GHBWNY
Well-Known Member
The other night, our 17-year-old cat, Beltone (jk), who is stone deaf and slow, for no apparent reason got up off the couch and went downstairs and sat in front of the closed laundry/brew room door just staring. My wife said the cat senses there is something in there. I said, "Yes, there is. Two cases of recently-bottled Belgian Tripel." I poo-pooed it as just another display of her senility*.
A few minutes later, we heard some unusual activity downstairs and my wife went to look. The laundry/brew room door was still closed, but the cat, in very kitten-like fashion, had a mouse in her teeth, dropping it, pawing it and picking it up again. It was the most life we had seen out of that cat in years! And speaking of life, the mouse lost his. So, I baited a Victor trap with our finest Sargento Aged Sharp Cheddar (lucky mouse) and set it under the sink in the laundry/brew room. That night *snap* - another. Rebaited and the next morning *snap* - another! And another the next morning after that!
So, I spent yesterday sealing up potential entry points in our cellar and last night set out an arsenal of three traps under the sink. Thankfully, there were no victims this AM. Going to leave them for a couple more days. Or until the cheese gets so hard, the mice break a tooth on it.
Meanwhile, this is our laundry/brew room, where you hope clothes depart fresh and clean, and where beer departs unexposed to contamination. Don't know, but I'm going to assume that the mice had been running around on or near surfaces that are used for brewing. What is the best way to disinfect? Do I mix up a solution of Clorox, De-Con and water and drench and rinse? Do I sanitize also? What's the most effective way of insuring myself the next batch doesn't end up being "mousey"? Would that be preferable to skunky? Anyone else had/have this to deal with?
Edit: *the cat's, not my wife's.
A few minutes later, we heard some unusual activity downstairs and my wife went to look. The laundry/brew room door was still closed, but the cat, in very kitten-like fashion, had a mouse in her teeth, dropping it, pawing it and picking it up again. It was the most life we had seen out of that cat in years! And speaking of life, the mouse lost his. So, I baited a Victor trap with our finest Sargento Aged Sharp Cheddar (lucky mouse) and set it under the sink in the laundry/brew room. That night *snap* - another. Rebaited and the next morning *snap* - another! And another the next morning after that!
So, I spent yesterday sealing up potential entry points in our cellar and last night set out an arsenal of three traps under the sink. Thankfully, there were no victims this AM. Going to leave them for a couple more days. Or until the cheese gets so hard, the mice break a tooth on it.
Meanwhile, this is our laundry/brew room, where you hope clothes depart fresh and clean, and where beer departs unexposed to contamination. Don't know, but I'm going to assume that the mice had been running around on or near surfaces that are used for brewing. What is the best way to disinfect? Do I mix up a solution of Clorox, De-Con and water and drench and rinse? Do I sanitize also? What's the most effective way of insuring myself the next batch doesn't end up being "mousey"? Would that be preferable to skunky? Anyone else had/have this to deal with?
Edit: *the cat's, not my wife's.
