So You Think You Might Have a Mouse in Your House

Let's say one day you come across a crust of bread (formerly sitting on the toaster to dry) that has been gnawed upon. You're pretty sure you haven't gnawed on it, so you think you might have a mouse.

Step one is to thoroughly wash the counter, because ew. Step 2 is to pull out the mouse traps (last used in 2004).  Set three traps (2 of those wooden ones, one clothes-pin like one) and bait them with peanut butter.

Wash down the counter.  Go to sleep.

If you wake up to find that all three traps have been licked clean, you have a mouse. A mouse who likes to taunt you. (Wash down the counter.)

Re-bait the clothespin-like mousetrap. (Do you really want to scrape a mouse out of the wooden ones?) Add a nut, hoping that the mouse will have to spend a little more time dealing with the nut and thus trigger the trap.

Wash down the counter. Go to sleep.

Wake up to find that the trap has been triggered, but there is no mouse. Wash down the counter. Re-bait the clothespin-like mousetrap.

Go to Canadian Tire. Buy a live mouse trap. (The 2004 incident was in February, when catching a live mouse wouldn't really be helpful - were you going to feed it until spring?) Bait live mouse trap.

Wash down the counter. Go to sleep.

Wake up. Check live mouse trap - it is undisturbed.

Glace at clothespin-like mousetrap. Lean closer to see if the mouse really ate all the peanut butter. Realize you're looking at the back of the mousetrap

BECAUSE THERE IS A DEAD MOUSE IN THE TRAP.

Scream.

Weasel Wanda into taking the mouse outside for disposal.

Wash down the counter. Wonder if you will ever sleep again.