Mouse traps scuttle out of the stores

You've heard of that mouse in the windmill in old Amsterdam. It seems he has left, and recently taken up residence at a location near you. Along with his mother and father, brothers and sisters, nieces, nephews, cousins, his children, their children, as well as the children of his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and cousins. And there is not a mouse trapmaker in the country.

Indeed, for a time earlier this month there was such an unexpected run on mouse traps that suppliers were worried whether they could meet the demand.

Ms Celine Kennedy of the Alpha pest-control company, said there had been "a remarkable increase in the number of mice," this year.

Mr Peter Cox, of Terminix Testex, said they were finding mice in buildings where they were never found before.

Suppliers of mouse traps have been in the front line of this mouse explosion. Mr Pat Mollow, of PA Stapleton wholesalers, said the Atlantic Homecare chain was ordering mouse traps at the rate of "hundreds at a time, per week". It was a lot from one supplier, he said. His company imported the mouse traps mainly from Canada. As far as he is aware there are no manufacturers in the Republic.

Mr Derek Murphy, of Burke Brothers wholesalers, said there seemed to be an "upsurge in rodents" all over the country, with "more rats in the city". They, too, had had problems with supplies of mouse traps and rat bait for a time.

Both Mr Mark Lenehan, of Lenehan's hardware shops in Dublin, and Mr Gerry Clohessy of Weir's hardware shop on Baggot Street, agreed there had been an increase in rats this year. But it was the increase in demand for mouse traps which most exercised them.

Mr Lenehan could not remember selling nearly as many last year, whereas Mr Clohessy spoke of a nice line in more sophisticated sonic "mouse traps" which keep mice out of the house through the use of unpleasant noise.

Those spoken to agreed that it is normal for mice to move indoors at this time of year as the weather gets colder. But rarely have they left fields and outhouses behind in such numbers.