There are few things less appealing than having mice crawling around your home. And we all know that getting rid of them can be tedious and tiresome work, not to mention, a little bit squeamish. So before it becomes a major infestation, here are the top five warning signs you’ve got a rodent problem on your hands.
Scratching noises
Mice have sharp little claws so when they scurry around the house you can usually tell from the scratching sound their feet make. Also, they’ll scratch and gnaw though the back of cupboards and drawers to get into what they want. Mice are usually most active at night time, so if you hear what sounds like scratching on wood, especially in your walls or cupboards during the night, it’s probably a rodent or several mice finding their way around your home or trying to get in.
Holes in cupboards or drawers
Following the scratching noise, you’ll most likely find little holes where the mice have burrowed through soft woods like the back of kitchen cabinets and desk drawers. Often made of chipboard and other light weight woods, they’re no match for a little rodent when it’s hungry and usually make nice quiet dark spots for mice to make a nest for their family.
Rodent droppings
Unlike humans, mice don’t care where they defecate, so as they run, they’ll leave behind little droppings. These are easy to spot and look like tiny little brown pellets. The more you find, the more mice you probably have in the house. Similarly, the bigger the droppings, the bigger the rodents.
Holes or tears in clothes, linen or packaging
Mice like to nest and they usually live as a family. They’ll use whatever they can get their claws or teeth on to use as materials for their nests. Inside a home, they’ll search for materials they can use in their nests, often tearing little pieces of fabric or paper packaging. So if you find unexplained holes in your clothing, throughout your linen cupboard or in our office paper draw, it could be a sign you have a family of mice nesting inside a wall somewhere.
Strong smells
Strong smells around your home can be a giveaway that you have rodents. Rodent urine has a strong ammonia smell that lingers due to how frequently they urinate. The stronger the smell, the closer you are to their nest. Also because mice have short life spans, they often die inside a wall, ceiling cavity or cupboard and that is a smell you absolutely won’t mistake.
If you’ve noticed any or all of these signs around your home, the bad news is, you probably have a rodent problem, but the good news is with the right rodent pest control experts, you can remove the problem. Bug Busters are a one-stop-shop for pest removal. Call Bug Busters today on 08 9493 1313 to get rid of your rodent problem and rodent proof your home.