Procyon Wildlife

Article by Elizabeth Cuccia, images by Elizabeth Cuccia, Annette Bays and Stock
Approximate read time: 3 minutes

My Procyon team has a long standing Wednesday shift. I often find that we arrive in the parking lot within minutes of each other. We usually take the time to visit, catch up and enquire about the goings on in each other’s families. As we walk together towards the main building entrance I often imagine hearing the “Mission Impossible” theme song. 

Each week there are some of the same animals, old hopefuls that we watch become stronger each week, and there are new ones. Once in a while we find that some member of the public has lovingly brought us infant mice who they are hopeful we will tend to, and will nurture to become a contributing member of the rodent family when old enough to be returned to the wild. Although very tiny and difficult to care for, we do our best, but unfortunately we are not always successful.

I’m sure that many people have opinions and relationships with mice. I’m really not for or against but I definitely don’t want them in my house. When my grandmother passed away each of the grandchildren were allowed to choose one item from the house which they will remember her by. I chose my grandmother’s old antique jam cupboard, circa 1700. 

When all the grandchildren had chosen my mother took me aside and told me that when she was a very young child her grandmother lifted her up and gently opened the drawer to show her the baby mice nestled inside. Apparently though, her mother, my grandmother wasn’t quite as enthralled.

Each year my brother-in-law wages war on the mice, determined to keep them out of the cottage. Armed with his caulking gun he carefully inspects the perimeter, searching for those razor thin entry points and attacking them diligently, blocking the mice out.

So what to do?  

Keep them out – Try to prevent them from entering in the first place. Mice will soon be looking for warmer locations to over winter. It’s difficult to battle a large infestation, so keep garage doors down and man doors closed.

Scents like lavender discourage roaming rodents temporarily. Pour 8 to 10 drops of pure lavender essential oil onto individual cotton balls. Place the cotton balls near baseboards, under sinks, inside dark corners, or near suspected entry holes. Replace or re-soak the cotton balls every 36 to 72 hours, as the scent quickly dissipates and loses effectiveness. 

Be sure to put away foods at night and seal small holes with extra fine wire or steel wool. 

Many people purchase poisons and mouse traps at the hardware store. As well as being cruel, poison gets into the food chain. The animal does not die immediately and may return outside, where it will die and be eaten by some other unsuspecting creature, who then is also poisoned. 

A humane mouse trap can be created easily by using a tall smooth sided garbage bin. Make a textured ramp leading from the ground to the edge, and use peanut butter as lure. The peanut butter on the top edge of the ramp and inside the bin will attract the mice. Once they are in the bin they cannot scale the smooth sides and will be waiting for you in the morning. Weather permitting, they can then be released outside.

I still have my jam cupboard, and the drawer corners still have the gnawed edges that were excavated to gain entry at one time. A lovely reminder that all life is precious and a little kindness goes a long way.