Ants and Mice and Roaches, Oh My!

No pictures, thank me later.

In this 2-year old house with no basement we are now battling all of the above listed "pests." By Battling I mean I have seen 2 roaches, the ants are camping out in the carpet underneath Sam's chair at the kitchen table, and Josh has killed - or caught and released - two mice.

What's the deal?

Despite my best cleaning efforts at vacuuming, sweeping, and mopping, and wiping of the counter whenever any crumb appears, did I mention I have two two-year old boys? - I don't know what else to do. The pantry is safe for now. I guess there's enough to eat under the table!

We haven't had a mouse for a few weeks but the last one was traumatic. I was doing the dishes when Josh screamed and there was a little mouse about to run over my bare feet! Ah! The mouse ran into the cupboard (gross) and I finished the dishes while Josh got out a mouse trap and we turned off the lights and retreated upstairs until morning.

The next morning I came downstairs to get some milk for the boys and I paused before going around the corner into the kitchen. I peeked to see if the mouse trap had anything in it and I didn't see it where we had left it! Then I heard a disturbing sound. There was a LIVE mouse thrashing around in the trap across the floor from where we had left the trap.

Forget the milk, I went back upstairs and informed Josh. He came down and debated what to do. It was a small mouse, stuck in the trap only by it's tail. Could he really kill it in cold blood? He managed to get it into a bucket, cover it with something, and take it for a ride in the car to the closest field. There he had another debate. Should he release it from the trap and risk actually touching it or should he just let it out while still stuck in the trap.

Josh already felt like the mouse had enjoyed special treatment; after all, how many mice get to ride in a car during their lives? But, even this mouse-hater couldn't reconcile his feelings of guilt and freed the little guy before letting him go in the field. I don't think he actually had to touch it, but somehow he freed it. We just hope it didn't get eaten by a snake one minute later!

The ants seem to be under the table where Sam drops more food than he eats, and on the bathroom floor. Maybe they are attracted to the smell of the Clorox wipes I'm using to clean up this week's project, potty training Michael. "Point it DOWN, Michael!"

The roaches have been small, but disgusting. One was crawling on the wall by the fridge, and the other one was, gasp, on the floor in the pantry by the trash can today.

I guess we need to have some professionals out to spray the place.

In the meantime, I feel like a vigilante guarding our place against diseased invaders.

Any tips?