Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Arts and Crafts Death Machine

A few months ago this couple turned into a little family when we bought a cactus. Not really, the cactus doesn't really pull it's weight around here to be considered a contributing family member but at least it is low maintenance. We named our cactus Spike Jones...get it???!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ironically, Spike Jones (the desert plant) is terrible at directing/producing iconic rap music videos. Perhaps I am a too demanding succulent mother. Our REAL new family member is Prince Regent Il Topo Primo. I won't bother you with Google translate because I know that you are a buisy workin' girl so here it is: Il Topo Primo = The First Mouse.

We have had a mouse in our house (apparently, we are also living in a Mother Goose rhyme) for about 3 months now. We had pest control come out and all they did was put down pieces of cardboard with glue all over the top. Needless to say, this hair-brained idea did not claim the lives of any mice but it did inflict much violence on several pairs of shoes, my Tom's R.I.P.

Recently, my husband and I (notice that lazy cactus NOT helping, I'm looking at YOU Spike Jones) took matters into our own hands. I am terrible at arts and crafts but I think that's because there is not normally an element of death in mod podge and glitter.

The internet told us to fill a bucket with water, then place a can on a wire covered in peanut butter and put some kind of a ladder leading up to the can with the peanut butter. The idea is that the mouse will run up to the can covered in PB and then the can will rotate on the wire until the mouse falls into the water filled bucket and then expires. We did not have all of the proper accouterments for our death machine so we had to improvise. Below, you will see an Adventure Time Marcelline guitar that I made several years ago for my Halloween costume that acts as the 'ladder', a Fire House Subs bucket, a mutilated wire hanger that was used as the 'wire' and coke bottle cut in half.


Next, my husband added the peanut butter.


When people see this arts and crafts death machine in my home, I realize that I look insane. I could just get a cat but then I would have to own a cat...dumb. I might get a boa constrictor if this doesn't work but then I would have a boa constrictor problem and I am not 'Florida Man'.

How do you guys get rid of mice? Please tell me because my death machine isn't producing as much death as hoped and I am tired of our little guest who doesn't even pay rent.

1 comment:

  1. We have a our cat Vinnie, who is ecstatic when he has a mouse to stalk. Mostly he catches without killing, and we exchange a treat for it, and throw it over the fence to the neighbors...but, we have used snap traps baited with peanut butter. Snap traps are quick. It is yucky to wake in the night hearing the screams of a mouse stuck to the sticky pads, and it doesn't feel good to have to kill them, or think of them starving in the garbage can. A tender hearted friend cried a bit and felt guilty for hours, after finding a mouse struggling to stay afloat in the water bucket. She did scoop it out and toss it, but felt like a torturer. I think mice are cute, but if they are in my cupboard or house, it's Death to Mice! If you ignore them, there will be mouse poop Everywhere, including in the Post Toasties.

    ReplyDelete