Scratching in the walls at night? How to tell if it's mice
The house is quiet, and you hear a faint scratch or a quick patter inside the wall. Then it stops, and starts again. Here is how to work out what it is.
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What mice in the walls sound like
- Light scratching or scrabbling in short bursts.
- Quick pattering along the top of a wall or across a ceiling.
- Gnawing: a steady, gritty scraping that can last a minute or more.
- Faint squeaks, especially near a nest.
- Mice are most active from dusk to early morning, and most often in walls near kitchens, basements and lower floors.
What else it could be
- Heavier thumps, running and louder gnawing can mean rats.
- Loud thumping or rolling in the attic, often at dawn or dusk, usually means squirrels or raccoons. That is a job for a wildlife removal company.
- Ticking, popping or creaking when the heat comes on is usually ducts and wood expanding.
- Dripping or trickling points to a plumbing leak.
How to confirm it is mice
- Droppings: small, dark and rice-sized, under sinks, behind appliances and along basement walls on the same side of the house as the noise.
- Chewed food packaging in the pantry.
- Faint dark grease marks along baseboards or around small holes.
- A musty smell, stronger in closed cupboards.
- Small holes in drywall, behind appliances or where pipes go through walls.
What not to do
- Do not seal the holes yet. Sealing traps mice in the walls, where they chew new holes or die and leave a smell that can last for weeks.
- Do not put out poison yourself, especially with children or pets at home.
- Do not cut into the wall to look. You will rarely find the mouse.
- Do not sweep or vacuum droppings dry. Wear gloves, wet them with disinfectant first, then wipe them up.
What to do next
- Move pantry food, pet food and birdseed into hard sealed containers, and clean up crumbs behind appliances.
- Note where and when you hear the noise. It helps the technician find the route mice are using.
- Get the mice dealt with first, then find and seal the entry points from outside with metal or copper mesh and sealant, not foam alone.
Book online
Pick a day and time window on our booking page and we will email you to confirm. We start the inspection where you have been hearing the noise, place locked bait stations in the right spots (no snap or glue traps), and show you the entry points we find. Mouse and rat control carries a six-month guarantee: if mice come back, we re-treat for free.
Book online See mouse & rat control ($299 + HST)
Keep reading
General information for homeowners. Every home is different; your technician will confirm what applies to yours.
Let's make them gone.