Farm Folk, Should I Be Worried About Mice Invading My Yard?
I love my neighborhood because it's nestled between a lot of farmland. It's quiet and gorgeous and traffic is really light during the hours I travel most. I also happen to live near a mint farm, so the air stays smelling quite fresh. And even when it doesn't, I weirdly enjoy the smells that come with horses and cows. Living surrounded by so much agriculture has introduced me to a myriad of bugs I've never seen before. But what I didn't anticipate was mice.
A tiny cutie mouse was darting about my backyard a week ago, making the kids squeal in equal parts fear and "Awwwww." Didn't we all grow up learning that the sight of a mouse is terrifying. But when I say this little guy was adorable, it's almost an understatement. Look at this Pixar worthy little fella.
So here's my dilemma: I don't want to kill him in a mouse trap, of course. He's too precious! (I'm also assuming its a "he.") Plus I'm a vegan, so I very well can't rid myself of him in good conscience. But I definitely don't want him bringing a crew of mice to set up shop in my yard. I know there are humane traps, but before I go that route I want to know if it's even necessary.
I was told by a co-worker that it's just the nature of living by a farm. I'm going to have critters I wouldn't normally have make their way into my living space. So is this a field mouse? And does that mean its behavior would be different than some other mouse? Like, is it just exploring and wanted to see what's up but there's no master plan for he and his comrades to move in? My family and I haven't seen him in a week. So are we safe, or should we be setting these humane traps just in case?
Maybe I should plop him under a hat on top of my head and I'll finally learn to cook.
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