We’ve got a mouse problem. You may find it hard to believe in a house with seven cats but we have.
It started in the loft when we noticed chewed paper and holes appearing in boxes. Now in fairness to our cats, they don’t go into the loft, so they aren’t really to blame. Went down to the village and picked up a pack of 3 traps, which we baited with peanut butter. Over a couple of days we got 4 mice and haven’t seen any up there since.
Then I went into the our food store in the shed and more mouse problems. I wanted a squash and a sweet potato for a vegetable curry. The sweet potatoes were growing lots of grey, fluffy mould. Looking closely, they’d been nibbled and the mould was growing from the damaged places.
Decided to check some of the ordinary potatoes, we’ve about ten sacks in there. Yet more holes in the sacks and damaged potatoes. Just to add to the frustration, three of the Uchiki Kuri squashes were going mouldy. Nothing to do with mice, just the humidity has been so high. We’ve lost a lot of the onions this year to rot as well. I suppose I could have put a dehumidifier in the store, but where do you stop?
We don’t let the cats into the big shed because they end up hiding and then get trapped when we shut the door. So another three mouse traps purchased and baited. They’ve not caught a mouse after two days, so I suspect they’ve been and gone but I’ll leave the traps there just in case they come back.
Some Christmas Cheer
Enough of the moaning about mice and moulds!
Q: Why has Santa got three veg-plots?
A: Because he likes to Ho, Ho, Ho!
If you thought that was bad….
Q: What’s the most popular Christmas wine?
A: But I don’t like Brussels sprouts!
A true story..
We went to a dinner with some show growers a few years ago and the topic of Christmas traditions came up.
Some liked to get out into the greenhouse and start off their shallots and onions after their Christmas lunch.
Others said they thought that was a bit much. They waited until Boxing Day before heading out to the potting shed and greenhouse.
As we walked away, my wife Val commented “And the amazing thing is that they’re still married!”
Have a Very Merry Christmas
I have installed solar driven fan in my shed to help move moist air out of the shed on even moderately sunny days, it helps keeps my onions clear until we finish them in march. as for your mouse problem I use a plug in device that deters mice and other pests with audio sound that humans cant hear, it has worked well for me no mice for the last 10 years, happy new year.
apart from those trivial matters the most important is how is that back treatment progressing ?
mice well we usually have some visiting mice mainly field mice but living next to a field I suppose it goes with territory they usually end up next door eating what the birds drop of the feeding table and then end up in there shed well the foods better next door than my cold potatoes
are yes the squashes well we cooked and put what we could in the freezer thee other week lost a few but managed to save a few
those damaged will end up in the compost bin
anyway we all hope that back will be put rite ready for spring 2020 and may I take tis opportunity to wish you and your family a very happy new year
and thank you and all for all that good gardening advise given in 2019 and may that continue in 2020 its much appreciated
GGOD LUCK GARDENING FOR 2020 CHEERS” RW
Thanks Rowland – happy to say the osteopath is helping a lot. It’s not 100% but I’m moving a lot better and not needing to take a cocktail of painkillers just to sleep!
Only thing I have found is that I need to watch out for the cold which makes it seize up.