How Do You Know If You Still Have Mice In Your Home?
Let’s say you spotted a mouse in the home, you laid down a trap for it, and you caught it. However, shortly after, you spot another mouse, and you catch it as well. And then there’s another. What gives? In this article, we’re going to cover the basics of mouse behavior and help you figure out how to tell if you still have mice in your home.
Using droppings to find out if your home is still infected
Sometimes droppings can be an indicator that you have an infestation, but they are not as reliable as you may think. For example, you spot a mouse, but after a few days there are no more droppings. Does this mean that the mouse entered the home and left? Or does it mean that this is simply the start of an infestation, or that the droppings are somewhere where you can’t see them?
There are a few things that you can do when checking for droppings to improve the accuracy of your tests. First, mice are generally most active in the kitchen, where they find food and sometimes water. This means that the first place you should check for droppings is in the kitchen, especially behind the fridge and microwave. You also want to make sure that you check underneath the kitchen units.
The droppings will resemble black rice, and the more droppings there are, the older and larger the infestation. You can also use the droppings to figure out an approximate location of the nest. The size is also an indicator. Larger droppings that still resemble black rice, indicate older mice, meaning that not only is the infestation old, but that the mice are prospering and growing in size on your or your neighbor’s property.
The movement of mice
Mice are very agile, being able to swim, climb and jump very high. They can enter a building in holes as small as a dime, and they will find these holes either on the roof, in the basement, at the ground level, or at an upper floor of a building. They will also travel between buildings and apartments if the residences are connected, and you may have an infestation through your neighbors property.
Seeing a mouse during the day
Mice are usually active during the night, but it is not unusual to see them during the day. However, if this happens, it can be a sign that the mice are getting very comfortable in your home, to the point where they no longer feel fear to be outside their nests. It can also be a sign that the colony has grown considerably.
All in all, if you have used traps and poison with some success, but you still notice the signs of an infestation, you can either give it another go, or you can call a specialist. Mice reproduce very quickly, and a colony can get out of hands fast. Contact us today if you are having any issues and we can help eliminate any mice or wildlife invaders.
