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How To Tell If You Have Mice

Posted on June 23, 2021
If you have been noticing a distasteful smell or have been hearing some unusual noises in your home during the night, you may suspect that you have mice. It can be easy to determine if there are any unwanted visitors present in your house by looking for these signs in and around your property.
Mice feeding in urban house garden.

Signs of Mice

  • A strong urine odour
  • Holes in walls, furniture, or other areas caused by gnawing or scratching
  • A nest made up of shredded materials like insulation, paper, etc.
  • Scampering noises in walls or the roof during the nighttime when rodents are most active
  • Small footprints left in the dust
  • Mouse droppings near entry points, kitchen cabinets or holes
  • Holes, bite or chew marks in humans or pet food packages(especially packages containing grains and seeds)
  • Odd pet behaviour; pets tend to act strange when they know there are rodents living in the house
  • Dead rodents in nests or any other areas
  • Runaways or pathways along ledges, pipes or baseboards
  • Missing bait from traps

Mice or Rats: What Type of Rodent Is Living In Your Home?

Two cute and curious Brown Rats looking of the cover.
If you have found some of these signs throughout your house, you likely have a rodent infestation of some sort. But whether your pests are rats or mice impacts how you should handle your pest problem. Look for these indicators to figure out what type of rodent is living in your home.

The Size of Droppings

Check floors for droppings near spaces with food or possible nesting areas. They can typically be found behind cupboards or furniture. When you find the rodent excrement, evaluate its size. Rat droppings are much larger than a mouse’s. A rat’s droppings are typically around 1/2 inch or larger whereas a mouse’s droppings are less than 1/4 of an inch. Both droppings are brown, cylinder-like and pointed/tapered at the end. Droppings are a tell-tale sign that can help you identify what kind of a rodent infestation you have.

Gnaw Marks

Rats and mice have very different gnaw marks because of their size of teeth. Rats have much larger teeth, making their marks on a home much more visible. Typically, they will eat or bite wood, wires and plastic material. Their bite marks are about 1/8 inch long but could cause great damage if rodents are left unchecked for a while. A mouse will similarly aim for these areas of a house, but will only leave scratches due to their smaller bite.
Close-up young rats (Rattus norvegicus) sniffs leftovers on a plate on sink at the kitchen. Fight with rodents in the apartment. Extermination.

Appearance

Watch and see if you can spot rodents in your home. If you manage to see one, you can figure out whether it is a mouse or a rat by its appearance.

Mice are small creatures with large, round ears and small eyes. They have thin fur and a hairless tail. When mice are matured, they will measure anywhere between 6-7 inches long.

In contrast, rats are much larger than mice and usually have coarse red, grey or brown fur. Their tail is also hairless, but much longer than a mouse’s. Mature rats will measure about 11-19 inches long.

Deal With Your Mouse Problem Today

It can be difficult to protect your home from mice. While bait and traps might work to control the situation now, rodents are a pest that can easily access once-familiar areas. Call professional pest control services like Wildside Wildlife Removal & Prevention Ltd. to help get rid of mice or rats in your home.
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