On the Porch
Onisha Ellis
I planned to post a blog last week, but became caught up in dealing with one and maybe more unpleasant visitors…mice. And they were hanging out in my walk in closet.
We had these unwanted visitors in the past but thought that we had foamed any possible entry.
Needless to say I was horrified when I opened my closet door and found what looked like shelled peanuts on the floor. I slammed the closet door, yelling for my husband.
I thought it was peanuts because I keep extra non perishable items in a heavy duty storage tote in my closet. Turns out it wasn’t peanuts but a package of dried beans. The horrid creature had chewed a hole in the storage tote and feasted on the beans. I still can’t wrap my mind about something so small chewing that hole.
I wonder if the beans gave them gas.
As we cleaned up the mess we checked the whole closet, pulling out everything. It was exhausting. Along with the mess we discovered that the wretch had damaged two sweaters, one that was my mothers and a favorite one of mine. My husband said the vermin was trying to nest.
That idea sent me into “the vapors’ or it would have if I were a Victorian lady.
We also cleared out two other closets. Thankfully there were no signs in them.
We put out traps and sticky pads and captured two of them. We haven’t seen any new activity for several days, but I still search my closet several times a day.
I am so over the mice. Any tips for mice destruction appreciated.
On a more pleasant note, I am enjoying the changes in the landscape.
In winter, our yard is stark and open, with bare trees silhouettes against the sky. Their leafless branches reveal the road and neighboring houses in full view.
Come summer, the trees transform, their branches heavy with lush, green foliage that weaves a a verdant curtain and closes off the outside world. It shrouds the yard in privacy, the road and houses vanish from sight.
May is my favorite month in the mountains, that is when the peonies bloom. They are my favorite flower.
I also have a beautiful reddish Peony plant but it bloomed while we were on an unexpected vacation to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. More on that next time.
We aren’t great at growing annuals in the clay soil here. Pots and hanging baskets fulfill my desire for lots of blooms with out the failures. This is my favorite flowering basket. It doesn’t tolerate cold so it “winters” in Florida with us. This may be its final summer here in the mountains as it has become too bulky to easily travel.
Don’t forget, if you have any tips for ousting the mice, please leave it in comments.
I’ll close this post with a picture of granddad Ollie. Our daughter and Ollie came to visit in April.
After my retirement, I decided to re-learn the canning and preserving skills I learned from my mother but hadn’t practiced for twenty years. I titled the blog Old Things R New to chronicle my experience. Since then I have been blessed to have six other bloggers join me, DiVoran Lites, Bill Lites, Judy Wills, Louise Gibson, Janet Perez Eckles and Melody Hendrix
In addition to blogging, I’m a general “mom Friday” for my author daughter, Rebekah Lyn. I also manage her website, Rebekah Lyn Books
My 2025 goal is continue to use my love of photographs and words to be an encourager on social media.
Old Things R New 
Or – put a few “bounce” dryer sheets in the closet. (or anywhere mice are visiting) They don’t like the smell. We do that here – put them in the glove box of the car to prevent mice from nesting in the air filters. Good luck!
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Does it matter which brand of dryer sheets? I am definitely going to do this. Along with mice in the house, squirrels have eaten the wires on our truck and invaded the cabin air filter. Husband is planning to fix the wires tomorrow and I want to put the dryer sheets in the truck ASAP.
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To prevent mice from re-entering a hole, stuff wads of steel wool in the hole and other crevices. They cannot eat through a tight wad of steel. Mason jars make for better storage of non-perishables. I guess you can still stack them up in plastic totes if that’s your thing.
Mice will eat through foam and plastic (as you’ve found out)
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Thanks for the reminder about steel wool. I heard about using it a long time ago but of course, I totally forgot about it. The only open areas we have found have been so small.
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