I've got a mouse in my house!

Honestly, this blog is more for me to vent than for you...

If you have been as lucky as I have, you've never dealt with unwanted creatures in your house. But now...when you're alone and living independently, they decide it's time to come knocking on your door.

YES I have a mice problem at home, and it's so scary and icky...and this is my story (SVU's "dun dun").

It was Monday night, I was chilling at home, ready to go to bed when I heard what sounded like crumbs falling into my plate on the kitchen counter. The first thing my brain goes to...GHOSTS! I started sending a voice note to my best friend telling her about my supernatural experience. And then I saw it...something moving on my plate. It was a mouse. I panicked...like absolutely panicked.

If I could share the voice note with you, I would. 10/10 entertainment.

So, I fully freak out, but I'm also happy that it's not a ghost (?). I see where the mouse is coming from and I just take the L for the night. I don't sleep well because I'm just constantly thinking about where the mouse is. But I get some sleep.

The next day I decided to buy some humane mouse traps. I don't want him/her in my house, but they're just out here trying to live their life as well. Before bed I set my two traps, I put some peanut butter in them as instructed, and I hope for the best. I fell asleep at some point (which was a miracle), and around 4am I wake up. I hear little scratches and I think "ah great, the mouse is trapped." I look over to where the trap is, and effectively, the little mouse is in there. I let out a sigh of relief..a little too soon. As I'm about to lay my head back down I see it. A shadow of another mouse. I am once more PANICKED.

I do have a second trap set out, and I just hope it gets the other mouse, and I try to limit my thoughts of a whole mouse family living in the wall. DON'T THINK ABOUT IT.

I wake up in the morning and get ready for work, I see the little mouse and let it know I'll let it out after work. Luckily one of my co-workers said she'd come let out the little mouse. I was way too scared to let it out myself, so I was happy she offered. Mousey # 1 is outta here! I feel grateful, but I know that there's at least one more, so I maintain my level-headedness.

It's 10:30pm, I'm exhausted because I haven't slept well for two consecutive nights, and I fully knock out - goodnight. I wake up. It's 1am, I look to my counter (my little Christmas lights were still on) and to my detriment I see, not one...not two...but THREE mice just having an absolute ball on my kitchen counter. I am stressed, panicked, grossed out. I can no longer sleep, how can I knowing that three mice are just living it up in my little studio? By not sleeping, that's how.

I am on the prowl, I've put on an 8-hour youtube video to keep me company. I am laser-focused on the mice on the counter, following their every move. While looking at two of them, I lose sight of the third. Oh no.

I see a quick little blob go from the counter to under my bed. Oh no.

I go back to the counter ones, they're still there...playing? Okay sure.

And then I turn to the right, looking at where my Yoshi plushie is laying, and I see another set of eyes. Yup. It was a mouse...OH NO!

I slap on my bed and yell "no!" as if I'm reprimanding a dog. The mouse scurries away, I am now FOR SURE not going to sleep. I stay awake until 5:30am. Once I realize the sun will be out, which means that the mice will hide, I let my guard down. I am now exhausted and I sleep for 4 hours.

As soon as I wake up I text my landlord, and I start looking at pest control companies in my city. I call the first place. "Hi yes, we have availability for next week Friday" "I can't wait that long :)" "I understand that, good luck, bye!" So, place number one, no dice (still mice).

I call a second place, turns out it was nowhere near where I live. Oopsie!

I call a third place, "Hi, I have mice...I don't want to have mice" "Okay, I have availability on Wednesday next week, are you free?" "Well...yes, but can it be sooner?" "Oh, how about early tomorrow morning?" "Perfect :)"

So yes, tomorrow morning the exterminator will show up to my house and hopefully get rid of these mice. I'm not sleeping at home tonight, because I can't go through that a fourth night in a row. Thanks, but no.

SO, the moral of the story, mice can show up anywhere at anytime. Especially if you're living in the city. I've been living here for a year, and haven't changed the way I live, so why do they wanna show up now? I have no clue. Always be prepared.

I've read that you can use peppermint oil and the scent will keep them away. I believe this is okay to do if you have one (1) mouse. Also side-note, the mouse repellent sounds of youtube will NOT keep them away. Either my mice don't care about high frequency noises or everyone in the comment section was lying...you pick.

However, if every night there is a new guest ready to rave, you might have an infestation somewhere and the best course of action is to hire a professional. Most often you'll have to cover the cost, only if there is damage to the house that needs to be fixed will your landlord offer financial help. But it's typically your responsibility as a renter.

As I said in the beginning, this story is more for me than for you, it either kept you entertained or scared the hell out of you. Either: you're welcome, or I'm terribly sorry.

Take whichever is applicable.