Rodent Infestation Signs To Keep An Eye On

There’s a fear that keeps many homeowners up at night: a rodent infestation taking hold in their home. Rodent infestation health risks are serious and getting rid of pests yourself is not easy.

Rats and mice are sneaky critters and are famously fearful of humans, so they don’t always make their presence known. But some signs of rodent infestation include things that are simply impossible to ignore.

If you have a sneaking suspicion that your home has been infested with rodents, you might be right. Here is a rundown of the most common signs of a rodent infestation.

1. Droppings

Rats  tend to leave their waste or droppings everywhere they’ve been. This is both good news and bad news for homeowners working to identify a rodent infestation. The good news is that if you see rat or mouse droppings in your house, you can comfortably say you have one or more.. The bad news is where there is one, there may soon follow a rodent infestation.

Mouse droppings can be identified by their small, dark, cylindrical shape. They are not as dry and crumbly as bat droppings but are often confused as such. Look for droppings behind appliances, in food storage areas, and in other hard-to-reach places.

2. Scratching Sounds Behind the Wall

After your family has gone to sleep, listen around your house. If you have a dog or a cat, use them as a second set of ears. Is there anywhere in your home where you hear a consistent scratching noise behind walls or under floorboards? If so, it is likely a mouse (or mice) nesting.

3. Chewed Through Food Containers

Do you regularly find bags of bread or rice chewed through or spilled out onto a countertop or floor? There is clearly something small and hungry causing that damage. Consider where your food containers are placed. If you think they are hard to reach and they’re still getting damaged, you likely have nimble, hungry mice.

4. Dead Mice

A dead mouse on the floor or in one of your mouse traps speaks for itself. This is a dead giveaway that you have a mouse problem.

As stated above, rats and mice love to stay out of sight. So place traps around your house strategically. Consider placements in your basement, along floorboards, or in dark closets. 

5. Scattered Nesting Materials

Rats and mice love making nests out of soft, warm materials. Have you noticed torn newspaper bits or stuffing from your upholstered furniture scattered here and there on your floor? Does your carpeting look chewed on?

Consider all of the materials a mouse might like. If you feel like little borrowers are claiming them, it’s possible you have a rodent infestation.

Have Rodent Infestation Signs For Us To Look At?

There is nothing worse than a rodent infestation. And some signs of rodent infestation include hard-to-notice details. But Alpha Wildlife is here to help with our professional rodent infestation removal services. Learn more about our rodent removal services.