WARNING: HIGH GRUESOME QUOTIENT BELOW. (No pictures, though.)
I found a dead mouse under the sink in the glue trap when I got a new garbage bag out, which wasn’t there the last time, not longer ago than a day and a half. Do I have cannibal mice? Or worse? SOMETHING had eaten from it. It certainly hadn’t had time to decay in less than a day and a half, but most of its lower body was missing, certainly all the guts, and most of one leg, and there was a bite mark in the skull. I wait with interest to see what happens in the other three traps. The instructions said to check them after three days and if nothing was caught to move them to a new location, but the two in the kitchen were right where I had found mouse poop, so I waited, and a week later, here’s this guy, who really was incredibly long-haired, which I had doubted when I caught a glimpse. If I have mice, must they really be Persian mice?
Oh Mary Anne. I know that mice can be bothersome and I'm not opposed to doing away with them humanely, but glue traps cause tremendous and prolonged suffering.
ReplyDeleteI don't know what could have consumed your dead mouse but I hope it was a quicker death than the glue trap itself would have been. Here's a link for the Humane Society of the U.S. which might encourage you consider finding another way to rid your home of mice.
http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/facts/glue_boards.html
I truly hope I haven't offended you. Thanks for listening
I was going to say something about the glue traps, too, but Hilary said it better. And yes, mice will eat each other - I have not experienced it, but hubby said that when he used a live trap years ago, if more than one mice was caught they would turn on each other and someone would get eaten.
ReplyDeleteLook for those snap traps - like little V's - they work really well - quick and relatively painless (yeah, they still end up dead, though). (Or poison, which I know Hilary doesn't approve of either, but it's supposed to be relatively painless, too.
The thing about glue traps is that they are harmless to dogs (even if they get stuck to them, they come right off with peanut butter, as we've demonstrated for our clients). The snap traps can not only cut noses, but even break toes. And I have a dog who can open kitchen cabinets. He doesn't open these, since I have no food items at all in the lower ones, but I fear he would find whatever bait I used attractive. (The mice are not finding the peanut butter in the basement at all interesting, apparently.)
ReplyDeleteSounds like you might need to dog-proof your cabinets with those child-proof latches! LOL
DeleteIt reminds me of my first cats who were adept at opening kitchen cupboards. Some of the cupboard doors were already set to go by the time we had kids. That's a really good idea. The dogs can't open them, and traps can be set without worry.
ReplyDeleteThe poison can be a problem because some are designed to simply dehydrate the mice. They still die a slow torturous death. Others are more humane and will kill them quickly but in either case, you have to worry about the animals that might find them (pets or hawks). If they eat them, they're also vulnerable to being poisoned.
The kindest, safest route would be Baggies's good suggestion above.. V-traps and child-proof locks. Safe for everyone.. except the mouse but he'll not know what hit him which is preferable to spending days in agony.
Gruesome tale!
ReplyDeleteNow you've got me humming "She cut off their tails with a carving knife..."
DeleteOK, I keep waiting for more pretty flowers or cute birds or dogs or interior shots so I don't have to think about half-eaten mice..
ReplyDeleteBut hell, I miss checking in here so am stopping by anyway.
No half-eaten mouse thoughts though. Ick. :)
There will be, as soon as I get time to upload anything. I should probably get the special Blogger iPhone app so I can add things from my iPod touch that I take pictures with at work. I only sync it to the computer once a week. If then. Syncing is not swift.
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