Indicators Of A Mice Infestation

Mice are the unwanted guests who never leave unless they are kicked out. Mice infestations can become a major issue and a nightmare if you are not proactive. Unless you observe the common signs of mice infestation carefully, you will soon come face to face with a crisis situation where you will find mice running all over your house and will have no choice but to call pest control for mice removal.

There are many mice species and most of them dwell outside, however, some like the house mouse or deer mouse prefer to live inside a home or barn. House mice are usually dusty grey in colour and have moderately large ears and black eyes.  Deer mice are brown in colour with a white chest and feet and have large protruding ears with large black eyes. Both of these mice are very small in size and  weigh roughly between ½ to 1 ounce.  Mice removal requires some effort and before you decide to go ahead, here are a few indicators to help you identify mice infestation.

Visual:

Spotting a mouse: It may seem silly, but you have to understand that a mice infestation can escalate rapidly in a short span of time due to their frequent breeding. Also, mice are not long distance travellers which means that if you spot them inside your house, they must have their nests somewhere near or maybe even within your house.

Urine or dirt tracks: Mice are not very hygienic, they definitely will be running around your house in their dirty feet. Plus, they have very weak bladders which means they urinate quite frequently.

Mice droppings: Areas where you find mice poo are the areas where they are most active. Their droppings are roughly 3 to 6 mm in length and often black in colour. They are granular in shape and can be mistaken for droppings of lizards or roaches. During mice removal you can keep an eye on fresh droppings that will indicate the area they are most active in.

Sound:

There are different sounds that can indicate an infestation;

Scratching or gnawing: Mice have the habit to gnaw because they need to keep filing their teeth constantly. You will definitely hear a scratching sound in your house walls or ceilings, especially in the quiet evening times when they are the most active. Mice have very sharp teeth and they can chew your furniture,  packaging, doors and fabrics like socks, shoes, woollen clothes etc.

Squeaking: If you can hear a low but shrill noise in your house then it usually means mice have made their nests within your home. This squeaking noise is usually the sign of baby mice calling out for food.

Scurrying: Mice are very small creatures, hence they usually don’t make noise while moving around. But, if more than one mouse runs around for any reason, then you can actually hear them. If they have built their nests above your ceiling, you can hear them running around quite clearly. During the mice removal process it is important not to spook the mice because they will find a new hiding spot.

Smell:

Mice distinctly smell of ammonia due to frequent urination.

Do you hear different sounds or smell a strange odor but not sure what they are from? Then it’s crucial to be informed on these rodents and ready to clear them from your home with the help of a wildlife and pest control company like Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control. You can check them out at skedaddlewildlife.com.