Mice infesting your home can cause extensive damage. The larger the infestation becomes, the worse the problem can get. Therefore, it is important to call professional mice control in Georgetown as soon as possible if you believe that you have an infestation of rodents. To that end, you need to be able to notice the early signs of an infestation, which can be somewhat subtle.

Strange Behaviour of Cats or Dogs

Contrary to what many people think, getting a pet such as a cat or dog is not a solution to a mouse infestation. While the presence of predators may make mice nervous, they may be willing to accept the risk if food, water, and warmth are plentiful. There are many excellent reasons to adopt a dog or cat into your household, but you should leave residential pest control to the professionals rather than expecting a pet to take care of it.

If you already have a pet, it will probably become aware of the presence of mice before you do. Dogs and cats have senses of smell and hearing that are much more sensitive than those of a human. If you see your dog or cat pawing under the refrigerator, the stove, or anywhere else that does not seem normal, it may be that your pet can smell or hear mice down there and is trying to get to them.

Chewing Marks or Signs

Rodents, such as mice, have a unique trait that sets them apart: Their front teeth never stop growing. They have to gnaw on things to keep their teeth filed down constantly. If you have a mouse infestation, you may find small teeth marks on hard surfaces such as drywall, furniture, and possibly hardcover books.

You may also find soft materials, such as paper or clothing, shredded up. Mice do this to produce nesting material in which to raise their babies. Mice have no fur when they are born, so mouse parents line their nests with soft, warm material.

The damage that you can see may be troubling, but the damage you can’t see may be even worse. Mice have been known to chew electrical wires and pull the insulation off them. A spark from one of these wires could cause a house fire.

Droppings

Sometimes, mice establish a “latrine” in a home where they excrete urine and feces. Such a latrine is fairly easy to recognize by the smell that soon emerges from it. More often, however, mice do not have any designated place in which to urinate or defecate and eliminate whenever and wherever they feel like it. It is not always easy to find mouse urine, especially after it has dried, but mouse droppings look like small, dark-brown pellets. They are roughly cylindrical but have tapered ends, similar to a grain of rice.

Odd Noises

When mice are living in your walls, you may hear odd noises coming from them, such as scratching or rustling sounds. It can sound similar to the sound a person could make by running his or her fingernails along the wall. Because mice are nocturnal, you are most likely to hear these sounds at night. You may also hear the squeaking sounds of a mouse’s vocalizations. However, most of the vocal sounds that mice can make are ultrasonic, meaning that they are high above the normal human hearing range. It is only when mice make noises in the lowest part of their vocal range that you can hear the squeaking. Therefore, you are more likely to hear the scritching and scrabbling of their feet as they move around inside your walls.

When you call Truly Nolen for residential pest control, we start with an inspection to determine the extent of your problem and understand your individual needs. We then formulate a specialized action plan for your property. Learn more about what our rodent removal services entail.