RELATED: 7 Cleaning Habits That Attract Mice. “A mouse’s distinctive scent is musky ammonia, which smells like stale urine,” says pest management expert Jordan Foster. He adds that the smell can be especially noticeable in closed areas like pantries, cabinets, or drawers, as well as along baseboards and walls where they tend to congregate. “Odors help them mark space and establish a territory.” Megan Cavanaugh, one of the owners of Done Right Pest Solutions, describes the smell of mice as worse than a musty basement, explaining that since they don’t have bladder control, they urinate often, which leads to the smell. “If you smell urine, stale urine, or urine that is older and in an area that is not near a bathroom, you may have mice,” she says. RELATED: You’re Inviting Snakes to Your Home If You’re Storing This Right Outside. Cavanaugh says if you have mice for a while without noticing, you may begin to see grease marks along the floorboards or walls. “Mice don’t have great eyesight, so they typically travel along walls,” she explains. “Over time, their oils build up on your walls and baseboards.” But of course, there are even more obvious signs of a mouse problem. If you’re hearing noises, especially at night, such as scratching in the walls or on furniture, Cavanaugh says that could be a sign of a mice, and Foster explains that you’ll almost inevitably find teeth marks in objects around your home. “To wear down their continuously growing teeth, mice chew on hard materials, such as wood, plastic, cables, and electrical wiring,” he says, warning that because of their chewing, mice are a “serious fire hazard,” too. “They chew through shielding and wiring, leading to electrical shorts, equipment damage, and potential fires,” Foster says. If you notice any signs of mice in your home, you need to take steps to get rid of the rodents immediately. Cavanaugh suggests placing both snap traps and sticky taps along the walls or in the corner where two walls meet.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb She also advises using essential oils to deter the mice since they don’t like the smell of peppermint. If the problem is severe, of course, you should contact professional pest management. RELATED: For more up-to-date information, sign up for our daily newsletter. Whether you have mice and want to prevent more from entering your home or you want to deter the rodents before you have a problem, you need to start by identifying how they can get in. “As with any pest, getting rid of the infestation is only half the problem as you also need to find out where they’re getting in and make sure to carry out mouse-proofing measures, such as sealing any gaps around the exterior of the house that could be serving as entry points,” explains Darren Backhouse, partner at MJ Backhouse Pest Control. Cavanaugh advises starting with the laundry vent and then walking the perimeter of your home to check for any opening larger than a fourth of an inch in diameter—and don’t forget to check under decks and porches and around patios, she says. Then, of course, you need to seal these potential entry points. Cavanaugh says her team uses a copper-wire mesh to cover the openings, “but you can use a steel-wool or other metal mesh” or foam spray, she says. RELATED: 5 Things in Your Yard That Are Bringing Snakes to Your Home.
