Signs of mice infestation

Although not as popular as rats in Sri Lanka, your home or business premises could provide an ideal location for mice infestation. Once inside your property, mice prefer to keep hidden during the day.

Identifying a potential infestation through signs of activity is often a lot easier than trying to spot an actual mouse, hence getting professional treatment at the earliest sign can greatly help to reduce the length of time needed to effectively control an infestation.

What are signs of mice infestation?

Finding typical signs of mice, such as droppings, could indicate an active infestation in your home or business premises.

• Mouse droppings - 50-80 droppings a night, small and dark (approx. 3 - 8 mm in length), scattered randomly. Look for droppings particularly along walls, in cupboards or under sinks.
• Grease marks (smudges or smears) - Mice use established routes along skirting boards and walls and grease and dirt on their bodies leave smudges and dark marks on the surfaces they repeatedly brush against. You may find dark smears around holes or around corners.
• Urine pillars - In established or heavy infestations, body grease, combined with dirt and urine, build up into small mounds up to 4cm high and 1cm wide.
• Scratching noises - People often report hearing unusual scratching noises at night when mice are most active. Listen for noises between partition walls, under floorboards, ceilings and basements.
• Mouse nests - Mice use easy to shred materials, such as newspaper and fabrics, together with other soft materials to line their nest. Check suspended ceilings, cavity walls, under floorboards, under stoves and in airing cupboards. Nests will often contain young mice.
• Mouse tracks (footprints) - Dusty environments such as unused basements can show mice tracks and tail marks. To check for activity, sprinkle flour or talcum powder and check the next day for fresh tracks.
• Live or dead mice - Spotting a dead mouse during the daytime can be an indication of a heavy infestation.
• Strong odour - Mice urinate frequently and their urine has a strong ammonia-like smell. The stench may be very strong near the main site of activity or in enclosed spaces and may linger for a long time (even after an infestation has been removed).