Mice will go into any type of home or building that has access points for them, including cracks and crevices, vents, and holes. They prefer warm, dark, and sheltered areas, such as wall cavities, attics, basements, and storage sheds.
Mice are drawn to attics as a source of warmth, shelter, and food. Mice also like to build nests in the insulation, cardboard boxes, and other soft materials, making the attic a perfect habitat.
They often enter homes through small holes no bigger than a dime. Eaves, cracks in the exterior walls, vents along the roofline, and utility access points are easy to access entry points.
In most cases, mice are nocturnal, which means they usually remain in their nest during the day. A mouse can venture out at night to search for food.
If a mouse has been disturbed and feels uncertain or threatened, it may move out of the attic during the day.
Signs of Mice in the Attic
Homeowners can tell if there are mice in the attic by paying attention to certain sights, sounds, and smells.
The sounds of pattering feet and scurrying, rustling sounds as they move inside walls, and small squeaking noises can also indicate the presence of a mouse infestation. The smell caused by mouse droppings, as well as their distinct musky odor, can be olfactory clues to mice in the attic.
Visual cues include mouse tracks, small brown droppings, urine stains, greasy smudge marks, wood shavings from gnawing, and mouse nests woven together from shredded fibers.
A mouse will typically build its nest by first collecting soft material such as grass, feathers, and shredded paper to create bedding. The material is then formed into a loose ball and placed in an area that is safe, such as in a corner of a room, behind furniture, or in a garage. The mouse will then gather more material to reinforce the exterior, often using pieces of cloth, string, or leather to construct a thick wall. Finally, the nest is typically made waterproof by using small amounts of mud or saliva and may be lined with fur or other soft material for added warmth.
Mouse Damage in the Attic
Mice in the attic can cause significant damage by gnawing the structure of the house, ruining insulation, and chewing on electrical wires.
There are health risks with a mouse infestation. They spread their feces and urine wherever they are active. Mouse droppings and urine will soil attic insulation. They will contaminate food sources and water sources with harmful diseases such as tularemia, leptospirosis, Hantavirus, and salmonellosis. Their presence also brings additional pests, such as fleas and ticks, into the home.
Mouse Removal from Attic
Although there are many commercially available mouse traps for homeowners to use in their own removal efforts, DIY attempts at mouse control often fail or even make the situation worse. To get rid of mice in the attic, contact the pest control specialists at Critter Control.
Our expert animal removal technicians will eliminate nuisance mice. We will block all mice entry points, employ a strategic rodent trapping program, and clean up the damage caused by mice.
We make the house safe from future rodent infestations.
Get them out.
Keep them out.®
Experience wildlife or pest issue? We can help! Complete this form and your local Critter Control® office will contact you to assist.
Customer Reviews
It has been very effective at reducing the number of mice, lizard, and snake sightings. During one visit Edgar removed a rattlesnake he came across. We may see a snake maybe two to three times during the spring and summer months, but it has been far less than before.
Serivces:
Wildlife & Rodent Control in San Diego
Full service. Excellent job of extracting raccoon, cleaning all animal waste, sanitizing, and spraying anti-parasitic substance. They closed all potential ports of entry, though the work did not match the vinyl, and it looks kind of tacky. They added blown insulation, which added a lot to the cost. They provide a one year warranty against animal intrusion, with an option to extend the warranty at the end of each one- year period. They were willing to work with me one the price. I will probably extend my warranty, and will definitely use them it the future.
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Chattanooga
I was really impressed by these guys. Got a call within a few hours of making an inquiry. Had a rep out to inspect the situation by the end of the week, and when they laid out the timeline they kept if not exceeded listed times.
Rob, Travis, and Jim were all professional, polite, and courteous and after months of hearing squirrels in my ceiling they are gone and the repair to my flashing looks excellent. Can't recommend these guys enough.
Jeff was incredibly professional and helpful. I'll use them again and would recommend them to anyone.
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Detroit, MI
Critter Control did a great job of evaluating our house for sites of entry after we found bats and a squirrel in our attic. They completed their work promptly and professionally.
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Seattle, WA
We heard some noise from the corner of our house. Concerned that it could be inside we called for an inspection. Jessy arrived as scheduled and conducted a complete inspection of our home. Based on a recording we made he determined we had a tree frog on our roof. I was pleased that we didn’t have any rodent in our house. And his inspection could a few spots I can tighten up around my house. I am very happy with the outcome.
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New Hampshire
We have a vacation home in
Western Mass and haven’t been there much during the pandemic as we live and work in Atlanta, GA. On our most recent visit we noticed that we had some rodent intrusion as well as some un-welcomed wildlife who decided to make our vacation home their home.
We contacted Critter Control and Mr. Cahoon was quick to set up an appointment as we wouldn’t be in town very long. He came out and assessed our issues. He informed us of our options to both eradicate and control future intrusions. Keeping in mind that wildlife is wildlife! He quickly got to work eradicating the rodents and wildlife from our home and addressing the intrusion issues. We feel much better leaving our vacation home for periods at a time knowing that Mr. Cahoon and Critter Control did their job and did it right! Thanks again!
We bought an old cabin last spring , it was used for years as a summer vacation cabin, therefore maintenance wasn’t a priority. After our project to remodel started, we found evidence of
mice droppings.
We immediately called Critter Control and they came and gave us a reasonable estimate to remove all remnants and insulation. They sanitized and replaced with new insulation and sealing up points of entry .
Seeing their professional work made us feel confident and secure that the problem was solved ! Everyone we worked with continued to show professional and respectful work. Highly recommend this company! We continue to use critter control monthly to be sure we are mice and bug free!
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