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The Smell Of A House Mouse Infestation

Mice are very good at hiding and sneaking around. They are nocturnal animals, and they keep food visits very short. However, they do leave some obvious signs, such as droppings, and they make squealing and gnawing sounds, but these signs usually go unnoticed until the infestation has grown quite a bit. There is one sign though that can help you detect an infestation much earlier, and that is the distinctive smell that mice give off.

The smell

Mice give off a distinctive musky ammonia smell, which is similar to that of stale urine. This smell is particularly noticeable in enclosed spaces such as drawers, cabinets and pantries. It may also be present in areas where mice tend to have high levels of activity, such as baseboards and along walls. This odor is how mice mark their territories.

Other signs

If you start to notice this smell around the home, odds are that there is an infestation present. You can then use this to check for other signs, such as grease marks, gnaw marks and droppings. You can also keep an ear out at night, and listen for squeaking and scratching noises.

Taking action

If these signs are present, you have to take action right away. You can either call over a pest control specialist to perform an inspection and confirm whether there is an infestation or not, or you can go with the DIY route and set the traps and/or poisons yourself. You have to be careful however, because if you have a rat infestation, and you use mouse traps, the traps will be ineffective, since they are not strong enough to kill rats, and rat traps may be too big for mice.

Some infestations will be too large or too entrenched to be handled with DIY methods. In these situations, you will need the help of a pro to remove the mouse nest completely. A pro can also help you with smaller infestations if you do not want to deal with them. Sometimes, when you use poisons against mice, the mice will die inside walls or in other hard to reach areas, and recovering the body can be difficult. A pest control specialist will ensure that there are no dead mice left in your home after the control process is over. If you would like to know more, or set up an appointment, contact us today.