A Better Mousetrap
Mouse in sticky trap by jma.work
My ideal mousetrap would have the creature simply leave. Like a tersely worded note. That doesn’t work. The alternative is what’s called a sticky trap. This is left overnight with a bit of papaya in the middle and in the morning I have to deal with it. ‘It’ being what looks like a sickly pulsating organ, covered with goo and, uh, pulsating. It didn’t really look like a mouse, I thought it had been turned inside out or something, it was gross.
I just put the thing in a garbage bag and put it in the outside bin. What else to do. I’m not going to smash it or throw it down the well or anything. But it is a rather terrible way to go. I had a bit of difficulty eating lunch and I felt a slight existential dread that in a future life or hell I’d be punished in a similar way. But what else to do. Mouse was unclean and leaving little shits everywhere. I’m still finding them around. I do wish there was a better mousetrap.
Posted on Monday, April 11th, 2011 in Personal.
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Making sure there are no edible scraps like even vegetable parings left around at night, and taking out even a little garbage that is collected before locking up for the night, might reduce the numbers of the pests, but may not solve the problem completely in congested city areas.
There’s a kind of rat poison which dehydrates the mouse and makes it run outdoors in search of water. It eventually dies of dehydration. I’m not sure if it’s a long painful death for the creature, and this method wont allay your fears of bad karma, but you wouldn’t be left with a carcass to get rid of, and there’s no rotting odour as it completely dries up.
Rat fever is a fatal condition, so you’re also preserving life by getting rid of them.
Dude, there is a better mousetrap, you can find them in hardware stores. It’s like this cage, with a trapdoor. Mouse goes in, eats the piece of bread, and is caught in the cage. You can then take it somewhere deserted and release it. Kinda a long process, but at least you don’t have to kill the little guy.
@shammi:
Rat fever (aka Leptospirosis – transmitted via Rat urine) is not always fatal. In SL its has a higher mortality ‘cos people neglect the symptoms and keep gulping paracetamol thinking the fever will subside. Finally, after about a week when they have no choice but to go to hospital – its too late: They die all Jaundiced due to liver failure. Treated in the first 2-3 days its very simple to cure, with antibiotics.
Bubonic Plague is fatal. Transmitted by rat bites.
@Indi:
Chavie is right. These cages are ingenious and available in different sizes. Once the mouse is trapped in it, I just leave it in the hot sun. Dies in an hour. Can’t be bothered to take it for a ride.
Oooh, how nice, a doctor in the house! Thanks Boson, I really didn’t know that. The bubonic plague hasn’t been heard of since the dark ages, has it?
I think the dehydrating rat poison would sit better on my conscience, than letting them die of sunstroke, since I wouldn’t even know how many of them took the poison.
True, Bubonic plague has not been heard of lately. Still it exists as a top priority notifiable disease in SL.
The problem with all sorts of rat poison is that usually the critters die inside the house in places not easily reachable. Then follows the stench. Sunstroke is way more “clean”…. Pardon the obvious cruelty, but hey… its either them or us.
I swear by vitamin K inhibitors. Mortein has a lovely range.
PS: the house has been rat free for years and all it took was a few pieces of the stuff