How did mice get in your walls? And how do you get them out? By recognizing the signs of mice in your home, implementing a pest control plan and sealing against future infestation, you can keep mice out of your walls – hopefully before they cause damage or die trapped within.
Eliminating a mouse infestation is tricky business. Mice are smart and cautious. Even if you poison them, you may end up with dead mice inside your walls. What happens if mice die in your walls? They stink up the place, cause health hazards… and could attract more mice. We’ll tell you how to tell if mice die in your walls, how to deal with mice in walls , and how to keep these disaster scenarios from happening again. We’re always on call to give you the best mouse extermination advice and service in Michigan.
How Do Mice Get in Walls?
Not only are mice small, but they’re also cunning. They can fit through the narrowest of crawl spaces and can squeeze through small holes the size of a dime or a ¼” crack. They find entry points all around your home and inside your walls via:
- Utility pipe and wire entries
- Uncovered vents and air ducts
- Siding gaps
- Foundation cracks
- Chimneys
- Door and window frames
- Torn screens
Don’t underestimate a determined mouse. They can jump, climb, and burrow into just about any place they set their mind to, including your walls. Mice are nocturnal and leave their nests to search for food under cover of night. You may not hear them, but you could hear squeaks and scratching within your walls during the day.
How to Tell if Mice Die in Your Walls
Yea, we know this is a morbid thought but unfortunately it’s all too common in our profession. An unmistakable rancid stench is a sure sign you’ve got a dead mouse somewhere. Mice dying in your walls are a serious cause for concern. Not only does a decomposing mouse smell bad for a week or two, but it also invites fleas and bacteria.
Other signs you might have mice, dead or alive, in your home include:
- Small seed-like mouse droppings
- Musky odors
- Urine marks on the floor or carpet
- Changes in your pet’s activity or attention
- Footprints
- Flies or other insects concentrated in a certain area
If you’ve used poison to remedy your mouse problems, it may mean they’re dying in hard-to-reach places where you can’t remove their carcass. Try using snap traps or other types of mouse traps to capture mice for easier disposal.
What Happens if Mice Die in Your Walls?
If you have dead mice in your walls, they typically dry up in 10 days to 2 weeks. At that point, their odor dissipates. Without drilling holes in your walls, it’s difficult to extricate the offending bodies and remove the source of the smell. In the meantime, a room deodorizer can help.
A dead mouse is usually a wake-up call to execute a serious pest control plan. Mice typically nest and breed quickly, so you’ll want to prevent the problem from recurring. Infestations of mice are no fun, especially mice in walls.
How a Pest Control Expert Can Help
A certified pest control expert is your best ally when facing a mouse problem. They can assess your home, target where mice are getting in, and figure out where they’re going. Then, they’ll set a plan in motion that includes traps, sealing your home off, and eliminating the food sources that keep mice around.
You can help get rid of mice by maintaining an unwelcoming environment for them:
- Keep your home clean.
- Cover and empty trash frequently.
- Seal food in chew safe containers.
- Don’t leave dirty dishes out.
Once the mice are out, we can mouse proof your home to prevent them from coming back. This is where our experience benefits you. We’ve studied mouse behavior and we know where they get in. We won’t leave any stone unturned or mouse hole unplugged.
The Griffin Edge Against Michigan Mice
We’ve been Michigan’s go-to pest solutions team since 1929. Since then, we’ve helped a lot of families get a lot of mice out of their walls. We are Green Pro Certified and we want pest control services to be a non-invasive experience for your family. Call or contact us today to make sure your home’s walls don’t become a house mouse haven.
