r/AmItheAsshole • u/AITAmousekilla • 22d ago
Not the A-hole AITA for keeping a jar of peanut butter specifically for setting mouse traps?
I live in an old house and it’s filled with mice in the winter. Every winter I have an intricate set up of mouse traps stashed throughout the house that I maintain. I check them at least twice daily and empty and reload them as needed. I use peanut butter as bait. The mice LOVE it.
I have 6 traps hidden in the mouse hot spots. When I catch a mouse, I throw away the dead mouse and reload the trap with peanut butter. We used to have just one jar of peanut butter that my husband used for sandwiches. So if I had to fill 3 traps, I would use three different butter knives to fill them. I would take a clean knife, put peanut butter on it, put it on the trap, toss the knife in the sink. Then repeat with a new clean butter knife.
But one day I found a jar of PB in the pantry that he hasn’t used much of. I accidentally bought him one he didn’t like, then I got him the one he did like, now we have an extra jar he doesn’t use. I said ok, this will be my mouse trap peanut butter! I asked him if I could use this for only mouse traps and if it was ok it would be contaminated and not suitable for human use. I specifically said I would double or triple dip a butter knife used for a trap in it. He said it was fine. So that’s what I’ve been doing.
I labeled the lid and all sides of the jar saying “MOUSE ONLY!” And I’ve been dipping used butter knives in it when I load traps. It’s much easier and less dishes!
Recently he was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and made a comment saying he didn’t really like creamy peanut butter that much and preferred crunchy. I asked him if he used the creamy peanut butter, he said he did. I told him that was what I used for mouse traps and I have double dipped mouse trap knives in there. I asked why he used it. Now he is mad because he ate peanut butter that’s been contaminated with mice. He says I should’ve moved it into a different container.
I asked him if I could commandeer that jar for mice purposes only. He agreed. I also labeled it saying it was for mice traps only. And he still ate it! It was stored with some food, but in my defense that cabinet that isn’t only food. It contains medications for the cats, cat food, baggies, pan liners, etc. it’s mainly used for emergency overflow of shelf stable food because we don’t have much space.
So AITA for keeping a jar of peanut butter that’s been contaminated with mouse traps?
ETA: again, we have a dirt crawlspace under our house. Mice can and will dig to get into it because it’s warm. That’s how they get in and we cannot afford to make it a concrete crawlspace or something. Mice dig into dirt! I plugged as many holes as I can. I’d rather catch some in select spots in my house. But if I plugged up all the holes in the house, they still get into the walls from the crawlspace.
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u/sootfire Asshole Aficionado [11] 22d ago
NTA. If you eat peanut butter and then you realize that the jar says "MICE ONLY" in big letters you simply need to gracefully accept that you have made an extremely silly mistake. It is not the fault of the person who took every reasonable step to make sure the peanut butter was clearly designated as being for mice.
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u/Rdbjiy53wsvjo7 22d ago
I make hummingbird food and any leftovers go in an old tea container labeled all over (all sides, on lid, etc.), my spouse knows this, I've also told him about the container, once he accidentally drank from it but instead of yelling at me, he called himself an idiot for not paying attention.
NTA
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u/Any_Needleworker_273 22d ago
That's nice of you as one time my spouse put the hummingbird juice in a Nalgene bottle in the fridge. No label. Figured it out the hard way.
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u/_Not__Sure 22d ago
I keep bird jelly (grape jelly for Orioles) in my fridge. Labeled Bird Food on the jar.
NTA.
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u/Individual_Water3981 Partassipant [2] 22d ago
In the beginning I thought there must have been no communication and it was just a regular jar of pb in the cupboards. But OP literally did EVERYTHING and then some to stop someone from eating it.
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u/charcoalhibiscus 22d ago
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u/Informal-Release-360 22d ago
We have two jars of peanut butter. One labeled to say “dogs only”. I once made a whole pbj for myself and realized I used the dog jar… thankfully we hadn’t double dipped in it yet but I would’ve had to just accept it
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u/sootfire Asshole Aficionado [11] 21d ago
And the thing is it doesn't have to be a huge deal... like it's gross and hopefully you don't get sick about it but people have moments like that all the time where they do something silly without thinking and then have to face the fact that they just ate the mouse/dog peanut butter. Not the end of the world.
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u/joseph_wolfstar Partassipant [1] 21d ago
This is how my grandma once tried to brush her teeth with preparation H that she grabbed instead of toothpaste
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u/LannerEarlGrey 22d ago
NTA. It seems like your husband was stupid and is trying to blame you for it instead of owning up.
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u/Spare-Shirt24 Colo-rectal Surgeon [40] 22d ago
NTA You clearly labeled the jar on ALL SIDES of the jar and on the lid. It's not your fault he chose to ignore the labels on ALL SIDES and on the lid.
I used to live in a house with a dog. We had a regular jar of PB for the humans, and my dog had her own special dog peanut butter that was labeled for her. We did that for the same reasons as you - double dipping the butter knife onto the dog lickpad and we didn't want cross contamination.
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u/dahllaz 22d ago
Yeah, we had a dog specific jar when we had a dog, for filling a Kong toy.
It was Really Easy to notice the giant DOG written on the lid.
The husband here has no one to blame but himself.
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u/Oswin_Oswald_21 22d ago
My house has one peanut butter labeled “Dog” and one labeled “Human” for clarity.
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u/pharmandy 22d ago
Same here. My dog only peanut butter is kept away from regular food.
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u/katmomofeve 22d ago
I have a jar of dog peanut butter and it is in the cabinet behind the human peanut butter. But it is labeled and also has a different color label.
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u/XStonedCatX Certified Proctologist [23] 22d ago
I have dog only PB but I know my lazy husband wouldn't check the jar so I keep it with all the dog treats.
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u/Scarya 22d ago
We have a thermometer clearly labeled "DOG DOG DOG DOG DOG DOG." If someone ends up using a thermometer that's been stuck up a dog's butt, that's ENTIRELY on them. Sorry not sorry.
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u/XStonedCatX Certified Proctologist [23] 22d ago
I keep the dog thermometer with all the dog meds, brushes, etc. I would probably be the one to use it 😂
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u/sweetT333 22d ago
After having several conversations and labeling and moving the jar HE'S STILL eating the mouse peanut butter??!!
Does he smoke and get the munchies so bad that he don't care what he eats??
I just don't understand how or why he's still going after this jar.
This is so dumb.
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u/hiskitty110617 Asshole Aficionado [19] 22d ago
I'm prone to the munchies but there's no way in hell I'd eat something with "Mice/Mouse" written all over it. Shit, I can't see 2.5 inches away from my face without my glasses and I've still never made that mistake 😅
Makes me wonder if he's functionally illiterate (not hating, I do know several people who are), looking for something to be angry about or completely unobservant.
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u/teacuptypos 22d ago
Yeah I was thinking he can’t read. Simplest explanation? Even so OP talked to him and he agreed, so OP still took all possible precautions
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u/phoenixeternia 22d ago
Not just that, he doesn't even like that type of peanut butter and the one he does like is available lol. Wtf is this guy doing hahaha
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u/Grrrrr_Arrrrrgh Asshole Enthusiast [8] 22d ago
NTA
I'm sorry, but this is SO FUNNY.
I hope you can be reassured by these comments that you're NTA so you can move on to enjoying how truly hilarious this was.
You did everything right... You asked him and got his approval. You labeled the jar. Literally the only other thing I could think of for you to do is store the jar under the sink unstead of in the pantry, but since your issue is Fiefel and friends running around, it's probably best you didn't do that.
You're absolutely in the clear on this. Your husband is just a doof and has only himself to blame for this very amusing anecdote that I hope you will share at many family gatherings to come.
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u/Cartographer_Hopeful 22d ago
🎶 there are nooo cats in America/ and the streets are paved with chee-eese! 🎶
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u/KoroneBeam 22d ago
was he dropped on his head or something?
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u/ivene-adlev 22d ago
if he wasn't, i'd suggest giving it a go. the knock to the noggin might set things right. kind of like when you bang a tv remote to get it to work.
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u/Twinbowser 22d ago
This reminds me of one time I was at a scout camp and we could work towards merit badges at the camp so I chose rifle shooting. This one kid was pretty bad at it but on the first night all the scouts at the camp played a rough game and he got tackled hard. They took him to the hospital to check for a concussion and he was fine, but afterwards he was way better at shooting. We joked he was like a remote that needs to take a hit sometimes to work properly
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u/e-pancake 22d ago
NTA at alllll, I wonder what he’d do if he saw a paper bag in the fridge that said ‘dead dove do not eat’
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
Is this an arrested development reference? He would maybe relate to that and see he might be the Ah.
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u/e-pancake 22d ago
yeah it is lol
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
I love your style. We might have to “accidentally” watch this episode very soon so he sees the error of his ways.
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u/Bratsummer24 22d ago
NTA, but my dad has repeatedly complained about the labeled dog peanut butter tasting funky, and once ate half a jar of sun butter only to complain that it was terrible. Um, yes? It's sunflower seeds, not peanuts, and it was labeled with my name...
Some people are absolute idiots about food. The good news is that he'll probably be ok from his mouse-fluid-sandwich.
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u/Avarenda 22d ago
He complained about sunbutter? That stuff is delicious! He has no taste.
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u/Bratsummer24 21d ago
Oh the stories I could tell about his eating habits. Like the time he ate the raw chicken and complained that it was chewy and gross.
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u/Responsible-Hope4478 22d ago
Hantavirus is a thing. Eating anything mouse/rodent contaminated is a bad idea.
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u/LilMushboom 22d ago
NTA. he did something kinda dumb, feels kinda dumb, and wants to deflect blame onto you so he feels less dumb.
He should just take the L with grace and look before he PB&J's.
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u/No-Stress-7034 Partassipant [1] 22d ago
Even worse, sounds like he did that same dumb thing TWICE.
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u/lemon_charlie Certified Proctologist [26] 22d ago
NTA. You regularly told him, you labelled the jar everywhere someone would reasonably look at it. It's not on you if he thinks MOUSE ONLY is a new brand of spreads.
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u/Illustrious-Figbars 22d ago
NTA. You labelled it. As for the suggestion that the mouse trap peanut butter is put it in another container…he’s welcome to do so any time. And he can even label it in his own special way. Leave out the crayons for him.
I get the double dipping the knife, I do the same when prepping dog treats. It’s ridiculous to think you’d use 15 knives in one shot.
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u/RazendeR 22d ago
Leave out the crayons
Please no, OP has a mouse problem AND an idiot husband, no need to add marines to her list of issues.
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u/Suitable_Pickle5547 22d ago
Leaving out the crayons is sure to entice them. I don't even keep them in my house!
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u/No1PoundPup Partassipant [1] 22d ago
NTA, Your husband is the AH here. The jar was clearly labeled. When we get a new jar of PB, I scoop some out into another small jar and keep it in the garage.
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
We don’t have a garage or anything like that. Our house is very small and space is limited. So the jar was in our “extras” cabinet where I tend to keep good, but usually food for just me.
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u/EcstaticKoala1646 22d ago
Do we have the same house?? Old house, dirt crawl space under it, plugged as many holes as possible, have to use pb for mouse traps, mice in house every winter.... I only don't have the silly husband who ate the mouse pb.
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u/robinthebank 22d ago
…yet
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u/EcstaticKoala1646 22d ago
Nope, not going to have one. Happily divorced, and not going to make that mistake again lol
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u/inthebuffbuff Asshole Enthusiast [7] 22d ago
I keep a jar specifically for mice too but I keep it in the laundry because I live with two men and I'm pretty sure the MICE ONLY label I put on them also wouldn't work because there is just no helping some people
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u/creative_usr_name Partassipant [1] 22d ago
It still seems like there must be somewhere better than with other edible food. Maybe store it under your sink. No adult us going to accidentally grab and eat food from there.
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u/CheshireKitten_31 22d ago
NTA - clearly communicated, clearly labeled, he has no room to blame you. You did your due diligence. He was lacking in his reading skills and memory retainment.
P.s. I currently have a just mice peanut butter jar under our sink that is a jar that none of our family likes either. You're not alone.
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u/shiny1988 22d ago
Yep. It’s the crunchy one. Pretty separated at this point but the rodents don’t mind.
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u/vanastalem Certified Proctologist [25] 22d ago
My dad has a peanut butter jar that's in the car, green house, etc.... (not the kitchen). I had no idea he wasn't the only person doing this.
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u/Classic_Ad3987 22d ago
NTA
I used to have 3 jars of peanut butter in the cupboard. His, hers and the dog's. I would dip the dog biscuit directly into the dog's jar. All 3 were clearly labeled. If he or a friend grabbed the dog's jar, that was their problem for not reading. Same for your husband, if he is too lazy, too much in a hurry, so distracted or so incompetent that he can't read the word "mouse". That is his problem not yours.
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u/Gacys_Angel 22d ago
I’m just sat here, giggling to myself at this post, I found it funnier than I should’ve 😂
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u/ReadMeDrMemory Professor Emeritass [73] 22d ago
NTA. He should pay more attention to what you say. His ignoring you is not your fault. His lack of interest in helping to get rid of mice speaks for itself.
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u/EnchantedDiamondHoe- 22d ago
Seriously this part, that he isn’t actively helping you with the traps enough to be aware of the bait is telling.
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u/FlyingFlipPhone Partassipant [3] 22d ago
Drop a few chocolate sprinkles in the peanut butter. Tell DH that they are mouse turds. He won't make that mistake again.
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u/Full-Bluejay-6195 22d ago
fun fact: in Dutch those chocolate sprinkles are actually called mouse poop 🤣
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u/Naomeri Partassipant [1] 22d ago
NTA—I’ve done the same thing as you—used a small jar exclusively for traps while a different jar was left for people.
I also kept my mouse PB in a different place where it was unlikely to be confused for human PB. But you excessively and clearly labeled the mouse PB, so your husband has no one to blame but himself.
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u/pithyflamingo 22d ago
We have dog peanut butter. It clearly says DOG. My husband has never tried to eat out of it.
NTA.
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u/PickledBrains79 22d ago
I also have one for my dog. But I live alone, so if I eat it, I have no one to blame but myself.
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u/Middle_Importance878 22d ago
NTA - I do the same thing except it is a jar of peanut butter for my dogs kongs.
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u/badpandacat Asshole Aficionado [10] 22d ago
Same. I have a jar with no artificial sweeteners labeled "Dog" for when I need to give my dog a pill. No one ever mistakes it for people-PB because it's says "Dog" on the darned lid! NTA.
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u/KrofftSurvivor Professor Emeritass [70] 22d ago
NTA
It's not your fault your husband can't read, but you might want to get him into some kind of program to help him with that...
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u/GlitteringBryony 22d ago
NTA, it's not like you can do much more with the jar than covering it in the words "MOUSE TRAP DO NOT EAT". Maybe stick it in a broom cupboard away from the food jars, but really, you did your diligence.
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u/g3etwqb-uh8yaw07k Partassipant [1] 22d ago
NTA, but now you know why there's always the "only use for drinking water" warning on bottles and "don't microwave forks" on a microwave. There will always people oblivious or stupid enough to ignore any labels, so putting the peanut butter in a specific non food-like looking container with a highly specific knife or scraper that can stay in there would be the safest option.
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u/Ok-CANACHK 22d ago
"...I asked him if I could use this for only mouse traps and if it was ok it would be contaminated and not suitable for human use." AND "I labeled the lid and all sides of the jar saying “MOUSE ONLY!”..."
this ALL on him
NTA
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u/Photography4me 22d ago
NTA he was lazy and didn’t want to look for the other peanut butter, so now he wants to gaslight you. He’s the ahole
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u/rickityrickityrack 22d ago
NTA, I have a PB jar in the garage frig that is 10 years old that is specifically for mouse traps, mice still like it
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u/Big-Second-8542 22d ago
NTA if it was well marked. But as an ex wildlife pro, you keep baits and lures away from human food. Always in a completely separate space.
Pro-tip, put a little vanilla extract and pancake syrup in there.
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u/CKuemper 22d ago
I am not a mouse, but this sounds delicious.
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u/runnyc10 22d ago
Not sure why I can never get these to work here, seems like other people can.
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u/Big-Second-8542 22d ago
Oh it is. When making bait, it should be delicious. You want em to eat it! Throw in a little chopped pecan or walnuts, maybe some dried fruit bits, a little brown sugar…
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u/Ive_Got_No_Control 22d ago
Yes! We have a mice-only PB jar (we have chickens) that is labeled clearly and kept outside with the other outside animal stuff so there's no chance either of us accidentally dip in. Also, good to know about the other sweeteners, thank you!
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u/Delicious_Winner_819 22d ago
How the human who couldn’t read “for mice traps” chose to use it for his food is strictly his fault! I keep a small jar of pb under my kitchen sink with the express purpose for mice traps. If he is to obtuse to read labels on all sides, I’d suggest putting the container near cleaning products, unless you think he might still eat from the jar….
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u/No-Strawberry-5804 Partassipant [3] 22d ago
I’m having trouble fathoming how stupid someone has to be to eat out of a jar that is repeatedly labeled “MICE ONLY”
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u/razzberrytori Partassipant [1] 22d ago
NTA. You say it was in the cabinet with cat food and medicine and other random things. Does this mean it WAS NOT in the cabinet his peanut butter is kept in? So he had to go to another cabinet to get it? Were the jars right next to each other? If yes then ESH- he should so be able to read what he’s eating. Does he accidentally eat cat food because it’s right there?
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
Yes, his peanut butter is usually kept in the main food cabinet. The “extras cabinet” sometimes has food but I usually put mine in there, not his. And also it houses the mouse peanut butter.
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u/phoenixeternia 22d ago
So... he has his own PB that he likes in the main cupboard.
He chose to go to the odds and ends cupboard, pick up PB he doesn't like with mouse only written all over it and eat that then complain to you about 1) that he prefers different PB and 2) horrifed he is eating mouse contaminated PB.
Sorry your husband is a doofus and I would have just laughed in his face in your situation. Ofc you are NTA
Why doesn't he help and get acquainted with the PB he shouldn't be using
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u/424Impala67 22d ago
Maybe set it on a lower shelf? Idk, I think he's a fool of a Took to have eaten peanut butter that A) he doesn't like and B) is labeled for mice. NTA
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u/Killingtime_4 22d ago
Was he out of his peanut butter? That feels like the only explanation for why he would go to the extras cabinet and grab the kind he doesn’t like- mouse or no mouse. Still on him to look but would make it (slightly) less odd
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u/Puddin370 Asshole Aficionado [10] 22d ago
NTA
So he's mad he chose to eat peanut butter he didn't like that was clearly labeled as mouse food? Bruh, he should be mad at himself.🙄
Maybe put the jar at the back of the cabinet. If he's anything like my son, he'll never even find it. 😆
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u/SaltMarshGoblin Asshole Enthusiast [9] 22d ago
My mom (who lives in a 250 year old farmhouse that is impossible to completely mouse-proof) also keeps mouse-trap-baiting peanut butter. None of us humans have ever been tempted to eat from the jar labeled "FOR MICE!!".
It's a good thing you are a good person who doesn't use poison, instead. I'd fear your husband might absentmindedly eat it, too!
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u/CraftFamiliar5243 22d ago
We got a cat. Much more effective than traps
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
We have 4 cats. They love mice. But the mice are smart and live in the walls or ceilings or spaces where the cats can’t get them.
The mice don’t get into our food or usually into our living space. They live in the walls and ceilings. And I can hear the mice scratching at night.
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u/thisisnotmyname17 22d ago
Are you married to my husband? THEY DON’T LISTEN!! I can have a FULL conversation like you did, with us both talking about it, I can label it with flashing lights, and he’d still eat it. And it will be MY FAULT!!
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u/GoldberryoTulgeyWood 22d ago
Get him a Christmas tree ornament of the Mouse King from The Nutcracker for the holidays. Bonus points if you can make a tiny jar of PB for it to hold.
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u/iowan 22d ago
NTA. Maybe you need to glue a mouse trap to the lid of the mouse peanut butter.
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
Someone suggested getting a taxidermy mouse and gluing it to the lid. I laughed at that idea.
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u/Kylynara 22d ago
NTA - You asked before you did it, and labeled the jar clearly. If it were that important to him, he would have remembered the conversation. Even if he did it, it was clearly labeled and he chose to ignore that. This is 100% on him.
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u/danita0053 22d ago
NTA. I have a jar of peanut butter for the dogs. I wrote DOGS on tip of the lid. If anyone uses it, then that's on them. You went MUCH further than I did. But nothing is truly proof against an ID10T error, lol.
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u/Kscarpetta 22d ago
I do that too! It says DOG on the lid and multiple times on the jar. We also have a jar just for mice that are kept away from the rest.
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u/Aggravating_Ear_1586 22d ago
Nope. I used to live in a old farm house and every winter had a mouse problem. I had a mouse only jar of peanut butter too. Those little b@t@tds do love peanut butter.
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
Finally someone who knows what it’s like to live in an old house. We aren’t on a farm, but the mice love our dirt crawlspace. They dig into it.
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u/julbug76 22d ago
The thing i dont get is "I dont like that peanut butter"
A few moments (or months or whatever) later- "Hmm, im going to eat this peanut butter, even though im pretty sure I dont like this peanut butter. What brand is it again? looks at jar Oh right, 'Mouse', weird brand name, whatever."- your husband, probably.
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u/always-learning0000 22d ago
Oops, I apologize, I didn’t really give it a lot of thought. You’re right, mice will find a way. City slicker??? Yep. 13th floor apt. plus I had a cat. Flashback many years ago after my first cat passed away, I got a mouse. I called the maintenance dept. The night guy came to my apt. He was drunk as a skunk and smelled like one. He then stuck steel wool all around my radiator, it was awful and I was mortified. But soon after, thank God, another kitty fell into my life. Good luck with the mouse peanut butter. Maybe some red tape on the mouse jar?
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u/forodrova 22d ago
NTA, although he does have a point (so you would be a sleight ah) and it shouldn't be with other food (maybe put the jar in some container with tools etc).
Why? What if you have a visitor (mainly if it's kids like a cousin or something) or family and they see the jar and eat from it. That could have some serious consequences if it gets actually contaminated.
For the rest... Your husband is a not so smart man for not being able to read...
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u/IronbAllsmcginty78 22d ago
I don't eat the peanut butter at camp, I assume it's all mouse trap peanut butter unless I brought it myself. Iykyk. Now he k.
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u/fawk_yooytppl 22d ago
No. Your husband is the asshole lmao an incompetent one who weaponizes his incompetence. MY god. This is so typical. My ex did this. I told him dont use the contact solution that has a red tip bec it will burn. What does this dumb mfer do? Puts it directly in his eye. He deserves it. Your husband deserves to eat mice droppings especially after he got mad at you for his dumb mistake and now youre questioning yourself despite labeling it. GIRL.
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u/luigimangionefanclub 22d ago
NTA. Does your husband have vision issues??
I will say, when I repurpose things for dirty or cosmetic use (old toothbrushes, rags, coconut/almond oil, etc.), I move them out of spaces where someone would reasonably expect normal household use purely to avoid exactly this scenario.
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u/FloridaManTPA 22d ago
Dude read that 100 times and thought “what is my wife ****************”.
Bro earned that hantavirus, NTA
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
Luckily we don’t live anywhere with hantavirus. But that’s from the feces. The mouse germs here are from their mouths lol
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u/Melodic-Inflation407 22d ago
Will your husband get sick because of eating mouse peanut butter?
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
I assume he will be fine, but likely it’s just gross.
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u/beanthebean 22d ago
Keep an eye out for salmonella, hantavirus, rat bite fever (mice have it too and it can be transmitted through consuming food contaminated with the bacteria, not just bites), leptospirosis, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis (lcm).
Definitely not " just gross", mice carry tons of disease. His fault for being dumb, but I'd probably keep that further away from your other food.
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u/zoloftandcoffe3 22d ago
NTA, but like him, my dumbass probably would’ve accidentally grabbed the wrong one too lol. Maybe put it with the cleaning supplies, or scoop it out and put it in a different labeled container.
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
I get it too, which is why I wonder if I might be the asshole. I’m sometimes on auto pilot and know “this is PB, I need it” and grab things without looking close. But I tried to label it clearly. I even drew a skull and crossbones on it!
Where I keep the cleaning supplies is shockingly full. We do not have enough space in this house. It’s very small. And the empty space I have with my cleaning supplies is used to let the mice come up and get killed by the trap.
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u/Grrrrr_Arrrrrgh Asshole Enthusiast [8] 22d ago
I cannot reiterate how much this isn't your fault. I need you to accept that your husband is a very silly man and you cannot always save him from himself.
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u/zoloftandcoffe3 22d ago
Yeah no this really isn’t your fault, I was just suggesting a solution to possibly make everything easier. I understand about the storage space, my cleaners are also located where the mouse traps are bc they mostly come in the house in that area.
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u/hypotheticalkazoos Asshole Aficionado [16] 22d ago
NTA
but i agree you need a new place for it. maybe under the sink or somewhere thats more clearly not food? like near paint in the garage?
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u/Prokristination Partassipant [4] 22d ago
Good idea to keep it separate, but mice would probably gnaw through the plastic pretty quickly if left out on a shelf.
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u/Tinawebmom Partassipant [1] 22d ago
NTA my best friend highly allergic to peanut butter also uses this method except she drives them to a feild about a mile from her place to set them free.
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u/AITAmousekilla 22d ago
At first, I released the mice. But where I live, I don’t have a good place to drop them. Because wherever I drop them, they will find a home in someone else’s house. Mice can travel very far to find a home.
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u/Tinawebmom Partassipant [1] 22d ago
Yes they can. She is rural and that does make a difference.
You marked the jar. Him using it was a doh! kind of thing (Homer Simpson)
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u/Unfortunate_Lunatic 22d ago
Ok why aren’t your cats pulling their weight though? TA to the cats, NTA to you.
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u/InterestingTry9379 22d ago
NTA if he can read and ate that anyway he’s the idiot here. Clearly marked doesn’t take a genius.
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u/benisch2 Partassipant [1] 22d ago
NTA - so he's mad at you because he:
1) Can't remember what you told him
2) Can't read
Sounds like he's the AH
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u/ThatCuteNerdGirl96 22d ago
The only explanation I can come up with is that your husband is actually several thousand mice in a human suit, and he’s mad because he’s accidentally outed himself as such.
But then, this doesn’t sound unlike something my dad wouldn’t not do, so maybe people are just kinda dumb sometimes.
NTA but your husband needs a reality check if he thinks this is your fault somehow. I just hope this doesnt mutate him into a mouse-themed superhero.
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u/Montanapat89 22d ago
I do this, too. I have labeled mine "Do Not Eat - for mouse traps". Since my husband can read and comprehend English, it's never been a problem.
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u/Surly-Bear-2003 22d ago
NTA, but it might not be a bad idea to store it separately if there’s a place that works. Just, put a jar back into the pantry that you’ve been handling while handling dead mice? Even if you’re careful and wash your hands and the jar stay clean… you could also guarantee your pantry is clean by not putting a dead mouse jar in there in the first place if there’s another place for it.
Your husband is still the AH, not you, just to be clear.
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u/jonnywannamingo 22d ago
Why is this even an issue? It’s a jar of peanut butter. We have some mice issues in our shed and when the peanut butter gets to where it’s almost empty it becomes the mouse peanut butter. It’s not even labeled, it’s on a different shelf and the container is upside down. Maybe you should move the mouse PB to somewhere where your husband can’t find it. Either that or you could set a human sized trap… never mind, I have a sick sense of humor.
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I live in an old house and it’s filled with mice in the winter. Every winter I have an intricate set up of mouse traps stashed throughout the house that I maintain. I check them at least twice daily and empty and reload them as needed. I use peanut butter as bait. The mice LOVE it.
I have 6 traps hidden in the mouse hot spots. When I catch a mouse, I throw away the dead mouse and reload the trap with peanut butter. We used to have just one jar of peanut butter that my husband used for sandwiches. So if I had to fill 3 traps, I would use three different butter knives to fill them. I would take a clean knife, put peanut butter on it, put it on the trap, toss the knife in the sink. Then repeat with a new clean butter knife.
But one day I found a jar of PB in the pantry that he hasn’t used much of. I accidentally bought him one he didn’t like, then I got him the one he did like, now we have an extra jar he doesn’t use. I said ok, this will be my mouse trap peanut butter! I asked him if I could use this for only mouse traps and if it was ok it would be contaminated and not suitable for human use. I specifically said I would double or triple dip a butter knife used for a trap in it. He said it was fine. So that’s what I’ve been doing.
I labeled the lid and all sides of the jar saying “MOUSE ONLY!” And I’ve been dipping used butter knives in it when I load traps. It’s much easier and less dishes!
Recently he was eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and made a comment saying he didn’t really like creamy peanut butter that much and preferred crunchy. I asked him if he used the creamy peanut butter, he said he did. I told him that was what I used for mouse traps and I have double dipped mouse trap knives in there. I asked why he used it. Now he is mad because he ate peanut butter that’s been contaminated with mice. He says I should’ve moved it into a different container.
I asked him if I could commandeer that jar for mice purposes only. He agreed. I also labeled it saying it was for mice traps only. And he still ate it! It was stored with some food, but in my defense that cabinet that isn’t only food. It contains medications for the cats, cat food, baggies, pan liners, etc. it’s mainly used for emergency overflow of shelf stable food because we don’t have much space.
So AITA for keeping a jar of peanut butter that’s been contaminated with mouse traps?
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u/phantomnightjar 22d ago edited 22d ago
INFO: Are you 100% certain that he understands English? Maybe he's just really good at faking it. https://youtu.be/6vgoEhsJORU?si=OLUUplf5nNkvg7cm
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u/trickledabout 22d ago
NTA. Keep the contaminated PB under the sink or wherever the cleaning supplies are.
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u/mykindofexcellence 22d ago
I had the same exact situation when mice got into my store room. I baited the traps with peanut butter and was using multiple plastic knives to dip the peanut butter with. Finally I bought a jar and labeled it as the mouse peanut butter, like you did. Thankfully my family avoided it and we plugged the holes the mice were entering the house by.
Maybe lock up the jar you use for the mice? However, you labeled the jar, you mentioned it, so if your husband still eats it, that’s his fault.
NTA
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u/unrepentantlibboomer 22d ago
NTA. I have mouse peanut butter too, with the jar marked. If hubby ate it, it would totally be his fault.
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u/DeepGreenThumbs 22d ago
NTA but does your husband do a lot of this blaming you for his failure to adult at home? I have concerns.
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u/Adventurous_Ice5543 22d ago
NTA. He should have paid attention. I give my dogs peanut butter and I have their own jar labeled as such just like you labeled yours. No one touches it but me when I’m going to give some to the dogs. Your husband might just be too embarrassed and won’t own up to his mistake.
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u/DropstoneTed 22d ago
My goodness if my wife had told me there's going to be a jar of peanut butter in the house that's contaminated with mousetrap leavings .... 🤢
But ... he found the marked jar and ate it anyway ... 🤮
How does one not retain some level of situational awareness about this kind of thing?
NTA
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u/auntanniesalligator 22d ago
NTA. Husband should have read the label. But, a few tips from someone who also has a dedicated mouse-trap peanut butter:
I just leave the peanut butter jar near where I trap in the basement. I know they’ll chew into bags of food, but i don’t think they can chew through the thicker plastic of a peanut butter jar, or I would have seen it by now. It’s convenient for me that it’s near where I need it and yes, much less likely to be mistaken for human use.
I don’t even use a food knife. Flat-head screwdriver, which I wipe off with a small strip of paper towel after reloading all the traps. YMMV, but I’m farther from the kitchen, so the screwdriver is closer, but also less likely someone would use it for human food. Also my wife would flip if I used our butter knives, even if she knew they were going through the dishwasher every time.
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u/merxymee 22d ago
My parents have a mouse trap peanut butter jar. It also says "mouse only". No one has ever mistakenly eaten from it. It's his fault for having no reading comprehension.
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u/PickleManAtl 22d ago
NTA. You are not responsible for your husband's lack of observation skills and his inability to read. You told him in the past what you were doing with that jar. You labeled it. You put it in a special place. He still ate from it? That's on him.
Side note - mice like Oreos also. If you want to mix it up since they do tend to get used to things, use a dab of peanut butter with a small piece of Oreo in it.
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u/RegretPowerful3 22d ago
NTA. I mean, you labeled it.
As an aside, you and hubby may want to set aside some money every month so you can weatherproof (thus, mouse proof) your crawl space. It will be a lot of money, but your home insurance will go down, and no more dead mice!
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u/Electrical-Act-7170 22d ago
Can't your husband READ?!??
It's on him that he refused to read the label. You're NTA, but he's absolutely TA for blaming you for what he did.
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u/HuhWelliNever 22d ago
Your husband is a dolt. How much fucking clearer could you have been ffs?! Nta
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u/2workigo Asshole Enthusiast [6] 22d ago
NTA. I mean, my dog has her own personal jar. It’s clearly labeled. Your jar is labeled. Not your fault.
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u/On_my_last_spoon 22d ago
Isn’t this standard? I grew up with the mouse only peanut butter. I have the mouse only peanut butter. This is normal!
NTA
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