6:35 PM | link to this | reply

Ackkkkkk! Gypsy!!!
You read me before I proofed. (blush)

posted by Joe_Love on July 29, 2005 at 6:23 PM | link to this | reply

Joe...
get steel wool and put it in any holes around the house and outside the house. That discourages entry. The next step is to be completely ruthless and consider yourself invaded. Poison is ok, but it leaves dying mice wandering your house and croaking out in the open as well as in the walls. The smell is like that of a ripe diaper. Not pleasant. Traps are more effective and leave it easier for disposal. There are humane traps if you so desire. I say... kill the filthy little bastards with extreme prejudice! Oh and one outside cat, preferrably a tom, will help with the issue!!

posted by RedHeadedGypsy on July 29, 2005 at 6:17 PM | link to this | reply