I am a bleepin' MIGHTY HUNTRESS, yo.

[melredcap]

Our house has an insulated roof space. Roof spaces get rats. It's part of the whole thing of living in a house; it's shelter, and all sorts of things want to SHARE. Well, we don't particularly want to share with rats, so the attic has traps in it, and every so often Da Handsome Hubby will climb up there to re-bait and/or re-set any traps that need it, and recover the... ah... occasional victim. (This is not because I'm squeamish or lazy; it's because I'm taller than him, and don't fit up there very well. Sensible division of household chores, and all that.)

Choosing the right trap is important. We use snap traps, because live traps leave you with a rat that has to be dealt with somehow, and frankly we don't check often enough for that to be humane. Snap traps, however, have to be strong. Just about any snap trap can deal with a mouse. A rat caught in a weak snap trap is not a dead rat; it is an upset rat with a very heavy necklace.

At approximately 12:15 last night, one of the snap traps in the roof went off. I heard it, because it was in a spot between insulation batts above the bathroom.

I then continued hearing it. Please see the above paragraph about choosing the right trap.

Hubby was asleep. He continued to be asleep. He's a heavy sleeper, and I wasn't going to wake him up; poor honey has had an awful few days, and I don't think being woken up by me and immediately required to go deal with a Situation in the roof would be a good way to start this week. So, I got the ladder out of the garage, got his heavy gardening gloves and a torch and a bucket, climbed up there and... got the rat...

...and dealt with the rat. I'm sure you'll excuse me if I draw a delicate veil across that bit. All I'm going to say is that it was quick and humane, and in certain circumstances I can be very efficient. I am a Mighty Huntress. I am frickin' CONAN. Okay, no, not Conan, he wouldn't have apologised to the rat and probably would have eaten the damn thing for breakfast the next day, but Conan also doesn't live in a nice house with a lovely husband and people try to kill him all the time. I can live without being Conan.

Hubby was very impressed when I told him this morning, very grateful that I didn't wake him up to do the Manly Thing, and frankly surprised that I didn't get stuck up there between joists or trusses or whatever the awkward wooden bits you have to climb through are called. I have demanded a trip to Bunnings to get seed raising trays and potting mix as my reward.

Conan doesn't get to grow lilies in seed raising trays. I'm fine with not being him.

Maybe Bunnings will also have stronger traps.

Comments

[branchandroot]

I am totally impressed and you win Mighty Huntress points. I always wimp out over the actual dealing with if it's still alive.

[melredcap]

Well, it was deal with it, wake Hubby to deal with it, or feel guilty about leaving it until morning. Option A was really the only way to go!

[lexicology]

Congratulations on dealing with your furry little invader! I know how hard that is, because I used to live in a place with a terrible mouse problem and, well...we found out firsthand about the problem with glue traps. *shudder*

And no, Conan doesn't get to be an awesome gardener. That's one of the many reason Samwise Gamgee is more badass in the first place. *nods sagely*

[melredcap]

Oh, urgh, glue traps are horrible. Snap traps sound worse when you hear them explained, but most of the time they're fast and efficient. *agrees with your shudder*

I managed to hand-pollinate five of my Asiatic lilies; I've got seeds from them, plus cosmos, foxglove, and lupins from Mum, and some onion seed we're hoping to get Spanish onion starts from. ;)

[fallconsmate.livejournal.com]

and if you ever want to hear the traps snapping before you can get all the way out of the attic space?

bait with chocolate. mama and i watched a mouse run across the floor WITH THE LIGHTS ON to run it's silly little self into a trap that we baited with chocolate. seriuosly.

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

Bacon rind does the same thing. ;P I saw signs of mice in a workplace kitchen where I was on night shift, baited a trap with bacon rind, turned around to leave, and WHAM!

The current traps are baited with a weird peanut-buttery substance that comes in a plastic syringe and apparently doesn't dry out. Seems to work, just not with ludicrous speed.

[kraziekatlord.livejournal.com]

.....

"They've gone to PLAID!"

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

XD E-cookies for you!

[kraziekatlord.livejournal.com]

Want me to quote more?

[dogmatix-san.livejournal.com]

XD All hail the Mighty Mel, Slayer of Rodents!

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

I would much rather be Mel, Disposer of Already Deceased Rodents, but it was a very necessary slaying. :P

[draconayzia.livejournal.com]

Irony, you dealt with a rat and I dealt with my cat proving what an awesome little demon she is and driving two mice out of my bedroom and straight into a bucket that was conveniently waiting on the floor. I didn't even know I HAD mice.
Mice have been released in the lot at the end of the block, and the cops heartily amused at me walking to said lot, in the dark, to be a Good Person and live release a few mice that picked the wrong house. Kit has been suitably rewarded with cat nip treats that she so loves and a very long grooming session.

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

Heeheehee, that was indeed convenient! Well done on your cat's part!

...You probably don't want to hear that most mice can find their way back 'home' if they're released within a few miles of where they were caught, right? Okay. I won't tell you then. ;)

[draconayzia.livejournal.com]

Kit is such a good little demon!

That's fine, it gave Kit exercise for now and I can always be a brat and release them in the mall parking lot when I go to work. ;)

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

*snicker*

[padparadscha.livejournal.com]

Darn varmints. I am impressed that you can take them out efficiently! I got a cat so I wouldn't have to; she just goes out and destroys the ecosystem.

She and I both have trouble with raccoons, though. Tough to get a good snap trap for them.

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

...I'm imagining Holly-cat faced with a rat.

......

.........

............HAHA DOES NOT COMPUTE XD

[kraziekatlord.livejournal.com]

Conan wouldn't have eaten it for breakfast. A midnight snack, maybe, but a rat would be too small for breakfast.

[mel-redcap.livejournal.com]

This is Conan we're speaking of - any rat bold enough to not run at the merest scent of him would have to be a Rodent of Unusual Size and large enough for at least two meals! (Watch me mix my literary references! XD)

[kraziekatlord.livejournal.com]

Someone did a summary of how they would write a Bleach Peggy Sue fic. "Hi. I iz Ichigo Kurosaki. You killed my nakama. You can haz stabbity."