34 A Midwinter Struggle.

Living in the deep countryside means all sorts of creatures share my living space. Honestly, if I'm driving and see three wild boar brothers walking in front of me, or a weasel crossing the road, it actually gets me excited, so that's fine. But there are times when it's definitely the other way around.
What is that?
It's the winter 'mouse'.
Last year, they seemed to be around even during the summer, and they were caught in traps so often that there were times I couldn't keep enough traps on hand, but this winter was just plain tough.
It happens occasionally—condiments on the table get nibbled, or rice scoops and cooking chopsticks go missing (only to be found under the fridge when I replaced it)—that kind of winter comes back when you've forgotten about it.
This winter, I faced damage that went beyond that.

Mayonnaise on the table had been nibbled before, but this winter, all sorts of things were chewed on.
And this winter, they seemed to learn how to pry open doors. The wooden doors were absolutely shredded, and eventually, they got inside and chewed on the things within.
What's more, my family leaves them closed loosely, so the damage just kept spreading.
Anyway, all kinds of food were ruined.
No matter how much I bought, it kept getting ruined, so my food expenses just kept rising.
I didn't want to just keep taking it, so I thought of various countermeasures and tried them out.
The expenses for that just kept rising, too.
Since I was the only one desperately fighting this battle, I started getting more and more frustrated.
The 'master of the kitchen' that supposedly appears in front of my family never really showed itself to me. Expensive rodenticides were left completely untouched, and it wouldn't get caught in traps; that state of affairs continued for a long time.
Anyway, I cleared out the food area, bought large plastic containers to store things in, and was desperate to ensure nothing else got ruined, even if it killed me.

Just when I was more focused on how to protect my food than how to catch this 'master of the kitchen' whose sounds I could only hear, my chance came while I was resetting the kitchen.
The 'master of the kitchen,' who had never appeared before me, finally showed up.
It was bigger than I thought. About the size of something that could sit on the palm of one hand.
Well, I suppose that makes sense. It had been raiding people's food that much.
Perhaps surprised by my presence, the master rushed right into the trap it usually avoided so cleanly, and got stuck, unable to move.
I realized this was my chance, so I grabbed the trap and the mouse together. Since it was trying to escape, I folded the trap in half to pin it down.
Being of a decent size, it was strong, and no matter how hard I pressed down, it tried to get away.
Thinking I might actually lose it, I put it into a plastic bag while still folded, and tied the bag so it would never open again.
Then I just popped it into a gap in the trash bag.
I haven't checked what happened to the 'master of the kitchen' after that, but I assume it went straight to the collection station.
Actually, the kitchen has been quiet since that day.
Or rather, was it the work of just one 'master of the kitchen'?
Since it's a dilapidated house, I knew various creatures were coming and going from the attic, but honestly, the damage to the doors was so large that I didn't think it was a mouse.
Well, seeing it with my own eyes, I thought, 'I guess this is possible.'
It seems this winter's battle ended in my victory.

Even though it was always just baby mice before, sometimes something like this grand finale appears.
I managed to get through this winter, but I don't know what will happen next winter, so I have to think about various countermeasures again.
With that feeling, spring is approaching.
Next, the battle with pollen begins...