A Very Serious Matter

Last year, we had really bad luck with mice. We couldn't seem to pick a ripe strawberry before a little chunk was taken out by a mouse. We never confirmed that they were mice, in fact our friends told us they were voles. Another friend saw one run through the garage and told me they were rats. I am pretty sure they were of the mouse variety because I saw their tiny bodies scurry through the grass in the back yard whenever I walked to the garden.

In any case, these creatures left some pretty serious trails through our grass. Now that the grass has thinned and gone dormant, it is easy to see the pathways of these mice. Savannah and her friends recently discovered these paths which catapulted them back into last summer's battle with the mice.

One one of our warmer days last week, Savannah and her friends observed, planned, and executed their mouse strategy.

The Plan. . .

1. Cover up the hole that is up against the house to prevent them from going to the basement. This required little rocks and dirt so that the debris would wedge down inside the hole.

2. Find another hole that isn't up against the house and lay bait outside of it. The bait was worms that girls dug for. They laid a path of worms that lured the mice away from the house.

I am not sure how the girls planned to keep the mice out of the hole once they exited. The play date ended before that part of the plan was in place.  The girls felt as though they accomplished something as they walked away. 

A green leaf and a caterpillar... Possibly a sign of spring?