Ok so we made it through the horses, stray dogs, stray cats, raccoons, skunk and possum.
then came the mice. the first one visited in Mistys room and she and her dad had fun catching and removing it. After another visit from a little visiter we set to work. So we got expert advice from a variety of sources and tried everything. We put out bait which nothing touched. So we find out we also had two sizes of mice. One size too little to set off the spring loaded traps and one size two big for the sticky strips and just drug them around and left them stuck elsewhere. we also tried the enclosed kind of trap where you don't see the departed little creature. So we got rid of one of the tiny ones in that one. Didn't even know it was in there until I went to move it and noticed a bad smell. Yuk. The rest biffed it on the spring loaded traps. We tossed the sticky strips, they were a total waste. We managed to eliminate a total of 6 over two weeks. The good news is it made me clean out the pantry and throw out alot of stuff that needed getting rid of anyway and I now have a totally rearranged pantry with containers for everything. Found a hole in the floor in the laundry room where they seem to be coming in and plugged that and haven't had a death to the mice population recently. Except for the ones our outside cats honor us with from time to time. They are like kids, they play with their food and then leave it uneaten for us to have to throw away.
Sooo, we thought that the worse was over at last. then we wake up in the weee hours of the morning, gaging from the smell of ..... you guessed it
SKUNK. Pee youuuuuu. !!!!!!!! We had one hit on the road in front of our place a few weeks ago which really stunk up everything and were hoping that is what it was this time.
Having blocked the place where one got under the house last time, we are thinking it just camped out under the porch in the back or was passing through, we aired out the house and felt confident the worst is over. Next day, the smell is still really bad. ??????
Sooo we finally take a good look under the porch and find out that the determined creature has ripped open the heavy sheet of plexiglass like stuff cover we put over the opening and has left his or her scent under the house which is seeping up into the whole house. Have I mentioned how very much I dislike skunks?
So, we get busy. Trip to Lowes for a piece of wood to put over the opening. Gather tools, put on coveralls and old clothers, squeeze under the only way to get under the porch and crawl through mud and old spider webs to get to the opening (hoping the said skunk has left for the day) Just as we get the wood cover ready to screw on, one of our cats darts into the opening and under the house. At this point I say leave the stupid creature for a couple of days and then let it out latter. The special screws that we bought to go into the fake brick wont work. We are under
the porch, muddy, cold, cramped for working room, mad at the dumb cat and now the screws wont work. We haven't divorced yet but are coming close. Sooo, I crawl back from under the porch, got into the house leaving mud covered shoes at the door and trying not to touch anything in the house with the mud caked coveralls and find some screw that we hope will work. Put the muddy shoes back on, crawl back under the porch, hand over the screws and hold my breath. Whew they are the right ones, we screw the wooden cover securely over the hole and crawl back out from under the porch. I repent of the urge to leave the cat under there and go to the other opening, take the cover off and call the dumb cat. The other cat comes tearing across the yard and luckily my husband catches her before she too goes under the house. I call, and call and call again. Finally she shows her face and acts like she has all of the time in the world. I am seriously thinking of my original plan to leave her under there when she finally exits from under the house. I quickly put the metal cover back up and head to the house to get out of my very muddy coveralls.
right now, I am sitting at the computer with my warmest coat on, with all of the windows in the house open and all of the ceiling fans and bathroom exhause fans running to air out the smell.
So, I am sure the saga will continue. But for now, we are hopefully critter less for the time being and my cats are safe and sound. It is a good thing I love even stupid cats.
the bright side is, the skunk didn't greet us at the opening under the house and can't get back under there again.
Oh did I tell you about the lady bug invasion???? Maybe next time.
