Mice

For those of you who have ever had to put mouse traps in your home, I understand your pain. I am living in a college (on-campus) apartment, and these four rowdy college boys who lived here before me did NOT keep this place in good condition. I mean it was AWFUL!! When I moved in, the coffee table was cracked in half, most of the windows were missing screens or would not open, they had pried the basement open, the closet door was stuck, the cabinet door was removed (not broken, just removed, which I found quite strange), and I had mice living with me.

Yes, mice. Within an hour of moving in, I noticed the mouse-droppings. I called the campus maintenance number and reported this. Someone came with traps within a few days, but I had to remove them myself. I usually do not have problems with "gross" tasks, but picking up these cute little mice who had just recently had their necks snapped by the traps in my kitchen gave me the willies. I am an "environmentally-friendly," "conserve energy," "save the animals," as my roommate called me, a "tree-hugger!" Killing furry little critters is NOT the kind of thing I enjoy doing. So, almost immediately after I threw these mice in the dumpster outside, I needed new traps. I had thrown the mice out without unlatching the traps. I didn't want to TOUCH them, let alone figure out how to re-use the mouse trap! Well, it was a Friday, and Maintenance doesn't work out and do things like deal with such infestations on the weekend. Being a stubborn woman, I was not going to buy my own traps, on principle, of course. So, my friend offered me his spare bed for a while, until the mice were gone.

You would think that after having to throw away the mice before, looking into their little beady eyes and tossing them into the dumpster, that I would eventually get over coming into my apartment to find another mouse in the trap. I have found five mice in my apartment so far, and after finding the first two, I have let out a shriek of surprise each time. I wasn't even living in the apartment at this point. Now, the friend I was living with has gotten a new roommate to fill the bed I was sleeping in, and I have regrettably moved back into my mouse-infested apartment. To be fair, I have not found mice in nearly two weeks. However, now I have to clean up the mess they have made in the house while I was gone. I bought a Swiffer mop today at the store. Wish me luck!