Most of you would say a window, right? Well, yes, technically it is a window. It also happens to be the world's largest mouse/vole/toad trap.
You see, this is the main window in our basement. Its nice and big and lets a lot of light in. Fire code states if you have windows in the basement, they need to be egress windows. You must be able to get out and a firefighter must be able to gain access through the window. As you can see, the window well has "tiered" boards of wood which you can technically climb in and out of the window well. There is also about a 2 ft wide landing at the bottom of the window well--plenty of room to maneuver around.
Directly behind our house is a cornfield. Lots of things live in the corn field such as mice and voles and toads and other furry and non-furry animals. These animals tend to run around, and sometimes they run straight into the window well. And can't get out.
This looks similar to the little guy who is currently in there
He must've dropped by sometime during the night. I get to hear him run around frantically as I type this morning. He's probably thinking, "Oh, shit! Where the hell am I?" This is about our 4th or 5th furry animal who has dropped into the window of death.
(Warning--if you are a member of PETA or are against cruelty to rodents, please stop reading now. Otherwise continue on, but maybe not if you are still eating breakfast)
My parents had spent a night at our house after they got back from vacation. There happened to be a vole in the window well that morning, and he was a determined little bugger who was going to dig his way out of there. I didn't want him burrowing under my house, so I had my dad "go take care of him" since hubby was still sleeping. The girls were both downstairs watching out the window as Grandpa clubbed the
Usually we just leave them in there--there isn't much food down there so they don't last too long. Once the flies start buzzing around them, its time to take them out. I know--extremely gross and disgusting, but its the price you pay to live close to nature. Believe me, I've seen much worse.
2 comments:
Omgosh last night we killed a mouse that was helping himself to our food. I have always lived in a city and so never had the issues of mice and such but since moving to the country we've encountered several mice making our home their own.
Anyway five minutes after putting the trap out he fell for the peanut butter and snap he was dead. We actually watched him struggle and die. Sick huh? :)
Oh well he's no longer living in my house and that makes me smile!
Hate mice with a passion. Are you guys allowed to put the plastic covers on your window wells?
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