You think you may have mice in your home, but you’re not sure. One night you heard squeaks and scratches in your walls… The other night you could have sworn you saw one dash from the pantry and into the basement. It’s around this time that you ask yourself the question: “Are my eyes playing tricks on me?”
Due to the fact that mice are nocturnal, they are often extremely difficult to spot. And it doesn’t help that they’re quick and can squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter. But thankfully, there are some giveaway signs that you may have mice in your home. Here are 6 of those sign and what you can do if you think you may have an infestation on your hands.
Sign 1: Droppings
Mouse droppings are one of the most common signs of a possible infestation. So when mice come out of hiding, they are looking for food. Often times you will find mice droppings in your kitchen, food pantry, or any other area where food is stored. For their size, mice eat a lot, and because their bodies are small their food gets digested very quickly. As a result, a single mouse can leave anywhere between 40-60 droppings in one night!
If you find mouse droppings in your home, call the pros at Cramer. These droppings can pose a threat to humans, so safe, sanitary removal of the feces and the mice is essential.
Sign 2: Bad Odors
One way for mice to better orient themselves with your home is to urinate in the places they’ve already been. Gross right? It’s similar to how a dog would “mark his territory”. Also because mice don’t care all that much about hygiene, their urine will put off a very strong, musky smell.
Sign 3: Nests
Mice will make nests out of anything from newspapers to candy wrappers. Their nests are often hidden behind desks, inside drawers, and under furniture. While these nests are well hidden, if you come across droppings or musky odors you may want to move some things around to see if you can locate a nest and safely remove it.
Sign 4: Scratching (Noise)
As mentioned above, mice are nocturnal and are very active at night as they are coming and going in search of food. Therefore at night, you may hear scratching and/or scattering in the walls, attic, basement, or even under the floorboards. Not only is this a telltale sign that you have mice in your home, but it also tells you where they are located. Consequently, this makes it easier for us to identify where the mice are, what is attracting them, and what the best measure is to safely remove them from your home.
Sign 5: Chew Marks
The main reason mice are in your home is to find a consistent food source. These rodents will do whatever it takes to get to food, and that includes chewing through bags of food. If you find these chewing/gnawing marks, you’ll want to put your food on higher shelves and keep an eye out for other signs.
Sign 6: Tracks
If you think you have mice in your attic or basement, go there and look for tracks. Because if it’s already dusty, the tracks will appear. If not, you can put down some flower and see if any tracks show up over the next few days.
At Cramer Pest Control, we know the kind of damage these rodents can do to your home. Our team of expert exterminators will locate what was attracting the rodents to your home, and will provide a solution to ensure no future problems.
If you come across any of these 6 giveaway signs of a possible infestation, give us a call at (704) 763-0204. We can help!