Like squashing a flea, only cuter. With fur.

[hazliya]

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. 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.

Comments

[zombie-dog.livejournal.com]

It can be tough. One caught it's leg in a kill trap at our house, and I couldn't bear the thought of suffocating it or something, so I had to kill it with a hammer. It was unsettling.

[anitra.livejournal.com]

We've always just thrown them back outside - but we've never had a big problem with mice; maybe one a year or so (that we find).

When we found one that our cats had maimed, I couldn't stomach killing it myself. We gave it back to the cats to play with until it was dead. I still feel a little bad about that.

But... they are vermin. These are not pets, they are pests

[acousticshadow2.livejournal.com]

We had a mouse problem last fall in our apt. Uncle Don got the traps for us... My not wanting to kill them died quickly as when they didn't find any food they started chewing on my gourmet chef spatulas...

It took us about a month with the traps/smell repellent/and plug in noise things to officially get rid of them. Have heart, killing them is hard, but if you don't' they will breed and continue to come back! We had to kill I thik a total of 6/7 before we were sure they were gone.

[usernamenumber.livejournal.com]

If it helps, I'd have had pretty much exactly the same reaction. Also, I have a live-catch trap in which I've caught multiple mice, using peanut butter as the bait (I also put in some marshmallows at one point, but I think it was the peanut butter that did it). I'd be happy to let you borrow it, or you could just try using PB in the live-catch ones you have.

[redfishie.livejournal.com]

I had mice for the first time ever this year - my cat caught one live and brought it tome to play with.....I have rarely shrieked so loud. Condolensces on having to deal with this.

[mindways]

*sympathy*

I had gerbils as pets when growing up. It's taken me a while to become OK with killing mice - and I still leave it to keshwyn when possible.

But... as someone else said, pests, not pets.

[draike.livejournal.com]

No no no, to be a serial killer you need to not feel any guilt or remorse in the kill. You're not a creep who kills animals for fun. It's a sad fact that you have to kill them in order to truly be rid of them. Too many risks with whatever they carry into the house. :\ Better to use snap traps that kill thme quickly instead of something awful like glue traps.

It is odd how Warner Brothers and MGM have compeltely warped our minds in how those things really work.

[buddhagrrl.livejournal.com]

With any pest that will keep coming back if you just try to put it outside, the most responsible grown-up thing to do is to suck it up and kill them quickly, efficiently, and thoroughly, so that they do not breed and provide future generations and even more lives for you to have to take.

I'm the designated person in my house for Dealing With Infestations because I feel very strongly about sucking it up, being responsible, and not fostering further suffering through inaction and squeamishness. Be sad, it's okay to be sad, but keep at it, knowing you're also being responsible.

[darkoni]

I am not bothered by this sort of thing all that much, although if I had to actually hit one with a hammer like zombie_dog did, that might be different.

Unless you want to give your home over to them, it needs to be done.