Squirrels or Mice???

I gave in today and called a pest control company to get rid of my attic neighbors. A very cute, very young man came to the door and a little too quickly decided it probably wasn't squirrels but possibly mice infiltration. I am in more shock than if he'd said a third world family had moved up there. About twenty years ago 2 mice came indoors and were quickly murdered by a well placed trap and that's the one and only time there have been mice in my house.

"Kevin" was very sweet but explained he doesn't do mice. A PEST CONTROL COMPANY THAT DOESN'T DO MICE!!! They have to be killed and he's into catch and release so that's why I have to find another pest control company.

I must have looked pretty pathetic because he suggested placing in the attic a large piece of cardboard with peanut butter in the center and flour all around. He said tiny footprints mean mice while large footprints mean squirrels. He added that I could have a look in the morning and call him with the results. "I'M NOT LOOKING AT ANYTHING INVOLVING MICE!" (or, to be honest, any other wild critter), I yelped. He tried very hard to contain his smile but I'd already realized he was a sucker for an old lady so I added nicely, "Could you come back tomorrow and look, please?". I had him from the word go. He's a nice boy and, yes, he'll drop over and do the looking.

He told me that when I hear the noise in the attic I should bang on the wall. If critters scatter then they're squirrels. If they freeze in their tracks only to start moving around a few minutes later, then they're mice. I don't think I'll do any wall banging tonight because it might be better on my nerves to do it in broad daylight.

Another interesting note for people who don't know me really well. "Kevin" asked me for flour to sprinkle around the peanut butter. I don't have flour in my house because I don't bake and rarely cook. I did have some baking soda because I put that in the fridge to absorb odors. So in my attic is a piece of cardboard with a glob of peanut butter surrounded by baking soda. Why not, eh??

And the saga goes on.

Postscript: While this honorable young man was telling me he doesn't kill critters I had to stifle the urge to ask him if he could make an exception in this case and just spray deadly gases into the attic until whatever was in there was kaput. But there's something about an earnest and righteous young face that makes you want to hide from them the fact that you're a murderous lunatic when it comes to critters in your attic. I'll save that kind of talk for the next pest control person, the one who does mice.