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I killed a mouse tonight.
For the last few months, we've had a mouse problem in the building. We tried to get rid of them peacefully - getting rid of garbage, putting everything in plastic containers, have-a-heart traps, you name it - but they were still here, just not eating anything.
uDon installed the noise-emitting repellers on the first two floors, but hasn't gotten around to ours yet. So they've fled to our floor, and become more and more obnoxious. Not eating anything now - there's nothing for them to eat - but just leaving evidence that they've been on the counters and skittering through the walls loudly. I'm tired of scrubbing the counters every day. I'm tired of trying to scare them off and discourage them from nesting in the walls. I was pretty sure I'd overcome my compunction about not killing them.
I bought a pack of the classic kill traps today, just to see if they'd work. I was dubious, after seeing too many cartoons and never actually using them myself, but they were cheap enough to be worth a shot. The mechanics were simple enough, and they had enough power to snap a neck instantaneously. I set them when it was completely dark, and headed to bed.
After an hour of reading, I got up to use the bathroom and heard a tiny shriek. Sure enough, one of the mice had successfully eaten the bait from two traps, but been caught on the third. A big male, too.![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
elenuial let me cry a little, then I gathered myself up, grabbed a plastic baggie, apologized to the mouse, and picked up the body, trap and all. My first instinct was to bury him, but I know all too well that that would humanize it and make it far too difficult for me to continue doing this. Throwing them in the garbage distances what happened and makes it easier to deal with.
The knowledge that this is how serial killers often process their kills is not comforting.
I feel bad, but this needs to happen. And I need to be behind this 100% until that third emitter is installed, otherwise we'll all go crazy.
It just sucks.
And what makes it worse? A tiny scientist part of me is impressed that the damn things even work and that I was able to load them correctly. I feel like a little less of the person I thought I was now.
EDIT: Make that two mice. One of the ones in a drawer near a suspected nest was successful. A smaller female.
For the last few months, we've had a mouse problem in the building. We tried to get rid of them peacefully - getting rid of garbage, putting everything in plastic containers, have-a-heart traps, you name it - but they were still here, just not eating anything.
uDon installed the noise-emitting repellers on the first two floors, but hasn't gotten around to ours yet. So they've fled to our floor, and become more and more obnoxious. Not eating anything now - there's nothing for them to eat - but just leaving evidence that they've been on the counters and skittering through the walls loudly. I'm tired of scrubbing the counters every day. I'm tired of trying to scare them off and discourage them from nesting in the walls. I was pretty sure I'd overcome my compunction about not killing them.
I bought a pack of the classic kill traps today, just to see if they'd work. I was dubious, after seeing too many cartoons and never actually using them myself, but they were cheap enough to be worth a shot. The mechanics were simple enough, and they had enough power to snap a neck instantaneously. I set them when it was completely dark, and headed to bed.
After an hour of reading, I got up to use the bathroom and heard a tiny shriek. Sure enough, one of the mice had successfully eaten the bait from two traps, but been caught on the third. A big male, too.
elenuial let me cry a little, then I gathered myself up, grabbed a plastic baggie, apologized to the mouse, and picked up the body, trap and all. My first instinct was to bury him, but I know all too well that that would humanize it and make it far too difficult for me to continue doing this. Throwing them in the garbage distances what happened and makes it easier to deal with. The knowledge that this is how serial killers often process their kills is not comforting.
I feel bad, but this needs to happen. And I need to be behind this 100% until that third emitter is installed, otherwise we'll all go crazy.
It just sucks.
And what makes it worse? A tiny scientist part of me is impressed that the damn things even work and that I was able to load them correctly. I feel like a little less of the person I thought I was now.
EDIT: Make that two mice. One of the ones in a drawer near a suspected nest was successful. A smaller female.
