What’s cute and fuzzy and absolute murder on your pantry and electrical work?

Mice. These tiny rodents bring a whole lot more trouble with them than their size would indicate. They can go after your food, chew up electrical wires, and upset your pets.

Mice can also spread serious diseases inside your home by leaving saliva and feces around. They also bring in mites and fleas.

Staying on top of a mouse infestation means knowing what to look for when it comes to signs you have mice. If you notice signs of mice, it’s important to get in touch with a professional pest control company about mice removal.

This is especially important during the winter months. As temperatures cool, mice will look for warm places to spend the season.

Australia has several types of native mice. Learn more about your local species to see which ones might make a visit through your vulnerable entryways.

Spot the signs of these visitors to prevent serious damage to your home or health.

1) Droppings

It might just be the worst sign you can find that you have mice in your home: droppings. You might notice droppings or urine staining in the backs of closets, pantries, basements, or attics.

These dark little droppings may be hard to discern from other debris, like clumps of mud. However, they will be grouped together unlike dirt. The more recent they are, the darker they will be. If you find droppings, this is a sure sign mice are in your home.

2) Smell

Along with sighting urine stains and droppings, you will also smell it. If there is a strong musky odor in your house that you can’t pinpoint, there’s a solid possibility it is mouse urine.

Cleaning up this smell may require a carpet steamer, some white vinegar mixtures, and a bit of elbow grease. You will be able to get rid of it, even if takes some extra effort.

Furthermore, when rodents die in your walls the stench can be unbearable. You may even need to cut out part of the wall to retrieve the body.

This is why you should not close up mouse holes until getting the all-clear from your pest control company. The results of trapping mice into a space in your home where they will die may cause disastrous results.

3) Holes

Mice widen access points to get into your home. You may notice holes in the insulation around doors in windows, widened holes where electrical lines run into a house, or even holes chewed through the drywall.

Keeping an eye on the exterior of your property, any potential entry points, and any tempting interior spaces (eaves-space, pantry corners, warm nooks near your furnace) can help you find any rodent invaders.

You may be surprised about the size of the holes – no bigger than a dime – but mice are good at squeezing through narrow spaces. Monitoring and closing off holes is an important part of preventing re-infestation.

4) Food Disturbance

The first time it happens, you may try to pass it off as it having come home from the grocer’s this way but after two or three bags of cereal leaking out a hole in the bottom of the packet, it’s pretty clear you’ve got a little critter coming after your snacks.

One of the best ways to put a stop to mouse infestations is to keep food secure. Keep it put away in pantries with a closed door. Add leftovers and grains to storage containers rather than their boxes and bags from the store.

5) Nests

You might not recognize a mouse nest right away. They are typically made from soft debris and trash that mice collect. If you find a bundle of leaves, old tissues, and sticks in the corner of a garage or in a box in your basement, there’s a solid chance this was actually a mouse nest.

Mice tend to breed several times a year, with about 5-15 mice per litter. Their nests will be used to house these petite babies. Prevent a multi-generational family from moving in by spotting these nests quickly.

Mouse nests may have a strong smell. Handle carefully when removing to prevent disease.

6) Noise

Mice make unusually loud noises for their size. In fact, you might think you have a family of koalas living in your attic before you realize it is just mice.

Mice tend to be active at night. If you hear running, scratching, skittering, gnawing, or loud thumps in your ceiling or walls at night, there’s a solid chance it is mice.

7) Pet Reactions

Your cat or dog will probably notice that you have a mouse problem long before you do. If you see them listening closely or sniffing vigorously at a point that was previously uninteresting to them, they may be onto something.

You may also notice them barking at or scrabbling under appliances and low furniture. They are most likely trying to get after a mouse hiding there.

Spot the Common Signs You Have Mice in Your Home

Leaving a mouse infestation in your home can cause serious issues. If you’re noticing signs you have mice, get in touch with Safeguard Pest Control. Our reliable services get us to you quickly and make sure we provide quality work at a competitive price.

For over 30 years we have been serving the Sunshine Coast. Our experienced service and transparent pricing help you in getting rid of mice in your home.

Don’t leave yourself vulnerable to disease from mice saliva and faeces or fire hazards from electrical damage – contact us today for rodent control.

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