My office today took on a new business venture – as of today a brand new rodent motor-way seems to have been opened. I am considering on charging them a toll. The house we live in has been making ‘rodent’s inside’ noises pretty much since we moved here and being that both an old listed building and being in the countryside, we do expect some rodent ventures.
Every now and then our spider population takes a down turn for the worse also – a very good sign either the dogs are having some luck catching them (apparently dogs do indeed eat spiders … well only when they catch them and that isn’t frequent), or there is a rodent pottering about in the gaps in the floorboards. Any more obvious signs aren’t ever seen such as rodent bowel gifts. These mice either don’t go the toilet very often or are given birth to and then leave our house – my office is in the exit path if that is the case.
A few months ago we had a mouse half way up the stairs (I am not making dodgy song references, we honestly did and yes I did sense the irony in the mouse positioning). So, putting on my best sherlock hat tonight I have worked out the exit path that appears as of tonight to be a common route. I am not squemish about mice I’d just rather they didn’t run around my house and my electric cables – the route goes round the back of my desk and all the wiring.
Now, I am labeling this as a ‘rodent’ the reason being simply although I am yes a country girl at heart I have failed my roots in failing to recall what is the difference in look of a baby mouse or rat. I say babies these are well smaller than squash balls I guess – short squat and small and probably not speaking well of me either now after having put them in a glass and putting them outside.
On that note our neighbours must be thinking the mad dog couple have gone slightly madder as I have been twice now seen pottering down the road carrying a glass with large bit of card over it. Yes, we have also worked out this may not be the best method of getting rodents out of the house – but least they weren’t the same rodent as that would have been so repetitive.
I am writing this listening to music stupidly low on semi-rodent watching duties. The phrase no work going to get done tonight comes to mind. I have found the two suspect holes though and anti-rodent measures will be taking place beyond at the moment the ‘me half eye watching just incase’. Dillon was interested in the whole thing, he even woke up when one did a particularly fast bolt for behind the desk and down under the subwoofer. I am thinking where 2 come there is more than likely to be more, I have tried to convince myself they were husband and wife and that is all – not working that one. I wander if I can get tax deductions for them or maybe charge them some form of rent if they keep coming? How much is a reasonable amount for crossing your room toll?
Rodent update :
The sum is 3 now with one more today. This one wasn’t so lucky as at the time both dogs were in the room and Barley being the older one put her hunting cap on and was batting and mouthing it about the bed – yes, it wasn’t that great to see. To quote my husbnad ‘it got mullered’. The not too great thing is that for the last hour or so she’s been patrolling visually the office – the phrase where there are 3… there are more? I think we may have to phone the estate office and get them to get the exterminators in (mutter). I am hoping nature kicks in and one dead acts as a ‘do not come in dogs here’ warning… sigh.
Sorry to hear about the rodents. I like to call them mice and think of them as rats. You don’t really want to say “There are rats in my office” but you also don’t want to say “My dog killed a mouse”. Or atleast I think of mice as cute and rats as stinky… but good luck fixing the problem.
Funny stuff.