A video has gone viral on TikTok after a woman shared her out-of-the-box method for tracking mice activity in her home.
In the video now viewed over 6 million times, @mamallamalove12 explained that she always keeps a cashew in her kitchen drawer to "gauge" if there are mice in her house.
She showed footage of the kitchen drawer where she keeps the cashew which is outfitted with a tiny table and chair—for the mouse.
In the video @mamallamalove12, whose first name is Julie, said that after discovering the cashew was missing from the drawer she set up a "mouse cam" to catch the critters in the act.
While most people might be frustrated or maybe even disgusted by such a discovery, Julie's reaction is quite different.
Good Housekeeping said that when mice are discovered in a home, the first thing to do is find their point of entry. Once determined where the mice are living or nesting, Good Housekeeping said that's when homeowners might choose to set traps. There are a variety of traps ranging from snap traps, which if used correctly can kill the animals quickly, to glue traps which the Humane Society of the United States said is one of "the cruelest and most dangerous ways" to attack a pest problem.
The Humane Society goes on to say that while the U.S. has no regulations on the use of these traps, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have bans on the devices.
According to her videos, Julie used neither of these tactics but rather used a humane trap alternative that lures the mice into a box and closes the door behind them. Julie explained in another video on her profile that she will temporarily "house" the mice until she has collected all of them "from a given area" and sets them free together—"which gives them the best chance at survival."
In a follow up to the viral video showing her "mouse cam," Julie discovered that the cashew was taken and the camera had been disconnected so she decided to make a "gourmet mouse meal" complete with an avocado, peanut butter and nuts.
Not only does Julie capture and release these mice she also has three of her own mice that she keeps as pets.
Comments on the video disagreed with Julie's strategy saying leaving food out will bring the mice back.
"If they found the cashew, that means they're already in the house...[I]'d rather know where it goes than have it lurking around lookin [sic] for food," Julie responded to one comment.
To another person, expressing a similar sentiment, Julie wrote "TBH I really just want to get footage of the mouse eating an avocado at the little table and chair. Is that too much to ask?"
Newsweek reached out to Julie for comment.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
