Sunday 28 August 2011

A moose loose aboot this hoose

Remember that fantastic wine gums ad in the 90s? I still hum the tune in my head now and again. But this post isn't about great ads or Scottish phrases for that matter.

It's about ruddy rodents.

I decided a while ago I needed to do something about getting people to take their shoes off when they come in. A lot of similarly minded folk will utter something like 'of course' and swiftly put their shoes to one side, but too many would give me a look. Like I'd just asked them to strip to their underwear. Tradesmen especially.

I was glad of the excuse that I had a baby that spent most of his day on the floor, but, hey, I shouldn't have to justify why I want shoes off. And besides he'll be walking before I know it.

So I figured the best way was to have a sign up outside the door. That way if you don't like it and feel too attached to your Jimmy Choos to take them off (like I know anyone who owns a pair!), you can turn around before I've had time to reach the door. It avoids that awkward door moment.

My clever husband came up with a cheeky rhyme and design, and I painted the canvas. We had it done in less than 20 minutes.

Recognise this famous little mouse?

Problem solved! Visitors come to the door and before I've even said hello, shoes are off and pleasantries are off to a good start (mostly to do with how much they love our new sign!). I wish I'd come up with this years ago.

Except....

some mice have obviously read this in the meantime and understood that they can waltz right in.

Och aye. There's a bloody moose loose aboot this house alright! For the past three mornings, we have woken to mouse poo all over the place.

We're talking droppings all over tables, floors, in amongst Luca's farmyard animals (what were the mice doing with the animals??) and under Kian's cot. What are you guys doing under there fer gawd's sake?

Look, I don't mind mice. I really don't. I don't mind Luca's imaginary little mouse friend. I don't mind the character in the Gruffalo, and I don't mind them peering from behind the teddy or whatever it is in those Usborne Touchy Feely books.

But I jolly well mind them in my house. Rustling away in the wee hours of the night only to stop as soon as I get out of bed to look for them. Graeme and I tried three times last night to find them.

We've bought traps and put them in their favourite spots and the wretched things are pooing around them! They're laughing at us.

Graeme's trying another tactic tonight. I just want them gone.

Maybe if I change the sign to read no pests in the house...

Vanessa

1 comment:

  1. They are a real nuisance we had one a few months a go that used to run past me when watching tv, John never saw it so I ended up thinking I was mad!

    I set up traps with some peanut butter and a little grated cheese and it did the trick on the second go.

    It is amazing where they go and the damage they have done. Probably best to find where they are coming in and block it up pronto (ours was a hole in the wall from a plasma tv wall bracket).

    Good Luck!

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for popping over. I'd love to hear from you. Even if it's just to say hello.

Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.