Before giving an update about the mouse situation, I just want to thank everyone for responding. So, here's the lengthy update--it's much worse than I ever dreamed. As I mentioned in my original posting, it was just last week that I had my first indication of a problem with the scratching noises in the cabinet. Then the actual sightings this week. Well, seems like they may have been here for about a month or so--long enough to have babies! The Orkin guy found a dead baby under the couch where I sit, and before he came, I discovered a dead adult in my bathroom closet. Ickkkkkk!
I was extremely upset to find out they were also upstairs. Year before last, after not having any mice in this house for over 40 years, two showed up between my bedroom and the bathroom. Fortunately that was it. Sealed up around the sink drains and one other place. I thought I would, at least, never have to deal with that again. Surprise. I opened up the bathroom closet and immediately smelled something. Looked down and saw an old trap I had left in there from two years ago was moved and had a dead mouse. The Orkin guy said might have been there for two weeks. I never smelled it until I opened the door. He also found droppings in my bedroom closet as well as a few in my mother's bedroom. Downstairs there were quite a lot of droppings behind the stove drawer. Seems like their main hiding spot.
He set traps all over--even used some extra ones I had on hand from before to make me feel better. He also thinks he might have found some entry points in the old basement. I am just so grossed out. Seems like they have been in every room, so I feel like I have no safe place to go. Every little noise I hear is freaking me out. In fact, just now I jumped a little because of a noise which turned out to be the ice in my glass shifting.
I can't believe all the work this is going to cause me, as well as the expense. I plan to have Stanley Steamer in to clean all of the carpets if this ever ends. And I'm not looking forward to all of the dishes and clothes I'm going to have to clean. Just makes me mad. Especially gets me because I had just cleaned the sink cabinet out about a month ago and had washed all of the pots and pans stored there. Now I guess I'll have to do that all over. (Oh, and I don't have a dishwasher.) Then there's all the skillets and other cookware in the stove drawer. Haven't decided if I'll need to wash the tops (mostly tees) that are hanging in the bathroom closet where I found the dead adult or all the towels that are on the shelves above. He might not have been able to get to those things, but just in case, I'll probably wash all of them--and that's a lot! My health is not that good (in fact, the other day I was making up my sister's bed and my heart just went crazy. thought I was going to have to call an ambulance), so I really don't appreciate this.
Heck, I'm so paranoid about all of this, I feel like I don't even want to get in the bathtub until I put bleach in it. We don't have a shower, so that's what I have to use. They probably haven't been in the tub (don't think they could get out if they did), but I'll feel better if I sanitize it Well, I think that's more than enough venting, but as I said, I'M REALLY GROSSED OUT!!!!!!!!!!!
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