Mice like to take refuge in homes because they are warm and safe places where they can find all the food they need. However, their presence can affect the building in the long term and lead to contamination problems. Even if they remain invisible, the mice in the walls leave behind traces: droppings, smells, noises… So here’s how to get rid of mice in walls.
Where are mice in the house?
Mice will tend to live in walls, the attic or suspended ceilings. These are places that contain a lot of insulating materials where mice go to make their nests. Crawl spaces, which are often very humid, are also preferred places for mice.
How to detect the presence of mice in your house?
Mice in walls are not just a noise nuisance: they represent a real health risk. Mice will chew on books, cardboard, plastic and wood. Sometimes, they will even chew away at building materials and electrical cables, which can lead to the presence of short circuits. You may also have heard noises during the night, as mice were climbing up the walls.
The presence of feces can also signal the presence of a mouse family. These look like small dark grains of rice. The newer ones are shinier and black, while the older ones are dried and faded.
Even if you only see one mouse, it is rarely alone. For this reason, it is important to inspect the places where mice can be heard scratching along the walls.
Understanding the origin of the problem for effective control of mice
Before thinking about exterminating mice in walls, it is essential to identify the causes of their presence. These rodents are primarily looking for shelter and accessible food sources.
The walls of your home provide a safe and warm environment for them, close to poorly closed pantries or food waste. Poorly insulated partitions or cracks around baseboards allow them to circulate discreetly, mainly at night. Glass wool, often used as insulation, quickly becomes a suitable material for building their nests.
To avoid a mouse infestation in the walls, it is recommended to regularly inspect all cracks, entry points and dark areas of the building. If you notice scratching noises behind the plasterboard, droppings on the floor or traces of grease along the walls, there is a good chance that mice have taken up residence in your home.
Another common sign is the lingering smell due to the mice’s urine or, worse, mouse corpses stuck in the partition. These elements not only affect quality of life, but can also cause structural damage.
How do you get rid of mice in walls?
There are a few ways to get rid of mice in walls. Poison and traps are short-term solutions. To fix the problem in the long run, you need to plug the inputs and outputs used by mice.
Short-term solutions
Poison
To fix the problem in the short term, you can apply poison to the places where you hear the mice. However, the effect is not immediate and the mice have time to retreat into a wall before dying. Their corpses can lead to bad smells. It is therefore necessary to make sure that the place is cleaned quickly.
The traps
Mouse traps can also be effective in solving the problem in the short term. However, these must be located in areas frequented by mice and be inaccessible to children and animals. The bait should be positioned at right angles to the wall and the bait end should be closest to the wall.
Start by letting the rodents get used to the traps without triggering them. This way, they will no longer hesitate to grab the bait. Also, choose baits that have a strong smell, such as peanut butter, for example.
In most cases, spring-loaded traps can be very effective in catching mice on the spot. However, if the number of rodents is high or the mice in the walls rarely come out of hiding, it may be necessary to consider more advanced solutions.
For example, a professional exterminator will be able to identify the most affected walls or ducts, and intervene with targeted products while permanently filling the access points with special mouse putty.
To permanently seal walls after disposal, also check out our recommendations on mouse insulation : pipe joints, wiring holes and soffits each require a different approach.
Long-term solutions
Blocking the entrances and exits of mice
To get rid of mice in walls in the long term, one should go outside to see where the entrances and exits are located. Mice can squeeze through holes that are the size of a 10-cent coin.
You must therefore seal cracks in the foundation, install weatherstripping under the doors and caulk the windows. Fill the holes with steel wool before caulking. Also block the vent inlet and attic vents.
Maintaining your kitchen
Mice are looking for food. So avoid leaving them in the kitchen overnight. Also, make sure to keep the place as dry as possible at all times.
Ultrasound devices
Ultrasound devices emit waves that are undetectable to humans while scaring away mice. However, they can get used to it in the long term. It is therefore recommended to combine the use of ultrasound devices with other methods of control.
Here are also some other tips on how to get rid of mice in the house.
For cases where mice come back year after year, a simple treatment is no longer enough. Our comprehensive rodent extermination program includes trapping, PMRA-registered bait, access point closure, and multi-pass tracking.
Calling in professionals: the sustainable solution against mice in walls
When looking to eliminate mice in walls in a sustainable way, it is essential to act at the source of the problem. Even the most effective methods, such as well-positioned baits or sticky traps, are not always enough to completely stop an infestation. Mice can bypass certain devices or develop avoidance behaviors. Additionally, if the walls of your home are poorly insulated or entry points persist, new infestations can occur quickly.
Pest control technicians like those at Nova Extermination have the equipment and know-how to detect the signs of an active infestation, even when no noise is noticeable.
To get rid of your mice, trust Nova Extermination!
Getting rid of mice in walls is a complex operation. It is therefore strongly recommended to call on a professional.
Since its creation, Nova Extermination has specialized in capture and extermination on the south shore, their team of mouse exterminators will help you. We also offer caulking services to get rid of the problem in the long run.
If you need an expert to get rid of your mice in walls, talk to us now. We will be happy to answer any questions you may have.
Areas Served
Our teams work in walls and cavities throughout Greater Montreal. We are exterminators in Montreal, Boucherville, Longueuil and throughout the South Shore, with interventions often carried out during the day thanks to our mobile fleet.
