This evening a mouse invaded my bedroom for the
second time. This time since there were no pipes or crevices in my room for the friendly rodent to make a quick exit through, it was effectively trapped, or so we thought.
What follows is a chronology of the dramatic events as they unfolded. Those of you with a fondness for mice or a weak stomach may want to skip this part.
8.20pm
While on the phone to Matt I notice a dark object move quickly into my room from the corridor. Without wearing my glasses I couldn't tell whether it was a giant insect or something worse. Trying to remain calm I said goodbye to Matt and just as I did, noticed the dark object move across the room in front of my feet. I jump up immediately and onto my chair (to gain some vertical perspective on the matter). I yell out to Nicole, who's on the phone to her friend,
"Nicole!!!"
She hangs up her call.
"What?"
"I have just seen the
biggest insect crawl really quickly into my bedroom!"
"Oh no, don't tell me that."
She also jumps onto a chair.
We both panic. Suddenly the dark object reappears and this time I'm wearing my glasses. We both realize that it is in fact a dark mouse!
8.45pm
After a few moments of stressful contemplation, Nicole and I decided to do something about it.
So I got a stick and started poking around the room.
This proved successful in dislodging the rodent but it moved so fast our eyes could hardly keep up.
This went on for some time.
9.15pm
We finally have it cornered, under a stack of shelves in the corner. We used an old gerbil's cage that was going to be thrown out to try and trap the mouse, thus avoiding any unnecessary fatalities (for all parties concerned!)
It was a matter of sitting and waiting for the mouse to come out and then we'd shut the lid on the cage and all would be well.
9.45pm
With the mouse proving harder to secure than we had anticipated we decided to throw in some food, an ice cube that would dissolve into some water and some pieces of (processed) cheese.
Sure enough the mouse took to the scent and made frequent visits to the cage, but managed to escape each time before we could close the lid.
10.30pm
After staring at the corner of the room for long enough we decided enough was enough. We went to Stage 2.
Stage 2 involed emptying all of my clothes from the stack of shelves and then moving the shelves in the hope of giving the mouse nowhere to run and hide.
Unfortunately we learned that field mice can leap over cages, traps and whatever else you have planned for it.
10.50pm
Feeling somewhat despondent and completely exhausted we go to Stage 3: buying mouse traps.
11.00pm
We sit and wait outside the room for the traps to do their thing.
11.30pm
After regular checks we realize the mouse is long gone by now and we are left with a room in disarray and our emotions spent.
12am
The bedroom is returned to normal, 3 1/2 hours after the mouse first arrived on the scene. I hope it sleeps well tonite, because I certainly will!!
