James Suckling

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When the Cat is Away the Mice Play

Posted: 11:02 AM ET, August 13, 2008

I never thought about it. Sure. I have seen the work beetles can do to a box of cigars. They can drill tiny holes in your smokes for days, even years, until they finally turn to dust. But mice? Yes mice!

A couple of days ago I was at home in Tuscany and I went down to get some cigars to smoke to follow a classical music concert in Cortona (by the way, it was with violinist Joshua Bell, who is amazing). I noticed mice droppings in the large free-standing cedar cabinet where I keep my cigars in my wine cellar. So I decided to take a closer look, and to my horror the furry bastards had eaten a partial box of 1993 Cohiba Siglo 1 and 1985 Hoyo de Monterrey Gourmet. I had no idea that mice ate cigars.

Check out my video. There¹s even a short segment with one of the devils diving out of the cabinet onto the cellar floor. I set a trap for them with cheese. But no luck so far in catching the raiders.

I know mice eat paper and other things like that. I have a friend here who had some cash hidden in his bedroom for emergencies, and the day he needed the money he found that mice had eaten half of it. I think it was $10,000 or something!

Anyway, the mice only ate boxes that were left open. Luckily, the few dozen other boxes in the cabinet were closed!

(12 comments on this post) Submit your comments >

Reader Comments

User Name: Pete Noel, Medford, NY Posted: 09:11 PM ET, August 13, 2008

Don't waste good cheese on mice. Try peanut butter instead. Mice can't knock it off the trap.

User Name: Robert Funk, California Posted: 09:21 PM ET, August 13, 2008

James, This goes to show you have the best lifestyle on the planet. I don't know another homeowner who feeds their mice Cohibas.

User Name: Jose Blanco Posted: 09:06 AM ET, August 14, 2008

James, sorry to hear this, you would be suprised of all the animals and bugs that like tabacco, Savona should do a piece on this, did you smoke any more of the Coronas.

User Name: Jack Bettridge Posted: 10:40 AM ET, August 14, 2008

What kind of host are you? You give your guests Cohibas with nothing to drink? I would suggest if you leave out a saucer of Cognac (XO or above), you might find the mouse is more docile.

User Name: Pete Noel, Medford, NY Posted: 01:54 PM ET, August 14, 2008

HAHAHAHA....that's classic Jack!

User Name: Steve Cohen, Oakville, Ontario Posted: 04:18 PM ET, August 14, 2008

These mice have very refined taste, so maybe you should use cigar tobacco instead of cheese to catch the furry buggers. BTW: Very cool live mouse trap.

User Name: robert marro Posted: 11:14 AM ET, August 15, 2008

James, since these mice obviously have good taste it may take sacrificing a Siglo VI in the trap. If no, try some proscuitto.

User Name: Christian Spinato, Columbus, OH Posted: 05:50 PM ET, August 18, 2008

I have to say, it's pretty perculiar that they only wanted the Cohibas. All jokes aside, it's strange that they would just eat those. As for the trap, I've not seen a mouse trap that looked like that. I hope, though, that it's humane. Poor guys were just looking for food...

User Name: Jose Salamanca, Foster City, CA Posted: 02:05 AM ET, August 19, 2008

Well if the saying you are what you eat holds true, you might try smoking the little bastards once you catch em. good luck!

User Name: James Suckling Posted: 07:39 AM ET, August 20, 2008

Christian. The trap catches them alive. Are you think ing about adoption?

User Name: Christian Spinato, Columbus Posted: 04:56 PM ET, August 25, 2008

James-Good to know the trap is a humane one. Dunno about adoption but I'm a bit of an animal rights guy. My mother lives in Sicily with my sisters, so if you're in the neighborhood, they might take in the little fellas. It may not be some vintage Siglo I's, but it might give you a good feeling that you spared some hungry critters.

User Name: Nick Lisewych, Lynnwood, WA Posted: 08:07 PM ET, August 27, 2008

To hell with PETA, this is war!

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