The Daily Free Press reports on the gnawing problem of mice in Boston University's main library, quotes one student as saying her friends were so freaked out they "had to stand on their chairs" when a mouse ran by, but quotes another as saying, eh, she's been desensitized because "she lives in Warren Towers, which she said has silverfish."
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Training Session
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 11:54am
Now they will be ready when they get their first Allston apartment and encounter the local ROUS.
The students ...
By jmeltzer
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 12:26pm
or the mice?
ROUS?
By Kaz
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 1:33pm
I don't think they exist.
Scientific fact!
By SwirlyGrrl
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 3:02pm
I saw a recent conference presentation from an NYC based group
They were trapping and testing rats for leptospirosis. Their table of rat weights had several weight classes, and 3 rats in the row labeled "ROUS" because the rats were heavier than the scale range could measure.
QED!
I've seen mice in the main corridors of MIT
By Ron Newman
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 11:58am
though not in libraries.
The infinite mouse.
By jmeltzer
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 12:27pm
The infinite mouse.
Town and gown mice
By mg
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 1:16pm
Decades ago, I had a part-time programming gig at Tufts. The guy I was working under told me that if I saw brown rodents they were "town mice", but white ones were escaped lab "gown mice".
Not quite true
By Kaz
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 1:42pm
Yes, albino/white mice *probably* came from a lab/escapee. They're used because they are grown from a lineage that has basically zero immune system so it can't interfere with whatever experimentation is being done.
But one of the most common strains of lab mouse is dark brown. So, unfortunately you can't necessarily assume a brown mouse is a town mouse.
You weren't there
By mg
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 4:40pm
The person who made the comment worked in that building and knew which strains of mice were being used for psych lab experiments. He wasn't making a generalization about all mice everywhere or even all mice at Tufts, just those in that one building, which I'm sure he knew better than you do.
Cool story bro
By Kaz
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 7:40pm
I used to own all the mice at Tufts. I just lent them to the researchers when they needed them but they were still mine so I know all of the mice that were there at the time. By name.
They were all named Miki.
Fun fact
By perruptor
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 10:56pm
Many of the country's lab mice come from Jackson Laboratories, outside Bar Harbor in Maine. Not fun for the mice, no.
Some thing you never forget
By BostonDog
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 2:06pm
I'll never forget the time when I was 10 and mistakenly walk into my parents bedroom only to find a silverfish on the wall.
I still can't get that image out of my head.
/s
House Centipedes
By FakeBostonCharlie
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 3:33pm
A critter guaranteed to freak out most people unfamiliar with them. I leave them strictly alone because they are harmless to people and effective predators on other creepy-crawlies.
Yes, but
By coffeeweasel
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 5:46pm
House centipedes are welcome to do their thing outdoors, or in the basement. The huge one that came out of the tub overflow while I was in the shower was completely uncalled for.
Shower
By cybah
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 9:24pm
My house has been invaded by spiders. Not usually big ones* the standard daddy long legs in the basement or the standard house spider. But the house spiders **really** like my bathroom, particularly the shower area. I think its because of the rod and I am a horrible house cleaner.
But yeah nothing worse than being in the second chorus of Christopher Cross's Sailing and looking up to see a spider drop down below the shower curtain line. Sorry buddy.. you had to go.
♪ Saaaaailing...
Spider awaaaaay down the drain where it should be
Just the swish of the water to carry you
Soon you will be free ♪
IDK
By BostonDog
Thu, 01/23/2025 - 10:14pm
I always like spiders in the house. They look cool and eat other bugs.
Seeing ants is when I get concerned.
Whatever happened to roaches?
By Don't Panic
Fri, 01/24/2025 - 2:09am
Whatever happened to roaches? Don't hear much about them anymore. Did someone invent a really effective insecticide?
They're planning...
By lbb
Fri, 01/24/2025 - 10:26am
...with the turkeys. Don't worry, they'll be back.
Get cats maybe?
By lbb
Fri, 01/24/2025 - 10:25am
Cats might be a solution. There are several hardware stores in my area that have persistent mouse problems (maybe because they stock birdseed, mice love that stuff), and that have acquired kittens to deal with the problem. Apparently it works pretty well, although they do have to post signs on the door saying PLEASE DO NOT LET THE CAT OUT.
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