While pest infestations are the last thing you want to deal with at any time of the year, there is one pest that is more than likely already running around your home without you even noticing: mice! Mice are very common little critters and often keep themselves well out of sight. Unfortunately, thanks to their incredible reproduction speed, a mouse in your house can turn into a significant infestation before your very eyes.
There are 3 reasons mice will be drawn to your home: it is safe, warm and has plenty of food. These pests will look for dark spaces to move around in like crawl spaces, basements, air ducts and even the inside of walls. When mice find a comfortable space to live in it can be very hard to remove them, especially if they’ve taken the opportunity to have babies. If you suspect that you may have mice living in your walls or other areas in your home, act fast!
At Halton Wildlife, we’ve seen the damage rodents can cause to property. Whether your home or business, we can get rid of mice and even set up an ongoing rodent abatement program. Rats and mice are inevitable, but not in your home or building with the right strategies in place!
Signs you may have mice living in your walls
Because mice often look for the darkest places in your home, your walls are at great risk of becoming a hotspot. Unfortunately, mice are very quiet critters and usually stay hidden during daylight hours so it can be difficult to notice that you have an infestation. Here are a few signs to watch out for that could indicate that you have mice hiding in your walls.
Mice sounds and smells
The sounds and smells that come from a group of mice will be some of the most telltale signs of an infestation. Some of the most common sounds to keep an ear out for include:
- Scratching or rustling within the walls, under your floorboards or above your head in the ceiling.
- Chewing sounds from mice eating food in your cupboards or pantry and sharpening their teeth on wood or wires within your walls
- An ammonia-like smell from their urine
Visible signs of mice
Although mice tend to hide from people and daylight, there are several visible cues that you may have a mouse issue inside of your walls. Keep an eye out for these signs along baseboards, where food is stored and in basements, attics and other out of the way spaces.
- Mouse droppings
- Small holes in food boxes and containers, cardboard boxes and any old fabric
- Tracks and smudge marks made by mice rubbing against walls or moving across dusty floors
- Signs of nests like piles of soft, shredded newspapers, clothing, fabric and insulation. These will be in fairly hidden spaces like in your attic or crawlspace, behind appliances, in dark corners of cupboards and in basements.
- Mouse trails in your attic insulation. Mice often enter your home from a lower point but make their way through your walls into your attic. You’ll likely be able to spot the trails they’ve made through the insulation in your attic.
Noticeable entry points
Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a small coin, so their entry points may blend in if you’re not looking specifically for them. Periodically spend some time on the outside of your home looking for tiny holes in the foundation, around windows and vents and between bricks.
Time to remove a mice infestation in your walls
If you’ve confirmed that you have a mouse problem the first step is to begin setting traps. Initially you’ll catch them fairly quickly so you’ll want to make sure you’re checking and emptying them regularly. However, even after the trap seems to have stopped catching mice it’s wise to keep at least one engaged. If even one mouse is left in your home, your infestation is sure to return!
If your traps don’t seem to be solving the problem, it may be time to call in a pest control specialist to secure your home fast.
