How to Decrease One's Mouse Population

In Philly, the universal mentality about mice is that they are 'just part of living in the city.' Where I come from, they are more often 'part of living near the country.' Either way, it is winter and mice are seeking a home.

I didn't plan to write about our recent string of unwanted pets. For one thing, it's not appetizing and it seems unnatural and gross to talk about mice alongside posts about pizza dough. But we finally seem to be emerging from the worst of it, and in my state of pleasant surprise and relief, I believe I have some wisdom to share.

This story begins, as most of them do, in the pantry. I will not skirt around the topic. There was poop. The little baby was feasting on brownie mix, everything bagels and croutons. It was messy.

We threw away food and sealed what survived. We swept and bleached and set traps.

In three weeks, we caught five. I know that working as a camp counselor desensitized me a bit to these critters (we used sticky traps there -- blech), but my comfort level reached a new height. One early morning, as I ate oatmeal before work, I watched one of the cuties climb around our pantry shelves and marveled at how creative and agile it was. On another occasion, I found myself locked in a small bathroom with one.

I'll admit, although it may seem counterintuitive, these encounters make it more heartbreaking to carry one out in an awful trap. They were simply enjoying the warmth and peanut butter. It feels so deceitful. But it is unsafe, they carry disease, I know, I know.

A couple of us were pulling for a kitty... But before that debate was concluded, Megan got a great tip: mice will avoid peppermint oil because the scent is too strong for their delicate noses. At that point, $10 for two ounces seemed like a bargain if it meant we would stop feeding and killing God's precious creatures.

The trick is to put the oil on cotton balls and place them in paths that the mice often travel. The pantry got peppered with them. We set a couple on the kitchen counter and used one to block this handy little entryway:

The ever-present smell of peppermint is getting a bit old, but we have not seen a mouse since laying these humane little land mines! No more poop and no more senseless killing!

A bonus outcome that will (theoretically) bring more overall harmony to the household is this shiny new cleaning schedule!

I suppose, after all, we should thank the little darlings. As long as they stay outside.



With love.