Ironically, I'm watching (again) "The Green Mile" on AMC right now, just after I got done tossing away the corpse of the little grey mouse that was living in my walls.It was dead 'cause I killed it.
After almost two weeks of hearing scratches in the walls and seeing droppings in the cabinet under the sink I'd finally had enough. The thing was getting so bold I found it skittering across the living room behind my computer desk the other night and last night I saw it jump from the clothes hamper in the bathroom and into the wall through the hole made for the bathroom sink pipe. But worst of all, I saw droppings in the silverware drawer in the kitchen. That's right, it was licking my forks and spoons that I would use to eat with.
I suspected it was just one mouse since it didn't seem like there were sounds of anything else with it in the walls so I opted to get one 4-pack of snap traps at Walmart.
The traps seemed quite small and very simply constructed. Just a small rectangle of wood with a spring-loaded clamp-thingy set off by a small amount of pressure placed on the little yellow plastic paddle made to look like a slice of Swiss cheese. I think the visual design was actually for human sensibilities since I don't think a mouse really is that discerning of potential foodstuffs based on just visual cues. In fact, though the package said "no bait needed", I couldn't see why it might attract a mouse, but I read on the manufacturer's website that they are "scented" and have been tested and proven to be reliable at luring mice. I didn't notice any smell coming from it but I guess it's a rodent thing. Maybe pheromones or something.
Well it wasn't long before I heard it was a success. Kind of...
I set all four traps. One at the back corner of the kitchen cabinet under the sink, near the pipe hole. The second in the bathroom on the floor under the sink. This spot is kinda exposed so I didn't have very high hopes for it. I knew the mouse would favor a secluded, dark niche. The third behind the fridge. And for the fourth, I decided to clear out all the silverware in that drawer and once I had it emptied, I lay one towards the back of it.
I sat watching TV and also listening for my "little friend". I hadn't heard him in a couple hours but then suddenly I could hear him scratching in the walls and I hoped it was just a matter of time. In fact, it was only a few minutes. With a loud snap I heard one of the traps go off followed by a flurry of scratches and thumps, along with a few squeals. It was the silverware drawer.
Before opening it and potentially freeing him, I grabbed a chef's knife. I slowly opened the drawer and saw him try to scurry back the way he came into the drawer, from the back. But the trap hadn't accurately done it's job, so to speak, otherwise I wouldn't be seeing him squirm and flutter about. Instead of snapping its neck, it had clamped down tight on one of his little front paws. Probably in pain, but still very much alive, it stared at me and squeaked as it tried in vain to get away. I looked into to his little beady black eyes and thought it was looking into mine to see if he could find mercy in them. Unfortunately for him, he didn't. I meant business.
I thrust the point of the knife towards its torso attempting to impale it but his body was too squirmy and flexible. I was only catching skin as I pushed the blade towards the back of the drawer. I then tried to slice its head off and though I could feel the blade making contact with its little spine, it was still too squirmy for a good contact. Plus my knife is cheap and dull. So I put the knife in my left hand and used the blade as a clamp holding its body down still. I picked up a fork from the counter and thrust the tines directly into its head several times, piercing its skull and spilling a small amount of blood which oozed into the absorbent wood of the snap trap. I used the fork to pick up its lifeless body and tossed it, trap still clamped onto its now limp, dead paw, into the trash. Then I bundled up the trash bag and took it to the street garbage can.
I don't think it's supposed to go down as gory as this.
And what's more, as I sit here typing this, I hear sounds coming from inside the walls.
There's another one.
And this one sounds bigger.