What is that sound coming from your walls?

Are your family members complaining of scratching and gnawing noises in the ceiling and walls? If this is the case you may be sheltering some uninvited guests….  mice. They use walls as hiding places or even as homes depending on the safety of the area. They make the scratching sounds at night when searching for food and building a safe shelter.

With time, these rodents find their way into the different rooms of your home and can cause unthinkable damage.  Mice have been known to damage insulation, or gnaw electrical wires causing power disruptions. Rats can also transmit diseases to human beings either directly or indirectly through their feces and urine. Getting rid of mice in your walls is crucial before they find their way into your kitchen or bedrooms.

This is not going to be an easy task, you need to know how the mice entered into the walls in the first place. This includes inspecting all areas inside and outside of the home, remember mice can fit through minuscule holes and climb almost any wall. Small holes and gnawed foods near the holes indicate their presence. Also, droppings and nests made of tattered pieces of cloth can also help confirm their presence.

There are some ideas that you can try to prevent mice from getting into your home.

• Use of peppermint

It may seem strange but mice actually do not like the smell of mint. A good and simple option is to plant mint around the perimeter of your home which will deter mice from crossing into your home. Even the use of a diffuser with a peppermint oil has proven to work in keeping not only mice but spiders, and other insects at bay.

• Use of traps and poisons

Traps and poisons are commonly used in many households and to some, they do work. However, these are not the best options available for getting rid of mice in walls as they have many disadvantages. Use of poisons and traps can be dangerous to human beings and pets in the home if placed in the wrong places. For instance, you might find your pet on a trap you had laid for rats and not everyone enjoys removing ead mice in their house.

• Use of cats

These two animals are not the best of friends especially if your cat hunts for its food. Mice view the presence of cats in the house as a threat to their lives and it is even said that just the smell of a cat is something a mice cannot withstand.

• Sealing up holes

Sealing holes is the most efficient method of preventing a mice infestation. Once you are sure all the mice are removed cover the crevices and cracks on the walls with steel and concrete if need be to ensure that they don't re- enter. Although this may seem like a simple job it may be worthwhile to contact an animal control specialist.  Skedaddle Humane Wildlife Control in Hamilton is just one of the locations that is ready to help you with any animal control issues you may have. Their wildlife control technicians will ensure that only the most effective yet humane methods are used to remove the mice.

Getting rid of mice in your walls and other areas in your house will not be a problem to them as they have well-trained specialists who can handle this issue very quickly, clean the area thoroughly and make sure that you will never have to deal with an infestation again.