I would like to issue this public service announcement. NEVER put poison down for the mice. We usually set traps but have had such a huge problem this year that we stupidly put bait in the cellar. Poisoned bait. Now our house smells like it’s filled with rotting cadavers. In fact, it is filled with tiny rotten cadavers, all inside the walls. I know that’s no excuse for not having blogged as much as I’d like, but, despite having to gag every time I enter our house, I’ve also been on a great writing jag with the book, madly preparing for the holidays and having a BLAST with Hash Hags these past few weeks.
Susan Orlean
For those of you who are new here, Hash Hags is a weekly NPR radio show hosted by authors Julie Klam, Laura Zigman and me. We usually have another author on as our guest and we’ve had wonderful conversations about everything from psychopaths to neoconservatism (those were actually two separate shows), snake hunting, famous pen names and taking SATs as an adult. We tend to talk a lot about dogs and books. Also, sex, drugs, writing, celebrities, publishing. And, like I said, dogs and books.
This week, author Susan Orlean was our guest. Susan has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992, and she’s contributed articles to Vogue, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and many other magazines. She’s been played by Meryl Streep, who starred in the oscar nominated Adaptation which was, itself, an adaptation of Susan’s book, The Orchid Thief, Her other books have included The Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup, and My Kind of Place: Travel Stories from a Woman Who’s Been Everywhere. Susan’s most recent book is the bestselling and wonderful Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend. During our conversation, we discussed Rin Tin Tin, how Twitter can help teach the use of concise language to nonfiction writers and the importance of finding your voice as a writer of narrative nonfiction. You may listen to the show here.
Last week, we had bestselling novelist Meg Wolitzer on Hash Hags and in addition to discussing her latest, fabulous novel, The Uncoupling, we talked about some of the topics that Ms. Wolitzer loves to explore in her work–marriage, infidelity, sex and family secrets. Meg shared with us the two things that people almost never discuss with their therapists. Do you know what they are? Feel free to guess, then check your answer by listening here.
Laura, Julie and I are working on a Hash Hags website and soon you will be able to access any of our shows and listen to them at your leisure. In fact, you can do that now by going to the WHDD/Robinhood Radio website and downloading any or all of our shows for free.
i usually know better than to read your blog at work, for fear of laughing when i’m supposed to be working… (those wre actually two separate shows) made me feign a coughing fit to stay employed.
love the hash hags and your guests!
p.s. time for a cat!
oops – forgot to buy a vowel.. *were*
Hi Ann, Try some Fresh Wave Crystal Gels and sprays. This product really works and at least you won’t gag when you enter your home. You can find it at any local hardware store or check on line at http://www.fresh-wave.com/
I still love Susan’s hair. And am ordering her book for Christmas gifts!
You’ll be happy to know we went the poison route with the barn mice/ rats. I did try the dryer sheet trick, and not only did the mouse totally ignore it, it used the sheet as a blanket. I was trying to be nice and deter the mouse, but we have declared war too!
Congrats on plowing forth with the book! It’s hard to stay on task this time of year with the holidays and all.
Ms. Orlean’s stint on Hash Hags was no doubt the zenith of her recent whirlwind media tour to promote her latest book. I heard her a couple of weeks ago on NPR’s Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me radio program (where she was the guest player on the “Not My Job” segment) and saw her a couple of weeks before that on The Colbert Report, where she deftly handled a probing line of questioning by Steven Colbert.
Perhaps it’s just me, but I picture Ms. Orlean as the fourth member of the Hash Hags.
You’re so sweet Alan, yes, I’m sure that while she was on Colbert, all she could think was, “I can’t believe I’m going to be on Hash Hags!”
Help! I have tried several times to listen to Hash Hags on my iPhone and it never works! What am I doing wrong? I’m in sales and not in front of a computer but would love to listen in my car! Thanks!
We buy these poison traps for flies in the summer. Flies seem to love poop and we have dogs that poop. We clean our yard, I swear, but damn do those flies come as soon as they get a whiff. So I buy $6 fly traps. They work wonderfully but I’m pretty sure those traps are filled with rotting carcass. Horr-id. We could make money on setting traps filled with, oh I don’t know, poop? I’d rather smell poop than rotting death all summer.
Ann, Soooo behind here! But I’m so looking forward to catching up on HashHags broadcasts, Laura’s films, Julie’s latest book—and the list goes on and on….
On an ickier note, I didn’t suggest poison to you (because I assumed with all of the animals…). HOWEVER, there is a type of poison (brand name: WILSON) that comes in little black boxes. It contains poison seed, the mice or rats nibble at it, then stagger away in a stupor to die out of sight. This stuff dehydrates them internally and eventually they decompose rather, uh dustily(?!)rather than smelling up your house their usual festering, rotting fashion as they exit this mortal coil. However, obviously NOT GOOD if little kids or pets are put at risk by this stuff being around…
Good luck with the infestation and thanks for all of the good things (see paragraph one) you’ve brought my way!
Cats? Poison? Here in Texas we just lay a tasty spread of treats across the floor, camo-up and hide out with a six-guage shotgun. When the squeaky little buggers realize a party’s goin’ on and show up with all their frat buddies in tow, we pick ‘em off, one by one. Boom, boom, BOOM. It’s loud as tarnation and there’s some collateral architectural damage, but it’s a sure-fire way to eradicate invading forces – not to mention a heap more fun than a fancy-ass X-Box and way cheaper to boot. So forget video games for under-the-tree crowd pleasers this Christmas, go Texan, give a shotgun!
You’ll shoot your eye out.
That’s wicked funny Denise!!!!
Hell ya !!!, we used to go rat plinking behind the local grain storage facility, 22 cal worked fine
Denise,
You’re scaring me! LOL!
Aislinn,
Good thing I didn’t mention the cases of Budweiser that usually accompany these events or the fact that it’s a family affair. And I’m only partly indulging in hyperbole for humor’s sake, that’s the really scary part!
My grandparent’s neighbors in Waco actually used to get rid of feral cats in the unused field on their property by mowing a wide strip down the middle then setting fire to one side and shooting the cats as they ran across to “safety.” :::shudder::: I
Oh, dear Mother of God.
Wow, that’s really horrifying about the feral cats, poor things.
Such a great post, Ann! So funny. Regarding getting rid of unwanted rodents, it seems obvious but a really effective and important factor is to simply remove their food supply or at least make food as inaccessible as possible. (I realize that sometimes, as in a barn, for example, that’s just not possible.) Have been through this too with mice, and once with rats (:::shudder:::). Hate poison … both the smell it inevitably causes, and what it does to them. Surprisingly, spring-traps seemed most humane …
I’ll see what I can find out. Has anybody else has this problem?
Ann, which problem? Giving Texans shotguns?
I listen to HH on both iPod & iPhone. I do sometimes have issues on the iPhone – I think problems arise when other programs are running at the same time, like my Cyclemeter.
This was supposed to go under Steph’s comment. But good news! We will have a new Hash Hags website up in a day or two and you will be able to listen to the shows there and/or download them onto your iPod!
Thanks for posting the link to Hash Hags. Enjoyed listening to it! Like sitting with u guys in a cosy living room…specially with the dog barking in the background …Shhh!!! LOL
I HATE the smell of rotting mice..i did the same thing in the farmhouse, that place stunk ! UGH! Hope it goes for the holidays!
Getting rid of the critters is the best way to get rid of the odor (and a contractor can cut out a piece and replace with drywall) but, at this point an exterminator could drill some holes in the wall where they think the critters are and spray disinfectant or odor neutralizer. Make sure they plug the holes securely.
You need a lot of ventilation after this, but I would also invest in a high-quality air purifier — something with charcoal, which deodorizes the air and a HEPA filter, which removed particulates. They are pricey but remove viruses, dust, smoke, dander and a lot more Get one with a good enough fan and it will suck up pet hair.