Are you hearing light scratching noises or quick scurrying in the walls or attic? Or have you seen evidence of a mouse in your home, such as mouse droppings or chewing marks in food packaging? Worried you have mice in the soffit? If so, you are probably brushing up your detective skills to find out where these pesky critters are in your home. There are a number of places that they like to hide, so it may be a bit of a mission to find them.
Soffit
If you are noticing that you may have some unexpected visitors in your home, you have several areas to investigate. Mice only require a tiny opening to gain access, therefore, you will need to pay close attention and look for chew marks, obvious openings or accumulations of feces.
A very common entry point for mice is through gaps or tears in the soffit of your home. However, if there is a significant opening, you can guarantee they are accessing your home through that area.
Gaps in the soffit may not be noticeable at first, but through closer inspection, you can see that a spot where the soffit doesn’t directly contact the brick or siding is the perfect opportunity for a mouse to find its way into your home. Once inside, the mouse may make its home in your soffit, or it may relocate to another area of your home. That’s how you end up with mice in the soffit. Do not attempt to climb a ladder or get on the roof unless you are trained to do so. Many times you will be able to spot evidence of mouse entries from the ground level.
Attic
Because of the secluded nature and trove of treasure that attics often provide, they are an excellent choice for a mouse seeking refuge in your home. If you hear quiet scratching or scurrying from your ceiling/attic, it is likely indicative of mice. They are typically nocturnal, which means that you will hear the noises at night when you are lying in bed and early in the morning when you wake up. Having said that, do not count out the possibility of hearing them during the day. Mouse populations usually number in the hundreds or more; therefore anytime the house is especially quiet, mouse activity possible. When dealing with that many critters, a few of them are bound to be active.
Walls
If you are hearing scratching or chewing noises from in your walls, there is a quick trick to tell if you have a mouse or a squirrel in the wall. By tapping near where the noise is coming from, you can solve the mystery. If it is a squirrel, you will hear quick running back and forth, as if the animal has gone into
If it is a mouse, tapping on the wall will cause it to freeze and stop what it is doing. This trick is helpful because knowing the type of critter you have is a handy clue to have when you take steps to get the animal removed.
Kitchen
If you have a rodent in your home, there is a 50 percent chance that they are somewhere in your kitchen or traveling back and forth to it. The obvious reason for that is the constant food source. In addition to eating your food, mice will chew and shred food packaging to make bedding for their new habitat in your home. Even if your food is all secured and the area is spotless, mice will still venture into the kitchen looking for a water source. The condensation, moisture and potential leaks and spills are enough for these pests to survive on.
What Now?
Hopefully, this guide has been helpful in determining if you have mice in the soffit. It is important to avoid touching any mouse droppings or bedding as they often carry diseases. If you have small children or pets, be sure to block off the area until you can have a professional deal with the infestation.
Mice removal is a complex process. It may be tempting to deal with the issue on your own following some do-it-yourself method online, but because of the health concerns with handling animals and the damage they may have done, the safest option is to call a humane wildlife removal service to handle the process.
Do you need wildlife removal services? Request a quote today!