Are You Sharing Your Home With Mice

To some people mice are cute, little creatures that appear to be adorable. In reality, mice can bring disease in to your house, contaminate your food and damage your home and property. There are a number of ways to tell if your home might be infested with mice. It is important that you notice these signs before it is too late and the mice begin to breed. As cute as they may look, the last thing you want is to have your living space invaded by these pesky rodents.

The first and most obvious way to tell if you have mice is if you see them. You will often catch them scurrying across the floors of basements and garages. While they are largely nocturnal, mice can be seen running around during daylight as well.

Droppings are another easy way of determining if your house might be occupied by mice. Your home likely has rodents if you notice small spots of feces and urine. Mouse droppings are similar in looks and size to black rice. These droppings are very small and hard to spot.

Another way to tell if there is a problem with mice in your house is by listening for distinct sounds that mice can make. Mice often find their way in to your walls, which is when they will make most of their noise. If you can hear scratching and other noises come from inside your wall, odds are there are mice in there. You also might hear squeaks and other sounds at night while the house is quiet which could signify the presence of mice.

Mice are most likely to make their nests in hidden areas of your garage, basement and other dark secluded areas in your home. Mice build their nests out of a variety of materials that allow for a soft, warm home for their future babies. Mouse nests are typically constructed using paper shreds, paper towels, string, feathers, and similar items.

These little creatures also leave distinct markings throughout the house. If you see small dark spots on walls or floors this too could signify the presence of mice. As mice roam your house, their fur brushes up against greasy and dirty objects like pipes and beams, which leads to the dirt rubbing off on your walls as they pass by.

Mice also make markings using their teeth. Look down at cabinets, doors and wood moldings to see if there are teeth marks, or small mounds of wood shavings. These shavings look similar sawdust or what you would find in a pencil sharpener. Mice are known to go after any food they can find so you might notice markings on bins, containers and food boxes as well.

If not addressed in a timely manner, mice can prove to be a real problem in terms of the sanitation of your home. Mice leave feces, carry disease and get in to areas of your home that they do not belong in. While cute, these rodents are not the type of guests you want staying in your home.