Mice are stealthy, paranoid animals that will attempt to stay hidden in any environment that they inhabit. This trait helps them survive outdoors, and it allows them to go undetected in the home for long periods of time. However, if you know what to look for, you are more likely to identify an infestation early on and get rid of it before it does too much damage.

Signs that you’re likely to notice

As the infestation grows, one of the first things that you will start to notice are their droppings. Mouse droppings are very small and black, and they can be differentiated from rat droppings due to the size difference between the two. If the droppings are smaller than a grain of rice, then you are dealing with mouse droppings, and if they are about that size or slightly bigger, then you have a rat infestation.

In fact, the two species share many similarities when it comes to their behavior in the home, so you are likely to encounter the same signs when you are dealing with either one of them. For example, both rats and mice leave gnaw marks and you can see a trail form on pathways that they use regularly.  However, since mice are much smaller, these marks and trails will reflect the size difference.

What to do after you’ve found a mouse infestation

If you come across any of these signs, the next step is to call over a pest control pro. The pro will initially perform an inspection to see if the pests are still present in the home, where they are located, and to identify the species responsible. Once the inspection is out of the way, the pro will move onto the control stage.

The control stage is fairly straightforward in principle. Simply lay traps and poisons around the home and wait for the mice to take the bait. However, mice can be clever and it takes experience to completely remove an infestation. This is why it’s best to hire a pro for the job, who will have the knowledge and the tools needed to make sure that mice are removed from the home and that they do not come back any time soon.

For more information on how to detect a mouse infestation that is in your building, or if you have a mouse infestation that should be removed, contact us today.