Oh, Shawna, that's too funny! I was chuckling the whole time I was reading your post. I can't imagine how the dog food is getting there. Maybe a dog food fairy?!? But I'm dying to know once you find out!
A squirrel? A rodent? Ask the people in your house, and if it's not them then check for holes, obviously, to see if vermin are getting into that area, obviously.
Well, I don't know a mouse pellet from a squirrel or rat pellet but if you are finding animal droppings in with the dog food then it's obviously a rodent problem and you should take steps to get rid of it. Rodents can spread disease, so if there's a chance that you have them in the house then it's really nothing to laugh about and you should get it taken care of ASAP. You might need an exterminator, but at the very least tin up the holes and put the dog food into something that rodents can't get into. Good luck with that.
I was going to say...it has to be your little friend beside your name. He just looks way too innocent running on that wheel. He needs to eat too with all that exercise!!
We had mice in our previous house...it was a log house so they could have gotten in anywhere (I'm suspecting the dryer vent is usually the most likely spot). They used to hide (I only saw 1 in my whole life and that poor lil bugger ran out the front door!) in a box of photo albums. Didn't seem too comfy to me. How they would get in there without chewing anything is beyond me and that box was on a book shelf.
Just to weigh in on the mice thing, I have a cat a dog and 2 kids, and lotsa nephews and nieces. I wouldn't have mouse poison in my either out of fear that it could hurt someone I love- human or pet. BUT I have a suggestion for you-
Mice don't like peppermint. In our old house there were mice when we moved in and we sprinkled loose peppermint in the back of all of the cupboards and drawers. It's a repellent. Peppermint extract works too. Also, mice don't like cayenne pepper.
I am glad your mystery is solved, and will catch up more later. Rob's got movies to watch!
Having a toddler DOES complicate things, if you have mice and need to eradicate that problem. I guess my original suggestion, contacting an exterminator and telling them you have a small child so to get rid of the mice without harming the boy. Also the obvious of checking for any entry holes and tinning those up, making sure to keep the dog food in a mouse proof container, careful that other food and water isn't available to them (your pantry?). Another concern, that vermin can bring disease too, makes it doubly important to get rid of the wild mice since a child is around. Good luck with that.
~~Linda
~~Linda
Well Im very embarassed to admit that we do have mice in the house.
We had mice in our previous house...it was a log house so they could have gotten in anywhere (I'm suspecting the dryer vent is usually the most likely spot). They used to hide (I only saw 1 in my whole life and that poor lil bugger ran out the front door!) in a box of photo albums. Didn't seem too comfy to me. How they would get in there without chewing anything is beyond me and that box was on a book shelf.
Crazy little creatures!
Let us know when you get the problem fixed.
~Dana
Well unfortunately, I do know what a mouse pellet looks like.
Just to weigh in on the mice thing, I have a cat a dog and 2 kids, and lotsa nephews and nieces. I wouldn't have mouse poison in my either out of fear that it could hurt someone I love- human or pet. BUT I have a suggestion for you-
Mice don't like peppermint. In our old house there were mice when we moved in and we sprinkled loose peppermint in the back of all of the cupboards and drawers. It's a repellent. Peppermint extract works too. Also, mice don't like cayenne pepper.
I am glad your mystery is solved, and will catch up more later. Rob's got movies to watch!