I’ve been battling mice for over two months now. This isn’t too uncommon in a city like Boston, but I thought I had avoided this problem by picking an apartment five stories up. Nevertheless, these furry little creatures run rampant throughout my tiny studio and aggravate me to no end.
Here are a few things I’ve learned from my unwanted roommates:
I have tenant rights
I walked out of the shower one morning, a few days after I had called my notably unresponsive landlord, and spotted a few glue traps thrown around my kitchen. These glue traps were tiny little trays, not much bigger than the mice themselves, with a thin layer of what I suspect was Elmer’s. Besides the fact that I was expected to somehow pick up and dispose of these trays with live, struggling mice stuck on them (assuming they worked), I was utterly creeped out that a stranger had let himself into my apartment while I was showering. I now have an open case with the City of Boston’s Inspectional Services, because my landlord does not have the last say in my living conditions!
Not everyone knows what they’re doing
Before contacting the city, I figured I’d hire an outside extermination company for a quicker and easier result. It turns out my exterminator was more interested in me than in the mice frequenting my apartment, and he totally botched the job. I had to wait three weeks to have my apartment revisited and properly treated, and it was then that I learned my ex-exterminator had been fired because he sucked at his job.
Living alone is difficult (but rewarding in the long run)
Overall, I have no regrets in living alone. I sleep soundly, I’m not bothered by other people, and I get an overwhelming amount of “me” time. However, it’s super frustrating when I have a problem like this. But if I can handle a mice infestation on my own, there’s clearly not much I can’t do, right?
Cleanliness is crucial
My apartment is spotless. I wash dishes immediately after use, throw food waste in the garbage disposal, take out the trash too often, and wipe down the kitchen daily. If my apartment was a mess, I can’t imagine how many more pests I would be dealing with. I only have mice because this building is crawling with them. To the slobs down the hall, I blame you.
Mice are (relatively) harmless
At the end of the day, it’s not a crisis. Yes, it’s gross and annoying. But they’re a lot more scared of me than I am of them. I try to remind myself that there are people who actually keep these as pets (why they do this to themselves, I don’t know). Anyways, there are Boston residents who face rat, spider, fly, and other crazy infestations that are much worse than mine.
Maybe if I’m lucky, the endless burning of blueberry pumpkin scented wax or playing Nicki Minaj’s first album on repeat will drive the mice away before the city of Boston has to.
