Indoor Pest Control: Signs of Mice and Rats in Your Home and How to Get Rid of Them

July 08th, 2014

The idea of having a mice or rat infestation in the home is not a pleasant one. Images of scurrying creatures in the night, nibbling food and ruining furniture, not to mention depositing droppings on the floor, is enough to send even the bravest person running to the phone to call the neighborhood indoor pest control expert!

If you suspect that you might have a mice or rat problem in your home, then don’t panic. Though unpleasant, with professional assistance, most rat or mice problems are easily solved, with relatively little upheaval to your everyday life.

Key Signs of Mouse or Rat Infestation

It’s easy to become somewhat paranoid about mice or rats inhabiting your home, particularly if you have a fear of these creatures. Rest assured though, most nocturnal noise is down to other things in your home, combined with an over-active imagination!

However, if you identify any of these signs in your home, it is likely that you do have a mouse or rat problem and will need to take action accordingly.

• Droppings. Droppings are the easiest way to identify whether or not you have a mouse or rat infestation. They’ll be small, round and dark, and there will be many droppings in one area, as much as 100 in some cases. Hotspots for droppings include kitchen units (both inside and on top) and along the skirting boards.

• Nests.  Mice and rats like to build nests. If you discover a small pile of shredded material (such as paper) in your loft, behind cupboards or under the floorboards, chances are that it belongs to a mouse.

• Smell. Mice and rats urinate a great deal, and as a result, they often leave a strong, unpleasant smell in their wake. If you detect a whiff of ammonia, this is another sign that mice or rats have moved into your home.

• Scratching or scuttling noises. Many noises in your home are perfectly harmless, but if you hear scratching or soft, scuttling noises under floorboards, from the attic or in partition walls on a regular basis, it may well be mice or rats.

• Marks on the walls and floor. The fur of mice and rats is naturally greasy, and as a result, it’s not uncommon for them to leave marks against your wall or floor, particularly on the skirting boards.

Getting rid of mice or rats in your home: Professional indoor pest control

If you suspect that you have a rodent infestation, rather than tackling the problem on your own, it’s advisable to get in contact with a professional pest control company. They’ll visit your home in person to assess the problem, then recommend an appropriate course of action to not only eradicate the rats or mice, but ensure that they don’t return.

With the right approach, having a mice or rat infestation needn’t be a major problem. Simply talk to a local pest control company as soon as you suspect you have a problem and they’ll be able to free your home from rodents in a relatively short period of time.