6 Signs You Have A Mouse Infestation
Do you have a mouse infestation in your home? Determining this is relatively simple. Mice leave behind tell-tale signs. These are quite easy to spot, once you know what they are. Some of the following things could mean there are mice on your property.
The biggest signs of a mouse infestation
1. Food is being tampered with
Mice are primarily looking for food when they enter your home. They will attack any food that is left in the kitchen. Signs of this are obvious. You’ll see packages and bags that are torn open which should be removed to prevent mice. If this happens, food will be strewn around the bag. You may also see bite, or nibble marks on your food.
2. You see droppings and smell urine
Mice defecate constantly. They can do this dozens of times per day. If you have a mouse infestation, then droppings will quickly accumulate. You’ll begin seeing these around your house. Mice droppings are shaped like torpedo’s and have a dark brown colour. You may begin to spot these near food that has been tampered with. You’ll also begin to detect the smell of urine. This has a pungent ammonia-like smell.
3. You hear noises at night
Mice are generally nocturnal. These pests also tend to make a lot of noise at night. If you have a mouse infestation, then you’ll start hearing these noises. They can include things like shrieking, scampering, and scurrying as well as scratching in the roof. You’ll also hear the characteristic sound of mice squeaking. You may even hear these noises during the day, depending on how active the mice are.
4. You see bite marks
Mice enjoy gnawing and biting on things. One thing they especially enjoying gnawing is wooden items. Look at the bottom of your furniture. If you see bite marks, then you could have mice. They may also chew on plastic or rubber objects. In fact, mice can pretty much bite anything.
5. Clutter or cushions are torn apart
When living inside, mice construct their homes from bits of clutter which can be removed to mice proof. This mostly includes things like newspapers, papers, plastic bags and other items which could be considered clutter. Mice will tear this stuff apart when looking for building materials. If you see newspapers with holes and so on, then you may have mice. They may take the stuffing out of cushions and pillows.
6. There are marks on walls
Another common sign local pest technicians say about a mouse infestation is that they leave marks on your walls. Rodents practise something known as wall-seeking behaviour. This means they try to keep a wall on one side of them. This helps to protect mice from predators. The thing is that rodents are extremely dirty. Eventually this dirt transfers onto your walls and leaves behind marks. If you begin to see greasy smear marks on your baseboards, then you could have mice.