Mouse Hunt

By Allison Sass

Monday morning, as I woke up bright an early for work, I found myself in a cheery mood. I had forced myself to get 8 hours of sleep the night before, and was excited for the week to come.

This was minutes before I walked into my bathroom and found a small dead mouse lying in the middle of the floor. Day officially ruined.

As recent grads, it's likely that our living spaces are either cramped, old, or both. Cheaper rent in an older house means more money to spend on food... it also means that you are at a greater risk to inherit any mice that have already taken up residence in your new place.

At first, I was horrified. My apartment mates and I are clean, and my apartment is also pretty well maintained. I'm careful to avoid leaving open food containers around, and try to clean up after myself when cooking. Yet, here is a dead mouse blocking me from my morning shower that I now have to dispose of.

Thankfully, knock on wood, our apartment has only been graced by this one mouse since last winter. In case you find yourself in a similar predicament, here's how to deal with the little mousey friends that plague so many post grad's lives.

Peppermint oil- Drip pure peppermint oil (not extract) around the perimiter of your apartment walls and near cooking appliances. Mice can't stand the smell and will run from it.

Traps- Okay, so mice are a little cute. It's sad to kill them, but if you don't, they will multiply. Buy some snap traps, sticky traps, or have a heart traps, and place them against the wall where you last saw a mouse. Cuteness or Infestation... it's your call.

Clean up- Clean your closet floors as much as possible.. clothing and papers make perfect nests for mice.

Cat- Not always practical, but if you have a family cat nearby or a friend's cat to borrow, it might be time for a kitty sleepover.

Any horrifying mice experiences/ tips that you would like to share? Leave us a comment!