Mice may seem harmless, but can quickly become a nuisance if they find their way into your walls. These tiny rodents can cause damage by gnawing on electrical wiring, insulation, and building materials, leading to expensive repairs. If you suspect you have mice in your walls, act quickly. Place traps along the walls and in attic or crawl spaces. Once you’ve caught and removed the mice, it’s important to take preventative measures to make sure your home stays rodent-free.
In this guide, we’ll share signs of mice in your walls, how to get rid these rodents, and tips to seal gaps or holes that may serve as entry points. If you’ve tried these methods without success, we recommend calling a top pest control company that specializes in mice removal.
How Do I Know if There Are Mice in My Walls?
Mice typically stick to the dark, unoccupied parts of your home, including crawl spaces, air ducts, and wall cavities. Additionally, they usually stay hidden during daylight hours, so you may have a mouse infestation long before you ever actually spot one mouse. Here are some signs that you may have a mouse problem. Look for these signs anywhere food is stored, as well as along floorboards in basements, cellars, lofts, crawl spaces, and other out-of-the-way places.
- Droppings that look like small, dark seeds, about 1/4 inch long
- Feet and tail tracks on dusty floors
- Nests made of soft, shredded materials in rarely-used areas of your home such as under cabinets, behind appliances, and in basements
- Rustling or scratching sounds in the walls or under floorboards
- Small holes in food containers, old fabric, or cardboard boxes
- Unusual ammonia-like smells
Homeowners can sometimes mistake mice for squirrels in the attic. If you hear rustling during the day, you’re likely dealing with a squirrel. Mice are more active at night and create fainter sounds in comparison to squirrels given their smaller size.
How Can Mice Get in My Home?
Small cracks in a foundation, holes in siding, and gaps around windows and doors can all serve as entry points for rodents. Uncovered vents and ducts can do the same. Any opening greater than 1/4 inch is large enough for a mouse to squeeze through.
How Do I Get Rid of Mice in My Walls?
If you’ve determined you have a mouse problem, here’s how to get rid of mice in your walls.
Set Traps
Mouse traps are still the standard for catching rodent pests. If you opt for a lethal trap, choose snap traps that kill mice instantly instead of poison bait traps. You don’t want mice dying and decaying in your walls. Live-catch traps are also an option, but you must empty these traps frequently, and you run the risk of the mouse returning to your home if you don’t release it at least a mile away.
Bait snap or live-catch traps with peanut butter and set them along walls where you suspect mouse activity. If mice seem to keep evading traps left out in the open, you may have to drill a small hole in the drywall a few inches off the floor and place a trap right by the hole.
Seal Any Gaps
As you work on getting the mice out of your house, also ensure they can’t find their way back inside. Remember that mice can gnaw through sprayable foams and sealants, so look for filler made out of chew-resistant polyester or stainless steel fibers. Wire mesh is a good choice for large holes on the exterior of your home, and door sweeps will cover entranceway gaps by the floor.
Get Rid of Food Sources and Nesting Materials
The less incentive rodents have to stay in your home, the better. Mice will eat most human foods, so keep food sealed in plastic or glass containers and clean up crumbs and spills promptly. Use a garbage can with a tight-fitting lid, take trash with food scraps out regularly, and keep pet food sealed.
Mice are also attracted to material they can chew and use for their nests, so don’t leave cardboard, paper, fabric, string, or stuffing lying around. Put these things in sealable containers.
Mouse-Proof Your Yard
Once you’ve sealed your home, take a look around the outside. Outdoors, mice like to nest anywhere that can provide a good hiding place from predators, which can include woodpiles, garbage bags, compost heaps, or untrimmed shrubbery, so move these away from the perimeter of your house. Keeping a tidy lawn, in general, can help discourage mice from moving in.
How To Get Rid of Mice in Walls Naturally
There are also ways to keep mice away naturally. Try these natural home remedies.
- Peppermint: Peppermint has an overwhelming smell, and mice tend to stay away from it. You can add a few drops of peppermint oil to a cotton ball and leave it anywhere you see mouse droppings. Peppermint toothpaste or mouthwash will also work.
- Crushed peppers: Mice avoid anything that contains capsaicin, including cayenne pepper, jalapeños, and other chili peppers. Sprinkle some crushed peppers near possible entry points to your home to keep mice away.
- Cloves: Cloves are a natural irritant for mice. Place a few drops of clove oil on a cotton ball and place near possible entry points or nesting areas.
- Ammonia: Ammonia is found in the urine of several predators, including cats. Fill small dishes or caps with ammonia and leave them under the sink or in cabinets.
- Vinegar: Mice dislike the overpowering smell of white vinegar. Again, you can soak cotton balls with vinegar and leave them in areas where mice are likely to enter your home.
Conclusion
Mice infestations are not always easy root out, so you may eventually want to talk to a pest control professional. These companies will know how to extract the mice from your walls while doing the least amount of damage to your home. Professional exterminators can also help you prevent new infestations by finding and securing possible entry points. If you are evaluating pest control companies, we recommend getting quotes from Terminix and Orkin.
FAQs About Getting Rid of Mice in the Walls
What to do if you hear a mouse in the wall?
Mice living in your walls will eventually emerge in search of food—at this time, you can use mouse traps capture or kill them. Spring-loaded traps are readily available at hardware stores and online, which are likely the best option.
How long do mice stay in walls?
Mice can live in your walls for years, reproducing to create a true infestation. If you hear mice in your walls, take steps to remove them before this occurs.
Will mice eventually leave?
No, it is unlikely that mice will ever leave on their own. If you have mice living in your walls, you will either have to tackle the problem with mouse traps or call in a professional extermination service.
Can mice climb walls?
Both mice and rats are good climbers. They can ascend straight up a vertical surface if the texture is rough enough, and have even been known to jump up to 18 inches.