Mice vs. Man: How A Morning Cereal Ritual Prepared Me For Battling NYC's Steel-Wool-Loving Mice.
My girlfriend's cat became the leading detective in my fight against wire-chewing intruders.
As a child, some of my breakfast meals included shredded wheat cereal. Remember those big chunks that resembled biscuits? I enjoyed taking them apart, sprinkling sugar on them, and pouring gallons of milk to make them palatable. Mice in New York City seem to love big biscuits too, albeit of a more metallic variety—steel wool. These persistent critters dedicate years to gnawing through wiry strands of steel wool and terrorizing apartment dwellers throughout the city.
A few years after I moved into my newly renovated apartment, some construction work was going on to install a new gas line. As a result of this work, some gaps were left in the wall behind my refrigerator, and I asked the workers to seal them up. I knew that if the wall weren't sealed properly, it would invite mice into my living space. Although they fixed the wall, there were gaps wide enough for mice to slide through.
Last week, my girlfriend Bryn's cat Norman detected something behind our refrigerator and started acting weird. He jumped on our stove and smelled something behind the fridge. Cats have a remarkable sense of smell, and it turned out that Norman was correct! Today, Bryn spotted an unwelcome visitor, Mickey Mouse, who had slid his spineless back through a small hole.
I took it upon myself to stuff these gaps with steel wool and end the invasion.
Now, I pride myself on my courage and willingness to confront issues others may shy away from. I've navigated the contentious waters of nonsensical mandates over the past four years and fought against them whenever possible. I stood my ground against misandrist, knuckle-dragging, man-hating adversaries in family court. I've faced down attorneys with a penchant for intimidation. But mice? That's where I draw the line.
When I see them, I turn into a wimp. I'm like that cartoonish image of an elephant on top of a stool when I see a mouse scurrying around.
After discovering evidence of the mouse, I went behind the refrigerator to deliver poetic justice to our intruder. I sprinkled mouse-tracking poison as my weapon of choice in the holes, reinforcing the gaps with fresh steel wool because the mice here in NYC loved the first serving of biscuits I gave them.
My time living in apartments is almost over. Sadly, I've had mice everywhere I've stayed here in NYC. However, things have been much better here in my current apartment since it was brand new when I moved in in 2016. The problem isn't really about how clean you are; it's more about living close to others who might not be as clean as you are. Mice and other pests can travel between apartments when residents move in and out.
The thought of enduring any more years living above, below, and next to other apartment dwellers, coupled with the challenges of navigating a fourth-floor walk-up at my age, is unbearable.
But today, thanks to "Uncle Clay's Steel Wheat," these mice will need to seek out another tenant to plague for a while.
Clayton Craddock is a devoted father of two, an accomplished musician, and a thought-provoker dedicated to Socratic questioning, challenging the status quo, and encouraging a deeper contemplation on a range of issues. Subscribe to Think Things Through HERE, and for inquiries and to connect, email him here: Clayton@claytoncraddock.com
I thoroughly enjoyed this read