Santiago
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The Mouse Wars of Gecko
One our last trip a few weeks ago to our casita in Bahia de los Angeles at Camp Gecko, I brought along a live trap from Havahart, the smallest they
make. Back in my college days (1972ish) we used to go out to Panoche, west of I5 in Fresno County and set up live trap lines with psychology and
biology department boys and girls from Fresno State – doggies – that was sum good times…..and see what we would catch: 2 kinds of kangaroo mice/rats,
pocket mice and the ever-present deer mice (perimiscus maniculatus) – geeze – can’t believe I still remember the name after all these years. Anyhoo –
I stumbled across a trap at the local swap meet and took it down.
Now Gecko has always been known to be lousy with mice and kangaroos especially – I have the little buggers run across the floor at night from time to
time. No big for me as in college I was a mouse fancier. Yes, Virginia, there are folks that raise your common house mouse (mus musculas) and breed
them for coat colors. There are some very beautifully furred mice – not just your white or white/black but tan, agouti, grey, mottled, belted all
kinds of colors.
First night I set the trap with p-nut butter (crunchy of course) and after an hour the trap is still open so I pick it up off the floor, set it on the
counter and a mouse runs out and up my hand and back into the trap. I scream at the top of my lungs and everyone comes running to see the deer mouse
happily eating the p-nut butter. OK – next night we set trap, start playing board games (kids called them ‘analog’ games – heh) and about an hour
later the trap shuts. We run over to look at another cute deer mouse while another runs out of a crack between the foundation stones, sticks it’s
tongue out at us and runs back in.
Oldest kid, esposa and I hit the sack at 10pm while youngest stays up well after midnight. Next morning he tells of watching three deer mice fighting
over entry into the Havahart to get at the p-nut butter with full side bites and little mouse screams. Says it went on for an hour or so. Will have
to start naming them before long…… My Mexican tile setter wants to grout in the holes to stop this foolishness but I’m having a hard time esplaining
that we like them. Gets a funny look on his face and am sure we are subjects at his dinner table conversation…..
[img] [/img]
Does essence predate existence?
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Paulina
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Jim,
If you have mice, then does that mean you don't have rattlesnakes? Or, will your mouse fetish attract them? Just curious, because...
We have some mice over at our place too. We fed them dog food, making a trail across the patio for them to follow. Word got out and we had a stand off
of sorts, one mouse on each end that ran out to the middle to fight, grab a kibble and run away again.
It's amazing what we choose to amuse ourselves with when there's no electricity.
P. <*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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woody with a view
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'ats notta mousetrap!
just add water and let the peanut butter work it's magic.....
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Paulina
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Jim,
Has Doc asked to borrow your trap for his Chipmunks yet? I wonder if he ever found the one he lost between our place and his. It had my rubber
aligator in it.
P<*)))><
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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Santiago
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No -Doc hasn't seen it yet. I once got a chipmunk in one of these small Havaharts but it was a real tight fit. He was real p*ssed when I let him
out. Will show Doc next month when I'm down.
Does essence predate existence?
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Taco de Baja
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Location: Behind the Orange Curtain, CA
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Mood: Dreamin' of Baja
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they are really good at cleaning up camp  And like ants, they can carry things
bigger than themselves.
Truth generally lies in the coordination of antagonistic opinions
-Herbert Spencer
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Martyman
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Registered: 9-10-2004
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Our mice tend to hide for the first few days after our arrival. After that they come out to thanks us for being slobs and unintentionally feeding
them. They seem to say "let's party". They have run across/over me when I've passed out on the floor too.
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