Creatures of Discomfort

Eeeek! A mouse!

Out at the farm there are many creatures looking for a meal and a comfy place to den. We have fox, coyote, ground hog, skunk, raccoon, rabbit, and squirrel who poke around under porches and in barns looking for good opportunities.

But the most persistent critter is the unstoppable Field Mouse. A creature so devious and cunning that no amount of preparation on our part can prevent his unwelcome entry into our living spaces and cupboards.

I’m not talking about the small black mouse that daintily pads about on tiny feet in city homes. Nor is it the gentle grey mouse who occasionally wanders from the woods to inspect the depths of a garage or shed.

No, sir. The Field Mouse of the farmland is a formidable opponent. This large brown rouge is wily and tenacious. He will find the slimmest crevice to squeeze through and will set up house and raise two generations before you even know he’s there. No ordinary bait can thwart the Field Mouse. He’s far too clever to fall for such sophomoric tricks. And he easily defeats any attempt to snare him. We’ve tried every device the hardware store sells – snapping traps, whirling traps, glue traps, and contraption traps. Nothing works against this crafty creature of the countryside.

So it was with great dismay that after parking the RV at the farm, I found the unhappy evidence of larcenous entry in less than a week. The countertop was peppered with droppings and a bag of dog food left carelessly on the table was neatly chewed in half, most of the contents missing.

This can mean only one thing…WAR!  It’s on like a pot of neck bones, Mr. Mouse!

Once again I was in the aisle at Lowes scrutinizing the mouse traps with some embarrassment, as if they were adult movie rentals. Nope tried that one, nah this one didn’t work, oh that one was terrible…

And then I saw Shake Away’s Organic Mouse Repellent. Each bag contains four little packets of Herbs N’ Stuff. They claim that mice hate the smell and one packet is enough for a whole basement.

I put 8 of them in the motorhome.

It’s been three weeks and I haven’t seen any more signs of intrusion. And the coach has a pleasant minty smell lingering in the air. I’ll be buying more of these miracle packets. And possibly stock in the company!