Shock Horror
Mike appeared in the kitchen carrying a white plastic bag.
“I’ve made a purchase.”
A shirt emerged from the bag but, no, that was not the purchase. Nor the jubilee clips. There was also a big red box ..
..with a nice picture of a mouse on the side. It was at this point that the pleasantries ended:
‘Electronic Mouse Killer’
‘Guaranteed Effective’
‘Humane’
‘Easy to remove dead mice’
It is apparently going to get a test run in the tool shed.
Oh dear.
*******
In other news:
The Pheasant Defence System has been upgraded.
chez rusty duck 1 Pheasants 0
The window mounted bird feeder has been nobbled.
chez rusty duck 0 Squirrels 1
How do these little contraptions work?
The mouse entering the trap completes the circuit between two metal plates… it’s supposed to be instantaneous and therefore humane. There’s also a rat sized version (but expensive). Both are battery operated, though I think only suitable for indoor or outhouse use. I don’t like the idea, but better than poison.
I look forward to an update on that! Like the new defense system. Looks like a Martello Tower!
It looks to me like my border has just sprouted two enormous hat boxes!
Does it work on grey squirrels? Or agressive pheasants?
I wouldn’t put it past a squirrel to try and get in. More fool it.
Your garden creatures do seem to try your skills at keeping them at bay! I wonder how you will get on with your red box…
I will let you know!
It’s a war of attrition chez Rusty Duck isn’t it?
Exactly Sue.
They all have greater resources when it comes to boots on the ground. But I have Google..
I would like to bet 10 years ago you didn’t imagine your OH coming home with a carrier with those contents and being excited about them. I hope the trap is effective!
I’d much rather we didn’t have to resort to killing them. But they are doing so much damage, and breed so fast… last year we were overrun!
Oh dear. I can’t help but giggle at your score board.
I can’t think what to say about the mice – we’ve only ever had a rat problem & called in the big guns – the rat man.
With four cats, the only mice I see are dead or nearly dead & it’s a little upsetting as they are dear little field mice.
I suspect they are ‘latest scores’ Penny, they’ll all be back!
So the mice will be the decider on the scoreboard… I heard on the grapevine they’ve gone out and bought rubber shoes. Julie x
And the slugs. That battle has yet to commence!
I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if the mice manage to find a way out of this trap too..
Oh dear Jessica- the war is really on now isn’t it? Anti-ptolemy device looks rather chic, bird feeder rather sorry for itself, and mice destruction apparatus rather scary! CTx
Anti-Ptolemy device was a necessity – he had worked out how to pull flowers through the previous version. Now the beak doesn’t quite reach..
I’m glad you are on the winning side at the moment, hope it contines!
Sarah x
Hanging on by a thread..
Oh dear Jessica,
Those pesky squirrels are so much cleverer than we think !! At least you’ve got a handle on the pheasants !!!!
……… and the mice …….. all part of country living !! XXXX
I only have a handle on the pheasants by covering the garden with chicken wire. Will it catch on at Chelsea? Come to think of it, maybe yes!
Ian got really serious about the squirrel war and bought a gun, practised and learnt to be really very accurate. As far as I can see he hits the squirrels, they appear to fall and then leap up and run away laughing. They must have skulls of steel. I know I don’t sound like an animal lover but I am really. You ought to see our molehills too, each one about three foot high and topped with barbed wire and a look out post. Sorry, getting silly now.
Your image of the molehills did make me laugh! So far, not too many of those here yet..
I too am an animal lover and battling with the wildlife causes me an awful lot of trouble. But it has got to the point, especially with the mice, where it is them or us – literally!
I’m keeping my fingers crossed that your ‘guaranteed’ contraption is better than my ‘guaranteed’ squirrel proof bird feeder. I can’t quite get my head around the little mini mouse electric chair, but even the few we’ve battled in the pantry really reek havoc. It’s an ugly job—but someone’s got to do it!
(Like the upgrade!!! in the garden. Looking good. Well, as good as it gets for caged stuff!)
So far the pheasant cage is working, although pretty it isn’t. I’m still waiting for them to overturn it, but it is pinned to the ground with the heavy duty pegs that hold a fruit cage down!
I hope they work. There is nothing nice about being over run by mice. With all the wet weather we’ve been having there has been more pest rat and snake activity… Yikes! It just makes me shudder. Good luck with it all. xx
Thanks.. it does sound as though it has been wet over there. Snakes, oh lord!
If your mice are as clever as your squirrels, they’ll have re-routed the circuitry in no time. Rubber shoes when you go to check it!
Ali, it wouldn’t surprise me at all. They worked out how to escape the last type of trap.
The deal is though, Mike wanted the zappers so he can empty them!
Hope it works. We have “something in the woodshed” – the dog is obsessed with getting to the back and under the pile of chewed looking logs. I’m less than keen to move the last few logs for fear of what might emerge.
Ooh-er… very Cold Comfort!
Let’s hope they’re not wearing rubber soled wellies
Good luck, you really do have to do something.
I know. Perhaps, like the slugs, nip it in the bud before the breeding season gets going!
Like you, I don’t like to think about the poor little mice but I guess it has to be done. I wonder what the pheasants make of those new anti -theft devises? We’ve had a few squirrels around our garden and I really don’t want to think about slugs yet! Thankfully no pheasants or mice though:)
They have had a good look around them, but the Fritillaries are flowering now.. beaks don’t reach through! Although Mike has threatened to put Ptolemy & friend INSIDE one of the ‘cages’ if there is any more trouble..
Ooh dear, there’s trouble a’th mill…..
Your dreamy little cottage hideaway has transformed into the Little Shop Of Horrors !
Remember after the game is over, the pawn and king all go back in the same box
~Jo
I will make sure they know that it was all Mike’s idea Jo.
I wondered what would happen now that the squirrels had found the window feeder, I’ve got my answer. I’m glad we don’t tend to get squirrels around here, though they are cute.
I’m thinking of putting it back on a first floor window. See what they make of that..
Upping the anti! It’s going to be shotguns next, I just know it…..
Photon torpedoes..
At least you’re beating the pheasants!!!
So far..!
Yikes…..the mice will be running for the hills! Loved the plant upgrade!!! lol…..hopefully subscribed now!!!xxxxx
I hope so.. running away is good!
You are subscribed. Welcome aboard and thanks!
We finally got fed up with our mouse situation, and put one of those electric traps under our kitchen sink. Works great! We had been using a humane trap, but a lot of the mice were smart enough to get back out of it, and things were getting out of control. You’d never know we have four cats!!!
It seems to be working for us too, although I don’t like it one bit. We had the same problem with the humane traps, shame, it would be a lot easier on the conscience. But without some sort of control we would be overrun.
I love The Pheasant Defence System! Hehe. That might work for my mum to have around her big flower pots inside, because my dog Lisen has now figured out that she can dig and bury bones in the dirt there. Lol! I think it’s funny, my mum does not… Hehe.
Naughty dog!!!!