If you're reading this blog, there is a good chance you didn't hear them bumping and scraping in your wall at three in the morning, because if you had, you'd be sure you have a mice problem. The term, "quiet as a mouse", does not apply to mice in your walls, or attic spaces. They can make quite a racket while their chewing through your sheetrock, ripping up your insulation, and gnawing on your cables and wires. So, let's look at a couple, less obvious, ways to determine if you have mice.
- Footprints. Those little mouse feet leave prints in flour, sugar, or a dusty shelf. Take a flashlight and check a few dusty shelves, and see what you turn up.
- Chew marks. It is easy to tell you have mice, if you find a big chew hole in your Captain Crunch, but mice chew other things before they get to your food cupboards. Check the attic crawl spaces for signs of chewing. And, take a flashlight into the kitchen, and look in low dark pockets. Mice can chew through a wall. And, the kitchen is their favorite place to access.
- Droppings. Most people notice the droppings first. Mice aren't big on taking a bathroom break while they forage. They just go wherever they are. That is why you'll find little brown pellets in the back of your silverware drawer, or tucked behind the food in the cabinet. The number of pellets can give you a good determination of how bad your infestation is.
- You know you have mice, if you see a mouse. I know, brilliant, huh? But seeing a mouse can reveal something else. Mice are good at being sneaky. If you're seeing mice scurrying about, especially in the daytime, there is a good chance you have a lot of mice infesting your home, because mice are timid, nocturnal creatures, and you will rarely see them unless they are hungry and desperate.
If you have mice in your house, you should call a professional immediately. Mice travel in some pretty unsavory places. They'll rummage in a dumpster or crawl around in a sewage pipe, then carry bacteria and rot into your dish cabinet. This can cause unexplainable, and frustrating, health problems for you and your family. Laying down traps will not assure you that your dishes and food are safe, and they won't keep mice from entering your home. Talk to a professional about exclusion methods, and proper eradication of mice. It is no fun being sick, especially if you have to go to work or school. Get those mice dealt with professionally, and sleep well, knowing the problem is completely taken care of.