I think we might have mice but we haven’t seen them. We’ve had mice move in before in the fall. What are some of the signs to look for to find out if mice are living in our house? M. V., Westwood, MA

It is that time of year when mice decide it’s getting a little chilly living outside. If they can find their way into your home, they will set up a warm nest site near a food source. The mouse signs below will be less obvious if you only have one mouse in residence but they will become more noticeable as your mouse population increases. That won’t take long without intervention.

1. Droppings – Mouse droppings or mouse poop is probably the first thing people notice because mice make no attempt to hide their business. They poop many times on their rounds at night and they do it wherever they happen to be. A mouse can leave about 70 dark, ¼-inch, elongated and pointed droppings each day. You can imagine the amount of droppings if you have several mice. See All About Mouse Poop!

2. Nests – Mouse nests are easily visible—if you know where to look. A female mouse constructs her nest of whatever soft materials are available. It’s not an inviting fluffy ball as you might expect; it’s more often messy and may even be a flattened mat that contain hoarded food or baby mice. But when you see a nest, you’ll know it. Mouse nests are found at ground level, within 30 feet of a food source, in hidden dark, undisturbed places. The back corner of a rarely opened lower kitchen cabinet would be a typical mouse nest site. See Is That a Mouse Nest Inside My Wall?

3. Gnaw Marks and Rub Marks – Mice will chew on almost anything. They gnaw to enlarge openings that will allow them into areas to reach food, they chew openings into food packages, and sometimes they gnaw just for the sake of gnawing. They will enlarge openings around pipes or cables so that they can fit through to use these conduits as travel routes. They chew at the bottom corners of doors so that they can squeeze through when the door is shut. When mice use an opening or travel route frequently, you will also see dark, greasy rub marks from the oils in their fur around the edges of the opening or along walls. See Property Damage From Mice.

4. Other Miscellaneous Signs – Other hints that you might have mice include bits of shredded soft materials (fabric, facial tissues, paper towels, or other desirable nest materials), piles of seeds or pet food in hidden places, scratching or scrambling noises, maybe even footprints in dusty areas.

If you notice any of these signs of mice, you know what to do. Give Colonial Pest a call. Our experts can track your mice and come up with a control plan that will work for you…but not for them! Guaranteed!