Pest Control

While we were staying up at Aunt Mary and Uncle B's cabin Katie decided she wanted to sleep in Grandma and Grandpa's camper.  Of course, Grandma and Grandpa were more than willing to have her sleep with them.

Now, over the winter they developed a problem with mice.  They winterize their camper and leave it up north for the winter and the mice decided it was a much cozier home than their brush and leaf piles.  Luckily there was no damage from the mice but once Grandma and
Grandpa opened their camper up for the season they were unable to evict all of the squatters.

One of the first nights we were staying we had sent Katie out to bed.  We got her settled down in the camper, tucked into bed and went out so she could get to sleep.

A few minutes later, as we were sitting around the campfire and we heard a blood curdling scream.  Moments later a terrified Katie came running out the door of the camper.

We asked Katie what was wrong and she told us the horror of what she saw.  "Grandma's camper has mice!"  Yes, we know and we told you before you went out there.  "But these are VAMPIRE mice!  You didn't tell me there were vampire mice out in the camper!"
  Wow, vampire mice.  We were not aware the infestation was that serious.

Katie sat out with us at the fire while Grandpa set some mousetraps out in the camper.  While we were waiting for the traps to be set Katie offered some help to Grandma.  "I can bring Dennis up next time we come.  That way she can catch the mice for you, but you have to get rid of the vampire mice first."  Apparently, her cat is only able to catch regular mice.  We never really got a straight answer as to what would happen if Dennis came across a vampire mouse.  All Katie would tell us was it would be bad.  Very, very bad. 

Not wanting to potentially subject Katie's cat Dennis to the evils of the vampire mice in Grandma and Grandpa's camper the mission for the weekend was to catch that little bugger.

The following morning Grandpa checked his traps.  Success!  He had caught 2 mice.  Katie had to check to make sure he had caught that vampire mouse she had seen, but alas no.  These were just run of the mill regular mice.  That horrifying vampire mouse was still lurking in the camper.

That night Katie once again slept out in the camper and kept watch for that vampire mouse.  And yet again, she saw it!  This time when she came out she told Grandpa where that evil mouse was hiding and helped him set a trap in just the right place to catch him.

A few minutes after the traps were set and Katie was settled in once again.  But it didn't last.  Less than half an hour later we heard Katie once again shouting.  "Grandpa, grandpa, grandpa!"  Grandpa went out to see what had happened.  They had gotten that vampire mouse!

While Grandpa was taking care of the carnage (Vampire mice do not burn up to ash when they die like your movie vampires do.  They actually leave a carcass.) Katie came out and sat with us at the fire once again.

At that time Grandma asked Katie how she knew it was a vampire mouse.  "The eyes."  Katie said.  "The eyes were glowing red."  "How could you tell that mouse Grandpa caught was the vampire mouse?"  Grandma asked.  "Because I could still see the glowing eyes even after it died."  Katie answered.  "How many more are there?" Grandma asked.  "None, that was the only one." Katie told Grandma.  "How do you know?" Grandma asked.  "Because I saw it, Grandma.  It was the only one.  But guess what?"  Oh no, what was Katie going to say next?  "Now Dennis can come up and catch the rest of your mice!"  Yep, always willing to help.


Grandma and Grandpa were able to eliminate their mouse problem without the aide of Katie's very efficient mousetrap so Dennis never had to make the trip up to the cabin.  And luckily there have been no more sitings of the horrifying vampire mice.