Field Mice & Outdoor Lights

     It seems with the cooler weather coming in, the field mice are reappearing in my home. I've already caught a trio on glue boards in the past week or so. I'll be purchasing more boards in the near future as well as resetting all my snap traps.

     I'm thinking that one of the reasons I have mice coming in is the lack of light in my yard, especially in the back.It seems the folks who owned my home before I bought it didn't spend much if any time in the back yard after the Sun went down. The back of my house is shaped like the letter "L" and the only light is right by the back door which is in the crotch of the "L" so there is zero light back there much past the back door itself, even past the edge of the deck is darkness. It's like my late Dad called, "Black as Cody's ass". I don't know who Cody was but seems he had a black ass.
     Now I enjoy being outdoors as long as it isn't what I call "Ass Biting Cold" or "ABC" for short. I have only one dual outlet for electricity on the entire back side of my house and none on the front. There is a single bulb light on my front porch but it casts little light there.
     Rather than run extension cords all across the front and back yards I have opted for the most safe and I believe logical alternative, solar lighting. Tonight I went online and ordered five each 2 piece solar powered spotlights so within the next week or so I should have myself 10 lights in total.  The first pair will be in the front yard, one each aimed at my front door and one at the side door. In the back yard I plan for one aimed towards the back door, one at the gate nearest. One towards the Northeast corner and another towards my storage building Four down and 6 to go...
   
      I'm fairly certain that most of the vermin are entering my property from the West side,  a some 90' border. On the other side of my fence is as wilderness of overgrown shrubbery and briers that I fight a never ending battle trying to keep to a minimal amount of encroachment onto my land. I spray, lop, prune but the weeds and other assorted unwanted flora return bringing with them undesirable fauna.
     The critters most likely invade under cover of darkness so I'll use the last 6 lights to light up that fence line like Time's Square in New York City!

     I tried talking to the folks that own the property back there a while back but they wouldn't answer the door nor reply to notes I left asking them to call me. I may try knocking again to ask if I can cut some of the crap down and hopefully make it more difficult for the critters to pass to and fro.

     I'll keep posting re: lights, mice, etc.
     Love and Shalom to all,
     Merlin