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.
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Brandon was out to please and make out lives easier with out bat situation. Above and beyond of the call of duty and got the job done. Thank you!
BAT POOP CLEAN-UP AND PREVENTION! Bat guano removed from gables. No bats found in attic, so put new screens on all gable vents, as one screen was close to breaking and then bats may have gotten in! Great work in
Tulsa!
Squirrels and chipmunks were in our attic. So we called Critter Control to do an inspection. Their representative climbed all over our very steep roof and found several places where squirrels had entered our attic.
Upon inspection of the attic, evidence of bats was also found. The Critter Control team came on time to completely caulk the entire perimeter of the house and create an exit strategy for the squirrels and bats.
Because
bat droppings can cause histoplasmosis, this also required total removal and replacement of our attic insulation and sanitizing the space. Not a small job in a 1,300 sq. ft. attic! While Critter Control’s cost was high, our homeowners insurance covered most of it. Everyone representing Critter Control was professional, courteous and timely. I would highly recommend them to anyone who thinks they might have unwelcome guests living in their attic
On recommendations from a nearby pest control company, I called Critter Control for suspicious
bat droppings.
Madison came out the same day to do an inspection. She was knowledgeable, thorough, and highly professional. She examined the ‘matter’ that had been scattered on my threshold and thought it was foliage. But she then asked to go up to my attic space where the bats could be roosting. She had to walk up 3 flights of stairs with a heavy ladder. She again spent some time searching all the nooks and crannies and found nothing.
She seemed so interested in her craft, it was truly inspiring to see! She reassured me and is writing up a prevention strategy for my appraisal. She charged me NOTHING!! I am so impressed. We need more Madisons in this world!
Service:
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We noticed droppings on our brand new deck - we were given their number from our contractor. They came the next day. Brian looked at it and said - yeah, bats!! He then checked every area in our attic and he explained exactly what needed to be done.
He found evidence of a mice infestation, provided a referral and they are helping us as well. Great service, very informative, very professional! We are very satisfied and would recommend them to anyone who has any issues with any critters!
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