Did you just see a mouse scurry across the kitchen floor in your Florida home?
If so, there’s a very good chance that there are more mice where that one came from. In fact, if you’re seeing a mouse, you probably have a full-fledged mice infestation, and it could get significantly worse in a hurry since rodents like mice and rats are known to reproduce quickly.
You don’t necessarily have to see mice to know they’re in your home, though. There are certain warning signs that will let you know about your mice problem long before you spot a single mouse scurrying anywhere in your house. They’ll let you know it’s time to have mice control done right away.
Take a look at 6 common infestation signs every Floridian should know below.
Droppings Spread out in Different Areas of Your Home
If you have a mice infestation in your home, it’s going to be almost impossible for you to miss the mouse droppings they’ll leave behind. You’ll likely find droppings in your cupboards, near the walls of your home, and in other places where mice run around while searching for food.
Over the course of just six months, a single pair of mice can create up to 18,000 droppings in a home. You can only imagine what kind of damage a larger population of mice might be able to do.
Don’t ignore droppings that you see. Even if there are only a few of them at a time, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Those droppings could start to multiply in a matter of just weeks once more and more mice begin to show up on the scene.
Gnawed Marks on Drywall, Wooden Beams, Electrical Wires, and More
Mice have to actively work to keep their teeth short. They usually do it by gnawing on any harder surfaces that they can find within a Florida home.
More often than not, mice will shorten their teeth by gnawing on things like drywall and wooden beams. But they’ll also do it by chewing on electrical wires and whatever else they can find within your home.
Additionally, mice will also chew through different things when trying to tunnel through a home to find food. You might see holes in your walls or floors from when mice chewed through them to make their way to a food or water source.
Nests Behind Walls and in Other Parts of Your Home Hidden from Plain Sight
Once mice realize that they can get all the food and water they’ll need in your home, they won’t want to go anywhere. Instead, they’ll want to build themselves a nest and set up shop in your home for the foreseeable future.
Mice will travel throughout your home picking up whatever debris they can find to build themselves nests. They’ll then put the nests together behind the walls of your home or in other parts of your home that will prevent predators from finding them.
You’ll usually know a mouse nest when you see one. But it’ll likely be some combination of everything from paper towels and twigs to grass and even fabric. It’s one of the most obvious signs that your mice infestation has officially spiraled out of control.
Holes in Food Packaging, Plastic Containers, and Other Things in Your Cupboards
Did you just notice a big hole in a box of crackers that have been in your cupboard for a little while now? Or did you just see that a plastic container filled with cereal has gnawed marks in it?
These two things are likely the work of a mouse or, better yet, many mice. Mice tend to congregate in Florida homes for one reason and one reason only: To eat! So if you have them in your home, you’ll spot signs of them in your cupboards.
Generally speaking, it’s a good idea to use heavy-duty plastic containers to store food. They will, at the very least, slow mice down from invading your food supply.
But mice are stubborn creatures that will continue to come back to food for as long as it takes to get to it. The only surefire way to stop them is to call a mice control company for help.
Debris from Food Scattered Throughout Your Kitchen
Mice might seem like methodical creatures that do their best to cover their tracks so you can’t detect them. But when it comes to food, they really know how to make a mess.
After mice are done eating in your cupboards, it’ll be pretty easy for you to tell they were there. They’ll leave piles of crumbs all over the place and a trail behind them.
Noises Above Ceilings and Behind Walls Throughout the Night
Mice and other rodents like rats do a lot of moving around at night. They’re most active once the sun goes down.
If you’re ever lying in bed and hear weird sounds coming from behind your walls or above your ceiling, you’re not just imagining things. You’re likely hearing mice running around and wreaking havoc throughout your home.
It’s not always easy to hear mice when there are only a few of them in your walls or attic space. But as the mice population in your home grows, it’ll only be a matter of time before you have a big problem that needs to be handled by a professional.
Make Sure You Take Care of a Mice Infestation ASAP
A mice infestation is not something you should take lightly.
Mice can pass deadly diseases like Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome on to people and pets. They can also do structural damage to your home if they aren’t removed from it. And as we mentioned already, they reproduce quickly and can take over a home in a matter of just months.
If you suspect you might have mice in your Florida home, act quickly. Contact us to find out more about your mice control options or read our blog to see how you can prevent rodents from inconveniencing you and your family.
