If you're seeing rodent droppings in multiple places around your house, this is a good indication that you have a number of mice running around. Droppings can be found anywhere, but some of the more common places include along baseboards, under appliances, and in pantries and cabinets.
Signs of an Infestation
A much more likely scenario is that you're already too late. Spotting one elusive mouse typically means there are at least five or six hiding out in your walls, basement, or attic. This is particularly true if you see a mouse at night or in a low-traffic area of your home.
Finding the exact number is difficult. However, you can see if you have an infestation based on factors like the number of droppings, the smell of mice both living and dead, along the presence of nests. Now, you may be excited to discover that you only have a single mouse in your home, or at least a few.
The average mouse nest can be home to between a dozen and two dozen mice, depending on their age and the presence of other mice in the vicinity. Because mice nest in order to raise their pups, they seek out warm, dry areas that are well protected and close to a food source.
When choosing an indoor nesting spot, mice hide in remote areas where there isn't much foot traffic. This usually includes wall voids, attics, crawlspace, and garages. They also hide in the warm cavities beneath appliances, in pantries or kitchen cabinets with easy access to food sources.
Under or behind kitchen cabinets and appliances, inside or under bathroom cabinets, inside old cardboard boxes, in water heater closets, between ceiling that are near heat sources, under furniture, inside upholstered furniture voids, and in corners of an undisturbed room with lots of clutter.
Yes, mice are nocturnal creatures, so they are most likely to be active and come out of their hiding during the night. They go out searching for food and nesting material when everyone is sound asleep.
You should not see any new mouse feces in your home. You know all the mice are gone from your house when you no longer see clawed or gnawed food packages, feces, or full traps while also not smelling or hearing mice. These are some of the most obvious signs that you have a mouse problem.
It can take anywhere from two weeks to three months for your mice infestation to completely clear up, depending on the level of infestation. Large infestations take more time to handle than small ones.
Mice can make their way into your home through various openings such as your roof, small holes in your wall, and other areas. They are attracted to food, so if they can't find it in their usual place, they will go looking for it by any means.
With that being said, one male and one female mouse are all it takes for an infestation to happen. It is well-known that mice have between five and ten litters a year, and can carry between five and twelve babies in one litter.
If You See One Mouse, There's Probably More
Even though one small critter is unlikely to bring harm, a colony can. Subconsciously, we must know that when one mouse has gotten comfortable in the home, there are more waiting around the corner.
Yes they should, because house mice are adaptive creatures that use their keen senses to detect dangers around them. They eventually learn to avoid the mouse trap if it's left in the same place for too long. Some of them might even move into the other rooms in the house to avoid getting caught.
Since mice don't like going too far from their nest, you will mainly find them hidden in kitchens. If you notice small holes in the corners of your home or along baseboards, you likely have a mouse infestation. Mice build their home indoors, whereas rats will build their nests outside or above ground.
Mice are nocturnal creatures, so they are most active between dusk and dawn. They don't usually like bright lights, but a mouse may sometimes be seen during the day, especially if its nest has been disturbed or it is seeking food. Seeing them in the day also can indicate a large infestation in a home.
Many people have this misconceived notion that mice will simply leave their home after a while on their own; this couldn't be further from the truth as they are known to get very comfortable in areas they inhabit.
Once Inside Mice Do Not Want To Leave
If a mouse or several mice have found their way inside, they will come and go freely, but it is unlikely that they will ever move their nests back outside, even in springtime when the weather warms up.
While it might be true that rodents made their way indoors when the weather got cold, there is no indication that any animal will leave a property that has provided food, shelter, and security. Mice may wander away from time to time, but they will, in all likelihood, return.
While you may not look dangerous while you are asleep, mice can use smell to identify you as a large animal and potential predator. While mice usually do not climb on beds, they may make an exception if there is something up there that they really want. Most often this is food.
A great way to bring mice out of hiding and steer them in the direction you want them to go is to sprinkle potent scents they find particularly unpleasant. Mice don't like the smell of garlic, onions, cayenne pepper, cloves, ammonia and alcohol.
When mice get in, it is usually a matter of a gap or a crack, either in your foundation, outer walls, or attic area. To find entry points, start by doing a detailed inspection of the outside of your home. Look closely at your foundation for cracks or gaps where a mouse could squeeze through.
Mice won't disappear by themselves
Unless you change your habits to deprive mice of their food, wipe out the existing population and proof your property to stop them coming back, you'll always be sharing your home with disease-spreading, food-stealing mice.