Exploring The Benefits Of Hiring Pest Control Experts

Five Signs There's A Mouse In The House

4 April 2018

Evan Patterson

Nobody wants to find a mouse in their house... let alone a whole population of them. By the time you see the mice themselves, they have often been around for a while, and since they reproduce rather quickly, there are probably a lot of them. It's better to be on the lookout for signs of mice early on, rather than waiting for actual mice to appear. Here are five signs there's a mouse in the house.

1. Mouse Droppings

Mouse droppings are black or brown and about the size and shape of a small grain of rice. Some people find them and figure they just spilled something. You may see mouse droppings at the back of a cupboard, along baseboards, and in secluded areas of your home like the crawlspace or attic.

2. Gnawed Areas

Take a look at the wooden elements in your home. Look at baseboards, door frames, and any furniture with wooden legs. Do you see suspicious chew marks on any of the wood? When these appear on exposed wood, they are often due to mice rather than termites or insects. Mice may eat wood when desperate, or just try to chew it up and use it for nesting.

3. Urine Smells

Open doors to your attic, basement, and other secluded areas, and take a whiff of the air. Does it smell faintly of urine or ammonia? This can be a sign of mice. Of course, it could also be a sign of other household pests, like rats or raccoons, so be on the lookout for other signs of mice and for the mice themselves.

4. Pets Acting Strangely

Does your cat take off across the floor randomly? Maybe your dog has been smelling the walls, or your cat has been hissing at seemingly nothing. Your pets are often aware of the presence of a mouse before you are, so strange behavior on their part may indicate you have a problem. Note that many house cats will not kill a mouse, as you might assume they will, since they have been domesticated their whole lives and don't necessarily know how to hunt.

5. Scratching Noises

Pay attention at night when all is quiet and rodents tend to be more active. If you hear faint scratching and scurrying noises, this is probably due to mice; you might hear them in the walls or in crawlspaces along the side of your house. 

If you think you might have a mouse problem, contact your local pest control and schedule a residential mice inspection today.

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