Top Signs Your Home Has a Mouse Infestation

Dealing with a mouse infestation can be extremely time consuming and also difficult. These pests are extremely tenacious and will resist all attempts to eradicate them. Another issue is their small size. This means that mice can squirm into even the smallest spaces, and this makes them hard to reach. The point then, is to get as far ahead of this problem as possible. You need to take care of mice before the issue becomes unmanageable. The best way of doing this is spotting the signs of a mouse infestation early. This way you can take action to remove them.

Here are some of the biggest signs there‘s a mouse infestation in your home:

1. Droppings and urine

The biggest sign of a mouse infestation and a guide to a rodent issue. Mice produce hundreds of droppings per day. These droppings are usually half an inch long, brown, and cylindrical in shape. Mice also urinate everywhere. While this urine will dry, it leaves behind an unmistakable odour.

2. Damage and bite marks

Mice love to chew and nibble on things like wood, plastic, rubber and vinyl. If you see chew marks on these things, then you could have a mouse infestation. Also look for damage on things like newspapers, books and cardboard boxes (especially food packages). Mice use these materials for their nests. Torn up papers and books could also be a sign of mice.

3. Nest sites

These pests construct their nests from things like paper, straw, leaves, fabric and plant materials. Their nests can look almost like a birds’ nests. These nests are generally found in hidden and out of the way places, so it’s quite unusual to see one. This includes areas like attics, storerooms, and behind large appliances and furniture.

4. Dirty marks along walls

Mice aren’t that different to rats engage in something known as “wall seeking behaviour.” This means they stay as close to walls as possible. They do this because it helps to guard them against predators. With these pests eventually their dirt will rub off and leave marks on your walls.

5. Smells of a mouse infestation

Large numbers of mice will create a foul smell. The majority of this smell comes from their urine. If you detect the scent of ammonia, then it could be a sign of mice.

6. Dead mice

This is by far the biggest sign. Mice do eventually die because they are seasonal pests. This could be from natural causes, or because the mice were fighting. Also remember, you may not actually see the dead mouse. In most cases you will smell it rotting. The thing to note here, is that one dead mouse usually indicates the sign of other live mice.