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Mice in the walls
The scratching in the wall is the easy part to notice. The hole the size of a dime, somewhere outside, is the part that matters.
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The short version
- How you know
- Scratching at night, droppings in cupboards, gnawed food packets.
- What works
- Closing the entry points, then trapping what is inside.
- Call a company when
- Traps keep catching and the noise does not stop.
What you can do
- Store food, including pet food, in sealed containers.
- Look for gaps around pipes, vents and the garage door.
- Set traps along walls where droppings appear.
- Clear clutter that gives cover.
Time to call
- You are still catching mice after two weeks.
- You find droppings in several rooms.
- There is a smell from inside a wall.
- You cannot find how they are getting in.
Why traps alone do not end it
- The way inMice come in from outside through small gaps. Until those are closed, new ones replace the ones caught.
- Food and coverA house with accessible food and quiet storage is worth the trouble of getting into.
- NumbersMice breed quickly. A few noises usually mean more animals than you think.
- DamageGnawing on wiring is the hidden cost. It is worth checking after the mice are gone.
What a pest control company will do
- Inspect inside and outside for entry points.
- Seal gaps with material mice cannot gnaw through.
- Trap inside and check the traps on return visits.
- Advise on storage and cleaning.
Poison bait inside walls leaves dead mice where you cannot reach them. Ask how a company handles that before agreeing to bait.
Related guides
Squirrels in the attic
Roaches in the house
Pest control: what you are paying forSources
- US Environmental Protection Agency: selecting a pest control service