5 Signs You Have a Rodent Problem

If you’ve noticed some weird changes around your property, chances are rodents have been carving a space in your home for a significant period of time. The damage these animals cause can be expensive to fix.

Knowing the evidence ahead of time will leave you better prepared to handle future rodent situations. The five signs below are strong indicators that you might have a rodent problem.

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1. Droppings

Animal droppings are a key indication that rodents are present. Seeing animal feces isn’t only annoying, it’s a health issue, and its presence could result in a variety of unfriendly diseases. Use gloves and other products to ensure proper hygiene and cleanliness when handling dropping removal.

Check your drawers, cupboards, and any cardboard boxes lying around the house. Droppings are usually found near nesting and breeding locations, as well as around items the animals chewed on while nesting. Do a thorough inspection of the space where you found feces to verify if the droppings are new or old, and get help from a wildlife service if necessary. Fresher droppings mean these animals are new to the area. Keep this in mind upon sightings.

2. Odour

Funky smells coming from different pockets of the house could mean rodents are around. Acknowledging what the smells are could say something about the animal. Among other mice problems, these critters emit a musky odour and their urine leaves a strong scent behind, so their smell could mean they’re around.

Watch how your pets react. They may act a bit strange and gear up upon detecting rodent smell. When animals get stuck, whether they fall into a wall or eventually just didn’t make it out of the home, it’s going to smell. If the animals are dead, you may start smelling decay, particularly if they’re stuck in an attic or rafters. If you smell a new odour coming from a part of the house, it could indicate a rodent problem, which you’ll want to deal with quickly.

3. Noises

If you’ve been hearing strange sounds at night, such as tapping in the walls or scurrying feet across the ceiling, odds are it’s a rodent. Raccoons, for example, are loud and take heavy steps, thrashing around as they move. Mice and squirrels are tiny, creating more of a pitter-patter noise as they move throughout the home.

Squealing noises are common, and they are another sound you may hear in addition to footsteps. As many rodents are nocturnal creatures, they make all their noise at night, so you’re bound to hear rodents scratching in the dark, either building a nest or searching for food. Scuffling, scratching, and other vocal utterances combined with anything outside of the normal home creaks indicate an animal presence.

4. Marks

Scratches and gnawing marks could appear on outdoor furniture and across deck railings. Check electrical cables to ensure they haven’t been chewed through. Other interior damage could include chewed wires, wood chips (if they’re in attic structures), and wall boards. While raccoons leave tears in vents or roofing tiles, mice can slip through tiny openings, giving themselves free reign.

Seeing gnaw marks on destroyed furniture and household materials isn’t fun, and the larger the mark, the larger the rodent. Rodents gnaw to strengthen their teeth and stay trim, so while this is great for them, it’s not great for you. While marks could indicate rodents are merely close by instead of inside the home, it’s still a rodent problem.

5. Sightings

Nothing livens up a quiet evening like seeing an unwelcome houseguest dart across the kitchen floor. While it seems obvious, not everybody realizes that spotting a rodent in their home probably means they have a rodent problem. Most rodents are nocturnal animals that prefer to stay out of sight. Spotting a rodent this way is a good indication that you have extra guests in your home.

Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!