Moto Speak: The Mice are Winning!

   

Summer 2010,  Beast with Giant Loop Great Basin Saddlebag

The Beast sits in the garage, mice trailing their way to it's precious pieces, as I watch the rain fall and the temperatures wane.  Remember summer?  Sweet summer with bright blue skies and warm goodness all around?  Oh how I long for summer!

It's been an uphill battle between the field mice, Trout and myself.  Winter isn't even officially here.  We have been battling over the Beast's territory...the large garage that must feel warm and inviting to the mice as their fields turn to mud puddles and the rain floods their underground homes.

After attempting various modes of mice destruction (bounce, moth balls and even electric noise makers) I slinked into despair as I laid out the poison boxes and waited for dehydration of the masses.  Ever aware that Trout is a labrador who enjoys eating anything and everything, the poison has been weighing on my mind and heart.  What if my Princess Trout were to eat some?  Would that be worth the price of a BMW that's mouse free?  Surely not.   Input from friends declared poison the clear victor, but still, I thought there must be something better and more humane.

After opening the back door and watching a mouse atop the screen door, staring down at me as we did a quick show down before he jumped down and scurried behind a chair, I vowed that whatever the cost the mice would leave my humble home.  Another friend and fellow blogger gave me a good tip:  electric mouse traps.  I rushed off to the store and picked one up for the steep price of $24.00.  I thought I'd give it a try on the back porch as that's where the last mouse villain I'd stopped seemed to be enjoying himself.  I followed instructions and put in four AA batteries and placed a small amount of peanutbutter in the trap.  I turned it on and went inside the house, sure that the electric trap would be my salvation.   A couple hours later I stepped outside to a blinking green light, which meant the trap had caught it's first victim!  Elated, I opened the trap and took tally for the night.  Mice: 0.  Me: 1.

I reset the trap and went to sleep, blissful that finally my mouse problem would be gone and the Beast would be safe once again.   Excitement purged through me and at midnight I crept outside and was elated to find I'd scored another win!  Mouse number two lay still in the trap!  Mice: 0.  Me: 2.  I reset the trap and drifted off to sleep knowing full well that I had finally found the perfect solution to all my woes.  When I awoke, to my disappointment, no mice had found my trap.  Still, I thought it worked well so I moved it into the garage near the Beast.

Today I donned my warm weather gear and walked out to the detached garage.  The first couple days of hunting I failed to kill any mice in the garage.  That would mean I'd only killed two mice, at approximately $12 bucks each given the price of the trap.  But still, I kept the faith.  It's been at least a week since I checked the trap.  I opened the garage door and expected to see the flashing light that would notify me of my victory.  Instead I saw nothing.  A still trap, an empty box of poison and another full box by it's side and a garage floor still littered with Bounce dryer sheets and moth balls.  And a Beast, still ashamed and wearing a pair of black panty hose filled with moth balls around it's middle.  The injustice of it all.

Hmmm, I ponder now, do I buy another electric trap?  Is there some type of special scent mice give off when they are electrocuted?  Why don't the moth balls and Bounce sheets work?  How long must the Beast wear panty hose and suffer the indignities?  Are country mice just smarter than city mice?  Clearly all the mice are smarter than I.

Here I am, beaten by the mice again.  A cat is starting to look better, day by day.  Now if only I can find one who doesn't eat, poop, walk on cars, sleep on motorbike seats, shed, go to the vet, or need any attention.  I'm sure that will be easy, right?