Invasion!

We got back from Thanksgiving to find that the apocalypse had begun in our kitchen. OK, maybe not the apocalypse, but we have a dual infestation going on right now. Alright, I exaggerate again. It's not an infestation: it's one mouse and a bunch of fruit flies.

We walked into the kitchen Sunday evening to find mouse turds all over the counter. We hadn't left any food out when we went away, but some little critter was still on the lookout. I cleaned up the mess and checked for damage, but didn't find any. Well, until we got to the office at least. The little guy/gal came in via the door separating the office from the garage. It chewed away about 3" of weatherstripping and unfortunately, chewed a way a portion of a solid Mahogany door. The damage is minor, but still annoying. I bought some mouse traps yesterday, a new plastic kind, and set them out last night. Apparently they make good mouse feeding stations but don't actually kill mice. We'll be buying the old fashioned ones today.

The little guy actually made two appearances last night. One on the counter, but when he saw me, he vanished behind the stove. And then again later while I was sitting on the couch. He ran into the living room, then under the TV cabinet. Lucky for him, Riley was sleeping.

As for the fruit flies, a couple of our other neighbors have reported them being a problem this fall as well. We found (thanks Google) a great, easy way to kill them though. I put about three tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar in a ramekin, then filled it with water, up to about 1/2" from the rim. Then, I stirred in about a teaspoon of dish soap, and put it on the counter. I had my first victim within minutes, and this morning, there were probably twenty dead fruit flies. At least we can kill something (not that I'm gloating about that, mind you....)