I love the woods, but I do not enjoy a rodent infestation.  Which is exactly what I moved into the 1st of July.  I spent more than a few nights jumping at every little sound completely skeeved at the thought of the disease harbingers prancing around on my possessions.

I declared war, and I do believe I have won.

As you know, I respect life.  I don’t eat animals and don’t like to kills things.  However, when it comes to pests invading my home, I develop serial-killer ruthlessnses. First, block your enemy’s entries and exits.  Use steel wool to plug up even the tiniest hole.  Mice won’t chew through it.  Exterior dryer vents can create easy access for critters, but don’t block them completely or you’ll catch the damn house on fire.  Try metal mesh screen as a barrier, but remember to clean the lint out regularly.   Our furry friends are good climbers and jumpers, so plug every little opening even if it is some distance from the ground. Second, and I’m likely to get some flack for this, lay the glue traps.  In my experience, they are the easiest, cheapest, and most effective traps.  Are they cruel?  Perhaps.  But life is cruel.  Put these traps down along walls and near the entry and exit points you plugged with steel wool.  The entrapped creatures will go for the exit and get stuck.  Next, help your local predators by trimming down tall grass.  Rodents love to hide out in tall grass.  Cut it down and they’ll have no refuge.  Consider attracting rodent predators by building a barn owl box.  Some of you are getting smug about your cats.  Honestly, most of your lazy-ass cats wouldn’t catch a mouse if it walked up in handcuffs. We caught five mice total before word hit the street that we weren’t messing around and the rest of the crew moved on down the way to the next opportunity.  For over a month now – not a trace – nothing.