The last rodent lodger to take up residence in our house was evicted with great difficulty, but I think that one of his close relatives has now launched a major offensive above our bedroom. At four o’clock this morning we were awoken by a rattling in the ceiling that sounded like a warthog trying to line dance. After much deliberation, we came to the conclusion that a mouse was attempting to lay waste to out entire electrical installation and was chewing through wires like liquorice.
This mouse, like the last one must be a new breed of genetically transformed mutants. We tried for days to get rid of the one in the store room, as it systematically munched its way through packets of cereals and biscuits. Sensing that it had a sweet tooth, we stooped to wedging a trap between the washing machine and the wall and dumped a large piece of cake on it. The next morning, the trap had sprung, but there was no trace of either mouse or cake.
I replaced the cake and that evening surprised the wee beastie with its head in a bag of brioche. It legged it out of the cupboard and down into the gap between the wall and the washing machine. Then, being aerodynamically gifted, it flew over the trap, apparently dislodging the piece of cake in mid-flight, before disappearing down the hole where the pipe goes. We quickly blocked up the offending hole for good, thwarting the mouse in its plans to come back later to eat the cake, which had landed a safe distance from the trap.
I was hoping that we would find a similar solution tonight for its cousin, but I had forgotten that my husband had been invited out. He is giving a hand to a neighbouring farmer and has the unenviable task of manually catching 6,000 hens.
I’m not expecting him back until the early hours so I guess mighty mouse will have to wait.
The mountain dweller 
We had them once in the attic and one night it sounded as if there 2 teams playing football up there over our heads. And that was it, we never heard them again.
So good luck with yours they’re a real nuisance.
Angela
My cat left me a headless mouse in the kitchen a couple of days ago. I preferred that to the disembowelled blackbird he left under my daughter’s bed, though…
I think “living in the country” is just an unrealistic fantasy for me…I don’t think I could cope with Nature close up 🙂
I finally managed to get my husband to go up into the loft. He had some miracle agricultural concotion which he thought would do the trick. It is certainly slow working whatever it is!
We were visited by a mouse (prob. a field mouse that came in through an open window – we’re on the second floor!) about a year ago. I walked into the kitchen and saw it munching away at some lettuce I’d left out, and I totally lost it. You don’t expect to see mice when you live well above ground in the middle of the city.
After the incident, we got one of these plug thingies that emit a repellent sound to keep mice at bay. We’ve not seen it since, but I suspect it was my screaming that scared it off!