How to keep mice out of your home this winter

We can't be sure what Clement C. Moore was thinking when he proclaimed, "Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse."

Umm, I don't think so.

It may not qualify as a pleasant topic for "Talk of the Town," but people are definitely talking about it: The mice seem really bad this year.

Exterminators would say this is true during bitterly cold winters, but for some reason the rate in which mice are getting into houses this so-far relatively mild season seems to be on an uptick, based on what we've been hearing from others and experiencing ourselves.

We've killed a few of the little pests in our house, but have talked to others who have trapped many more. If it were a contest, we'd be far behind what some friends are telling us about their battles. And I'm certainly OK with lagging behind in that numbers game.

It makes me wonder why I liked Mickey Mouse and Mighty Mouse so much as a kid. There's not much to like about having mice in your house - and catching them in traps is an unpleasant task at best. Yes, they are rodents, but if they weren't in my house I'd fall into that age-old category describing those who don't particularly care for violence: Generally speaking, I wouldn't hurt a mouse.

But when they infringe on my living quarters, a different mindset takes hold.

Mice get into your house through holes as small as a dime, the Fox Valley Exterminators website says. They are also great runners, climbers, jumpers and swimmers. So they do four or five things way better than I.

Exterminators I called to confirm or repute my gut feeling on this didn't respond. So one has to speculate they are quite busy.

Regardless, while enjoying your holidays, you may want to just check for small entryways into your house and take note if any mouse droppings are anywhere in your home.

Where are the jewels?

What is it about jewelry stores and retirement wishes in downtown St. Charles?

Jay Montgomery is retiring at the end of the year and closing the Goldmine along Main Street, though it may stay open as a jewelry repair and service location for a period of time.

And JP Jewelers owner Jim Petterec is doing the same, closing his shop along First Street shortly after Jan. 1.

Hey, fellas. If one of you stays open even just a few months longer, you stand to gain some business from the other guy who is closing.

I'm guessing you don't want to be thinking that way when retirement, which has a wonderful ring to it when you are still healthy, is beckoning.

Mr. Marco's Jewelers, at 216 W. Main St., is right across the street from Goldmine, so it's possible that location and jewelers in Geneva will see a bump in business when the JP Jewelers and Goldmine owners head off to see what this retirement stuff is all about.

Cutting the cord

For those considering getting rid of their cable TV or dish network bills as a family Christmas gift, I can testify that it is possible to do - because we have never had cable or a dish.

We operated with digital TV boxes before new flat-screen sets came equipped for digital. We have used an antenna in the attic and a signal booster for as long as I can remember.

Two years ago, we added an Apple TV box to the mix, and we've been fine with this setup as it covers our movie needs and binge watching of TV shows.

But here's the catch. Much like cable, a digital signal has a mind of its own at times and the picture can go out for no apparent reason.

Gene Olmstead, owner of Olmstead TV in Batavia, advised me to go into the attic when this happens and just make sure the connections are still solidly in place. That advice has worked a couple of times, but other times the signal is getting blocked for other reasons.

So, it's not a perfect science, but it isn't a constant problem. One thing is certain - it sure has been a less expensive option over the last 30-plus years, with digital giving it a nice boost about six years ago.

No smoke here

For decades, it seems, adults warned teens about the dangers of smoking. In a reversal of roles, teen members of the STC Underground Teen Center were instrumental in getting the St. Charles Park District Board to put a new policy in place that restricts smoking on park district grounds, buildings or in district vehicles.

It was a grass-roots effort by the teens who worked with the county health department and Reality Illinois to spread the word about tobacco dangers and present the park district with a call for a policy change.

dheun@sbcglobal.net