Rodents can carry and cause diseases that can put you, your pets, and your family at risk. Mice in the attic may be a little trickier to spot, but there are some common signs. As you may already know, mice reproduce quickly, with a gestation period of around 20 days and no need for downtime after giving birth before reproducing again. A single pair of mice can lead to hundreds over taking your attic in less than a year. Below are some signs to look out for:
Droppings
Mice droppings are one of the easiest signs to spot that you have an infestation. The number of droppings you find and how they look can give you an idea of how large your infestation is and how long they have been there. Moist, brown droppings indicate that you have a fresh, active infestation, whereas gray, dry droppings can indicate an old infestation. Check for droppings in cupboards, cabinets, or if there are areas where food is stored. Also, look in the areas surrounding the droppings to see if you can spot any nests.
Odor
Mice and other rodents urinate frequently. You should look out for the strong smell of ammonia, which worsens over time. If you are dealing with a large infestation, you should be able to smell it. The stronger the smell is, the closer you are to locating the infestation.
Gnaw Marks
Mice need and like to use scraps of cloth and paper to build their nests. Check clothing for holes or bite marks. They also might rip holes in the insulation. Look for shredded fibers in dark corners or where you suspect an infestation.
Holes in Wooden Furniture
Mice will often chew on furniture or anything wooden. They can and will chew holes in wooden furniture to build nests. The holes will be small, so they can squeeze through, live, and breed.
Rub Marks
Mice and other rodents will leave oily marks around baseboards, wood panels, or areas where they frequent.
Nests
As mentioned above, mice will build nests in undisturbed areas. If you are concerned about an infestation in your attic, check dark spaces, behind furniture or boxes stored in the attic, behind appliances in your home, and unused spaces. If there are fresh droppings around the nest, it indicates that mice are actively in the area.
Noises
Mice and other rodents are nocturnal, so you will typically be able to hear them at night. Listen for scratching noises or movement surrounding the areas where you are suspicious of activity.
Pet Behavior
Your pets will typically be able to sense or detect rodent activity. You may notice that your dog or cat may actively look or become alert around specific areas of your home. Check around the areas your pet seems to be paying more attention to, barking at, or pawing and scratching.
Daytime Activity
Rodents are typically nocturnal, but as your infestation grows, they may become bold enough to come out during the day. Once spotted during the day, your infestation has gotten large, and you need to take immediate action to locate them and their nests.
How Mice Can Impact Your Health
As mentioned above, mice spread and carry diseases that can negatively impact the health and wellness of your family. Not only do they spread germs, but also, mice are known to harbor parasites like mites, fleas, and ticks. These parasites can easily get transmitted to you and your pets. The viruses and diseases they carry can also get passed on to you and your family through food contamination or contact surfaces through their droppings, their urine and saliva, or airborne particles.
Steps to Removing Mice in Your Attic
Close Off Entry Points
Inspect your home, especially where you notice infestation activity, and find all open holes or gaps that the mice might use to get in. Don't forget to include the roof on your inspection list. Additionally, make sure to check vents or access points in or around the attic.
Mice are small and can squeeze through areas smaller than their bodies. Include small holes and openings during your inspection and use appropriate measures to seal off these holes. Check that you are using rodent-proof products so that mice do not chew through them and regain access to your home.
Take Preventative Measures
Trim any trees or low-hanging branches that are near your home. Mice are jumpers and climbers. By keeping vegetation and trees around your home trimmed, you can avoid offering them direct entryways into your home. Keeping bushes and shrubs trimmed removes hiding spots that mice use during the day.
Ensure that you practice proper food storage and sanitation. Mice can live off small amounts of food, so keep in mind that you should clean up any food-related messes relatively quickly so that the mice don’t have food to survive off of or take back up to your attic. Make sure you properly store food in containers and avoid leaving food out for extended periods. This practice will remove food sources that might attract mice into your home.
Lay Out Traps and Other Bait for Mice
This is an essential part of removing an infestation in your home/attic. EcoClear Products offers several safe and effective products to fix your mouse infestation. Below are the options we offer, and as always, our products are non-toxic and safe to use around your family and pets without fear of secondary contamination.
MouseX® Ready Trays
MouseX® Ready Trays offer the same efficiency you’ve come to trust but in an easy-to-use package that’s simple and effective. When used as directed, MouseX® Pellets work for both indoor and outdoor mouse and rat control and are safe for use around people and pets. Place these easy-to-use pellets around landscaping, near livestock or poultry housing, or under buildings or garden structures. MouseX® works from the inside out to exterminate mice, and dries them out after death to reduce odor by as much as 90%.
MouseX® Throw Packs
MouseX® Throw Packs are the perfect solution for hard-to-reach areas. Throw Packs contain a measured dose of MouseX®, and the bag is made of biodegradable and compostable cellophane – easy for mice to chew through and consume. Just toss a Throw Pack wherever you see or suspect mouse activity and let MouseX® take care of the rest.
MouseX® Wood Traps
The MouseX® Wood Trap is a small, durable trap that is perfect for use around the house for customers looking for an effective solution against mice. Wooden mouse traps are long proven to be one of the best solutions for capturing rodents that have infested a home or office building. The MouseX® Wooden Mouse Trap will help to eliminate your rodent infestation.
