If you suspect you have mice at home, you might never be able to find any evidence of them even if they are there. However, the tell-tale signs become pretty obvious once the infestation increases and mice start to leave their traces behind.
Here are the top signs that indicate you have mice in your home:
Creaking or Scratching Sounds
Mice build their homes in small nooks and crannies around the roof, ceiling, floor, and even walls. They typically come out during the night on the hunt for food. Although mice are often silent, they can make creaking or scratching sounds in their hiding places. These sounds can be unsettling for homeowners and are frequently not the result of mice moving. In fact, they are the result of them burrowing or nibbling on materials like plasterboard, wood, or, even worse, wiring.
Rodent Debris
This may sound disgusting but you might notice wet and black fresh excrement on the floor at times. This is one of the biggest indicators of the presence of mice in your home. Once the droppings dry out, they turn grey and are easy to disintegrate when moved. The areas where droppings are most likely to be discovered are next to food packaging, in cabinets or drawers, under sinks, in dark places, and along rodent trails.
Urine Drips or Pillars
Grease, filth, and hair can combine with mouse urine to form what is known as urine pillars in areas where infestations have grown extremely dense. These tiny mounds show that mice have been present in the area for a while.
Oily Rubs
To keep their coats healthy, mice have glands that create oil. This oil, along with hair and debris, is left behind as grease rubs when mice walk around inside the house. These markings are created as the mice go up against furniture, doors, and walls. The markings are frequently referred to as rodent runways, indicating that the mice frequently use the path to get to their nesting places and food resources.
Gnaw Marks
Fresh rodent gnaw marks are lighter in colour than the droppings and get darker with time. The walls or food packaging may have holes from being chewed. A quick comparison between a gnaw mark you just discovered and one on a piece of material you know is older can help you establish how old something is. If the freshly discovered marks are paler in colour, this can be a sign of a persistent infestation. The gnaw marks can also tell you whether you have mice or rats; the greater gnaw marks were likely caused by rats' larger teeth.
Final Thoughts
If you have a mouse or rat infestation in your house, it is always best to call the professionals to get rid of them rather than attempting it yourself. It is always best to be aware of the signs of a mice infestation to prevent them from multiplying quickly.
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