Written 08/2020

What do you know about weasels? I’ve recently had cause to learn about their habits. It turns out I live in the perfect place to encounter them. According to havahart.com, they prefer open fields, woodlands, thickets, roadsides, and farmlands. If you stand in my yard and turn in a circle you will see all of those things. It causes me to wonder how many have prowled my area, unnoticed. I may never have realized their presence had it not been for one who was not satisfied with mice and rats. Havahart states: “While many homeowners benefit from the presence of weasels as they often control rodent populations, weasels can be a nuisance when they gain entry to poultry houses.” That’s my issue.

For several months my fridge overflowed with eggs. With seventeen hens I collected well over a dozen each day. Roger, the rooster, rules the coop. He snuck into the clan disguised as a young hen. The day he first tried to crow in my face was quite a surprise to me. I chose to let him stay as the girls’ protector. However, when the ladies began to disappear and be murdered, I wondered about Roger’s dedication. I did not yet realize that my serial killer was a weasel who probably showed up each night singing, “Winner, winner, chicken dinner!” After several nights of loss, with just a few remaining, we opened the gate and doors, setting them free, to give them a chance to survive. 

Roger and Rebecca are the two remaining survivors, but we gained a new alarm system. They began sleeping at the top of our gazebo which is covered in grapevines. The gazebo is just outside our kitchen and with the cool nights the windows are open. Roger’s alarm starts as early as 4:15 am. Not everyone appreciates it.

Through the website, I learned that weasels wrap themselves around larger prey, holding them still while biting with their sharp teeth. Do you ever feel like a weasel has a hold on you? Sometimes people behave very similar; as though they will squeeze the life right out of you. “Stay sober, stay alert! Your enemy, the Adversary, stalks about like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Stand against him, firm in your trust, knowing that your brothers throughout the world are going through the same kinds of suffering.” (1Peter 5:8-9)

Perhaps your enemy is coming as a weasel, sneaking in quietly, planning to put the death squeeze on you. Keep your eyes open in expectation, the enemy is in your neighborhood now.