Thursday, October 22, 2009

Seek and Destroy

Seven years ago right after we had moved into our new home, I heard mysterious noises in our bathroom ceiling.  I told Joel about the scratching and pattering, but he insisted I must be hearing things.

So, I let it go.

A couple of months later, after multiplication, warmth and news of an ideal hideout (I think they invited the whole neighborhood), my husband finally heard the little boogers. Yes, we had mice, in our attic. So, like any conscientious home owner we set traps. 

It worked like a charm.

Until one had the audacity to chew thru our bathroom vent and die.

UGH!

Let me tell you there is nothing as rank as decaying, petrifying animal flesh.

So, for a couple of years the vent in our master bathroom sported the chic, sleek look of cellophane.  We sealed every nook and cranny around our house trying to prevent any more mouse invasions.  But each autumn it never failed, mice came to our attic to seek refuge from inclement weather.

This spring Joel replaced the chewed through vent and we flipped the vent on and off at our leisure.  I was so grateful to have a vent in our bathroom again, it really can be a useful tool!

But my venting days were to be short lived because this morning I had to post this on our bathroom door...

100_6739

You guessed it.  Another uninvited visitor has chosen our bathroom vent for his burial ground.

And once again our bathroom vent is all slicked out in a custom cellophane cover.

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As of a couple hours ago, with yet another layer of tape added, we are still experiencing the unpleasant aroma of dead mouse.  I am praying for frigid weather, like I never have before.  I want the intruder freeze dried.  Because no amount of burning apple spice candles can eliminate the wafting noxious scent of dead mouse.

Next step, is entering the mice's lair for a seek and destroy mission, because we are discovering that the cellophane isn't eliminating the suffocating, putrid fumes.

Wish us luck!

9 comments:

  1. I don't know what you could do about the smell except burn candles, but that's not exactly safe around small kids. I trapped a mouse once in a wall with steel wool. They can't chew through it. It died and we lived with the smell for a few days. nasty little creatures...

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  2. I hear ya. We have experienced the little boogers in vents, ceilings and walls. It seem no matter how ya chalk, plaster and seal they find a way in. I understand they can push through the size of a dime. The smell will dissipate eventually, I wish I could say that about the mothballs I threw under the house trying to detour the skunks. The smell gets stronger with moisture and we had had boat loads of rain.

    I wish you luck. Have a terrific day free of gnawing!!!

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  3. Oh, what an awful thing to live with! They truly are just horrible creatures. I hope God will give your husband wisdom as to how to find a more permanent solution to the ongoing problem!

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  4. If you can find a hole that they are getting through plug it with steel wool. I have been told they can't chew threw that.
    Of course now that I think about it that could keep them in also.
    Or, of course, they could always chew their way around the steel wool...
    traps work the best. you just have to continue to set them. Perhaps just have a once a week (in season) mouse trapping adventure.

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  5. Ugh! I totally feel your pain and smell the scent! :)

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  6. Oh dear!! This makes me so thankful we live in a temperate part of God's creation! I thought it was bad that we had rats in our shed!! :(
    Hope you get it all sorted out soon!
    Blessings,
    Camille

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  7. Not quite the exciting news I thought it might be... so sorry for the STINK! I can't think of anything to get rid of the smell short of shoving a couple tapered candles up your nose and lighting them! Go get the little critters!

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  8. Bless your heart...and your noses! We had something like this happen one year under our bathtub, a rat brought in road kill and ate it, EW! We could hear all the the chewing and the smells...nothing we could do. Until...we re~did our bathroom. Looked like cat bones...horrible.

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  9. Yuck! When I was in college I was working for a professor who had a mouse die in his office. His office was so messy it was impossible to find it. I had to work in that office with the smell of rotting flesh for way too long. It was nasty. I feel for you, Girl!

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