Get Rid of Mice in the Attic {and Keep them Out}
Photo by Sebastian Herrmann on Unsplash
Mice are pesky rodents. They will find a place inside your home and take over, or they’ll try to at least. All they need from you is to let down your guard for a bit, and they will infiltrate. Mice are always looking for food and shelter, and what better place to find both these things than a house with human protection from predators and a free buffet? Mice in the attic can be troublesome since this isn’t going to be the easiest place to notice them and it can be harder to get mice out of your attic.
Once there are mice in your attic spaces, they will slowly spread out to other parts of the house. It is important for you to detect their presence and take action in order to keep them from growing in numbers inside the attic and the rest of your house. Since an attic is at the top of a house it is warmer than other rooms and is often peaceful. Mice tend to nest in places where they find a combination of both the above-mentioned things. But before we go into the details of how to get rid of mice from your attic, let us discuss how they get there in the first place?
How do Mice Get in The Attic Space?
Even if you don’t have any large entrances that you can see easily, mice can find a way in through some sneakier means. Rodents like mice have an ability to pass through small spaces. They can do this because of this small size and bone structure. Don’t underestimate how small a hole a determined mouse can get through.
Most Common Ways Mice Enter Attics
- Holes: If there is any uncovered space in your house, you are asking for mouse trouble. As mentioned before, mice can pass through small holes and tend to settle in spaces that are least occupied
- Drainage pipes: all the drainage connections are not perfect. Mice are adaptive when it comes to water and use these drainage pipes at times to find a way in.
- Climbers: Similarly, mice are good climbers. They always want to progress upwards. They are found to at times make their own way upwards by chewing a hole in thin walls
- Roof-line gaps: Since the roof is made of wood, it tends to decay over a longer course of time. This decay results in something called timber sinking, which creates holes in the attic for mice to get in.
It is always important to keep an eye out for possible entry points for mice. By doing this you will be able to continuously repair such spaces and never have mice problem again.
Signs of Mice in Your Attic
Mice always let us know about their presence by leaving certain signs. These signs are often so clear that one needs no professional help in order to identify their presence. Here are some hints towards finding out whether mice are present in your attic space or no:
Putrid Smell
If you smell a very pungent odor, there might be a chance that a dead mouse is around. Presence of one mouse points towards the probable presence of others in your home.
Droppings
Mice droppings are considered to be one of the most prominent signs when it comes to mice detection. Mouse poop is generally dark brown to black and the size and shape of rice. White droppings in attics usually mean squirrels instead.
Noise
If you hear strange noises coming from your attic, associate them with mice, not ghosts. Mice are nocturnal animals and are active during the night. That is why their presence is detected through the noise at night
Chew marks and footprints
Although detecting mice through footprints can be tough, but chew marks are almost everywhere. Mice in the attic space will chew onto whatever that can be chewed, leaving behind debris and chew marks.
Detecting their presence is very easy. Making sure they are in a specific space is also important because you have to place traps for them in the future.
Best Traps for Mice in The Attic Space
Mice are a nuisance and they need to be dealt with in a humane manner. You can either get professional help (let them take care of your problem) or go in it yourself. All you need to do is to carefully place the right traps in strategic positions with the best mouse trap baits and your mice problem will be gone. Here are some of the best traps you can use in the attic space:
Live-Catch Traps
These traps are the most humane ones. You can place bait (like peanut butter) and wait for it to catch one for you. Since attic space can be limited, a live-catch trap allows you to deal with a live mouse in a safe manner. The mouse will not be injured or won’t die off somewhere else; rather it will be caught alive and dealt with accordingly.
Zap Traps
These are electrical mouse traps and give the mice a strong shock one they are caught. For mice in the attic space, this trap can work fine as it is safe and poses no harm to humans or pets. Just make sure you check on the trap often. If you catch a mouse in this, they will start to smell horrible pretty quickly.
Sticky Glue Mouse Traps
These are the easiest traps that you can set for mice in your attic. They are extremely cheap so you can load up on them and place them in more locations around your attic and parts of your house they are venturing out to.
Click here for more information about kinds of mouse traps
Disposing of Dead Mice in The Attic Space
Having a dead mouse in your attic is really bothersome as it emits a fetid smell. You can get rid of the dead mice from your attic space by:
- Thoroughly clean the attic space
- Wear gloves and a mask when you clean the place
- Get help if the odor is unbearable to you
Dealing with mice in the attic space can get tricky if it has no room for a human to stand. In this case, you will need professional assistance. Nevertheless, you are to make sure these creatures are not harmed and dealt with in a very humane manner. Moreover, you will have to be extremely careful while placing traps (especially if you have kids around). Also, make sure you dispose of them by making sure of your protection.
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