My husband and I live in an old farmhouse that has a granite foundation. We sit on a base built of blocks cut from giant boulders that still lay deep in the woods behind our house. Needless to say, we have gaps in our foundation, gaps that are superhighways for field mice seeking food and warmth. Autumn is a troubling time of year in the mouse war.
In this battle, we have discovered fascinating abilities in this cute rodent with big ears and bright eyes. Recently, we discovered that they could scale the slippery sides of a refrigerator to feast on bananas. My husband spent time trying to figure out how they seem able to do the impossible. We still are not sure the route Mighty Mouse (for it had to be big and strong) had taken.
This morning, I was startled to discover a mouse trap that had been sprung and somehow ended up in our kitchen sink. Was it teamwork? Did mice get in a huddle and decide how to play mind games on human beings? If that was the case, they won.
We decided to spray insulating foam in the cracks to block the invaders. Our friend, who paints and replaces clapboards on this old house, thought it a good idea.
“Routes into your house are now passed on from generation to generation. You can’t let the mice win,” he said.
My guess is that this battle with the mice, this battle of the wills, will continue despite our investment in foam insulation.
I must admit, mice are smarter than I thought.