Of Mice and Men

UGH! When I was in 8th grade I did a science project to see which rodent was smarter--really who could smell the cheese, or who was attracted to the cheese the best at the end of the maze--but I didn't know about unfair variables, and interference, double blinds or anything of the sort at that time. We used mice(which I bought for like 8 cents each) gerbels, and hamsters. I don't think our experiment had any conclusive results. Infact I distinctly remember the best part of that whole project was the fact that when we made our poster board we used contruction paper, and on the front of the package of paper there was a crane and bull dozer....you know because it was "construction" paper. I'm the only one who thinks that's funny, I know. I digress. I was left with these two mice--george and fred. I didn't know what the hell to do with these annoying, unfriendly, meant to be snake food, ugly little rodents. I had a cage for them, but apparently even though they couldn't perform for our experiment they got smart and figured a way to wiggle through the bars on the cage. I would wake up and they'd be chillin on my desk or dresser. They were also homosexual. Well at least I think so. I was told both were male, and they definately had something going on whenever the lights would go out. Eventually I ended up killing these rodents in one of the cruelest possible ways. They continued escaping their cage so I put them in an ice cream bucket and duct taped the hell outta it. I poked air holes in the top, but the little buggers would use those to chew large holes. So I reduct taped, no holes, and waited. When they died, I burned, I mean cremated them in our burn barrell. Getting to my over all point for this post. I currently have a mouse problem in my apartment. I have traps set every where it seems. With a 19 month old, and my general dislike for these beady eyed, ugly things, its hard to wrap my head around the situation. The first night I caught two on the same trap. I'm using those sticky traps, so they don't die right away--keep in mind, I've already caught like 8 with the kill traps, the ones that snap their necks. When they don't die they squeak, and LOUD! Very annoying. So I grabbed a pliers picked up the trap by the edge and dropped it into a double set of Wal-Mart bags. I then threw them outside in the cold. Don't know if they suffocated or froze to death, but I know one was already trying to eat the other when I did it. Last night (the second night) I caught another. With a trap I set on my kitchen counter. The only reason I did this was because the previous night I got up to make my newborn a bottle and caught a glimpse of one running across my stove top. I bagged this one too and threw him outside. I thought, maybe, just maybe, this was coming to and end. I mean a total of 11 mice? C'mon, that's a shit ton. Not to mention the 4 or 5 my neighbor has caught. So last night I got up to make another bottle, and sure as shit, one peaked its little head OUT of my stove top. They are living in my STOVE! Sick. Sick. Sick. Sick. This is so unbelievably unsanitary. Mouse droppings carry incredible amounts of disease. Not to mention mice can carry fleas(which is a huge fear of mine) and their dander can cause a lot of sickness. It's only been two days since my landlord set the sticky traps, and I've caught 3 mice and seen at least one other. I love my apartment, but I think it may be time to start looking else where. I hope my landlord would understand why the lease would need to be broken. I mean rodent infestation is an appropriate reason right? These things creep me out. But I can only help but think, it's karma coming back to bite me in the ass for killing those two in 8th grade. Oh, the consequences of our decisions. They always catch up.