Saturday, April 17, 2010

Whose Afraid of a Little Mouse?

Last fall when Carl and I were putting away the last of lawn equipment we had a bit of a disagreement over what to do about two mice (that we knew of) that had taken up residence inside our barn. Knowing that the barn would be closed up for the winter, I told Carl that I didn't want the mice to be left in there all winter with friends they'd either create or invite during the cold months. Carl on the other hand, felt that it was "only two" and they should be allowed to stay, so I conceded.
Last week we opened up the barn and lo and behold, there were a few signs of the mice, but none were visible.
I was very much assured by Carl today that the barn was a mouse free zone!! Feeling that confidence, and having sent a couple of the dogs in ahead of me, I ventured into the barn to get out the rain-barrel that as you can see by the picture below was being stored right by the door.
When I moved the hoses that were stored inside the barrel, guess what? Yes, there was a mouse inside!! Okay, I'll admit that I'm not brave and I'm scared of mice and screamed like a little girl which caused our dog Carrie to run back to the house!! I had Carl remove everything, and this is what our little barn resident looked like. Hmmm, he really was much bigger and much more menacing the first time I saw him...
Carl took him over to the edge of the woods to release this little country mouse back into the wild--I sent Rudi with him to make sure it was sent on its way...
Carl said the mouse acted like it didn't want to leave the rain-barrel. I came over and took a peek and as I snapped the pictures he looked so scared and unsure. And, for just a moment I wasn't afraid of it and I thought that maybe I should just let him live in our barn and continue to be safe. But the feeling passed and he was evicted from his home--One down, how many more mice and "I told you so's" to go??

29 comments:

  1. That looks like our little pixie mouse that lives in our barn. One day mommy was mowing the pature and overturned a little mouse nest in the grass. I saw the Mama mouse run away. The little babies were pink and felt like jelly bellys and they were afraid. I told Mommy to put them back in the nest and cover them up. She did.
    Now the mama and the 3 babies live in the barn. There is just the 4 of them.
    I hope your little mouse found a new home.
    love
    tweedles

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  2. Hmmmm....tough call...I might have been tempted to leave him in the barn but can totally understand not wanting the mousey population to multiply! :(

    But he is kind of cute! Hopefully there will be a nice hollowed out log that will become his new home!

    Good luck on him not finding his way back home to your barn! Ha!

    xo Catherine

    PS - So happy to see Hamlet up and about on the last post ~ so wonderful!

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  3. Oh my goodness! What an adorable little guy! He looks so sweet! Too bad he's just a nasty little rodent that carries diseases and make a terrible smelly mess with all his droppings. Good riddance! (And it was probably a she and she was probably pregnant!)

    Hope she likes the country better than your barn, LOL

    Liz

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  4. Ooh such a cute little country mouse..
    We used to keep the bag of dog food in the garage, one day I went to scoop the food, and there were at least six field mice inside having a whale of a time. my daughter said they had been coming and going for close to two weeks, she had even made friends with them.
    Of course I had to expain why we couldn't let them continue to live there ;)

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  5. We tend to think they get to live too -

    We even feel the same about the weeds and stuff in the yard - as woo will see from my pikhs!

    EvFURRYthing is part of the chain!

    Hugz&Khysses,
    Khyra

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  6. It just PROVES the expression:
    "When the Cat's away the mice will play!"
    Having grown up on a farm, I have been appointed the great mouse eradicator in our house!...urrrgh!
    MAXMOM IN SOUTH AFRICA

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  7. Aaaah,cute mouse,but better out in the countryside than in your barn making more mices!

    Bellaboo :0)

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  8. I have no idea how many mice live in our shed and garage, and I'm at a point I don't care. As long as they don't come out when I'm about they can get on with it!!

    Enjoy your Sunday,

    Gill in Canada

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  9. I have to say, mice do startle me because I'm looking more for snakes and I'm jumpy to begin with! Mice I can deal with, but, I do let out a girly squeal if they catch me by surprise! haha

    Have a lovely Sunday.

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  10. I tend to act like a girl when ever I'm startled by an unexpected critter too :) Glad Rudi was there to help!

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  11. Awwwww! He's really very cute, but glad that Ozzie doesn't live anywhere near you - she'd nab that in a heartbeat, poor baby! Happy, peaceful Sunday!
    Hugs xo
    Sammie

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  12. did you hypnotise him.....his eyes!!!!LOOKS TOTALLY SPACED OUT!!!!!

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  13. You are such a gifted writer Kim - I am so blessed to know you & Carl. What a delightful joy - this story & pictures. That dear little mouse. Nice to see Rudy was doing her job to see that the mouse finds his/her way onto another home. $10 bet "they will be back" kinda like a Beatrice Potter story.

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  14. They may look cute but I don't want them around. We have lots of field mice and voles but the birds of prey and foxy Roxy are doing their best to lower the population. So far yet we haven't had any in the house. I think there is also a sweet kitty that is also attending to the mice population.
    From the pictures looks like you are having some nice weather.
    Glad to hear Hamlet is still on the mend.

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  15. We've had a few mice here, gutsy little critters! One was under the sofa that the cat was sleeping on, if the cat would have known it, she would have claimed it as a friend!
    I have live traps and when we catch one, and believe it or not - two, they are promptly taken out to the field across the road.
    If they didn't make such a mess and stinkies - I would probably have one as a pet.

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  16. He does look cute, but in my experience mice never live alone, and increase in numbers very quickly, so I'm afraid I always have to get rid of them, however cute they look!

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  17. I'm with John........... I have never seen eyes like that on a mouse!
    Thanks for your comment re Ernest, he is alive and well and waiting for the volcanic ash situation to settle in order that he can go and cause havoc elsewhere!

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  18. Kim, our was was dead in the trap, so a funeral ceremony of me hurling it into the field was held!!

    Thanks for the comments about the church ladies!

    Gill in Canada

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  19. Oh Kim, how could you...look at his little mousey face, he probably has got lots of lickle baby mices too waiting for their dinner...lol Sue x

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  20. I am soooo happy to see mice dealt with in a humane manner - as you know I am wrestling with my guilt about setting traps in the greenhouse. Your method reminds me of how we have dealt with rodents (one mouse and one rat) in the house - after trying lots of things in each case we finally ended up just moving the piece of furniture under which the rodent was hiding (the rat under a dresser and the mouse under a loveseat) down the hall and right out the door. Not elegant, and not without effort, but it worked!

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  21. Woof! Woof! Oh My! It's a cute one ... but no thanks. Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  22. His eyes look like little currants - sweet . I like your barn too !

    Thanks for your message - funerals are an odd mix of sad / happy / sad.
    Sam seems Ok - Vet said if he's: eating, wagging his tai, happy to see us & pottering a bit then OK & we will know the right time for him to go to sleep forever.

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  23. Sweet little mouse. We had two this past winter, one got eaten by next door's cat and the other has gone on his way now.

    Shirl x

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  24. Mice are a fact of life at Pondside - around the chicken coop and in the sheds - but The Great Dane assures me that where there are mice there are no rats. Should I believe him?

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  25. What BIG eyes your little mouse has!! Mom would probably give a screech at the sight of the little critter too! Maybe even dad!

    Hugs and snaggle-tooth kisses,
    Sierra Rose

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  26. Not a very menacing look from that little guy, but I will share this: when I was in high school (too many years to tell), I raised a pair of mice for a science project. Remember: they can reproduce every 28 DAYS and their first offspring produced 13!! (I thought they were 2 males) Doing that math... I don't want them around. Have a great day!

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  27. Oh, he was cute...in pictures at least...I'm not a big fan either.

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  28. Our mom loves mice, but not the snakes they attract!
    Licks and sniffs,
    Zack, Sassy and Buddy

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Speak--I really enjoy your comments! Thanks for stopping by today!!