How To Get Rid Of Mice In Your Attic
Having mice anywhere in your house is a nuisance, and the attic is one of their favorite places to inhabit.
A mouse infestation, even one isolated in your attic must be dealt with immediately. If the mice find their way to the rest of the house, they are capable of contaminating human food sources. Even if the mice remain in the attic their fecal matter can get into ventilation systems and possibly spread diseases.
Why Mice Love Attics
Mice love living in attics for the same basic reasons that a human would want to live anywhere; food and shelter!
There are probably no natural predators to the mouse in your attic (or you may have an ever worse infestation problem!) so it is one of the safest places a mouse could possibly dwell.
In addition, there is typically an adequate supply of food.
“What do mice in attics eat?” you may be asking yourself. After all, it’s not like you are up in your attic dropping crumbs of food for them to find. As it turns out, there is often plenty of mouse food in many attics! Such food may include seemingly inedible substances such as cardboard, paper, wire casings, and even your insulation.
Signs Of Mice In The Attic – How To Tell
There are a few telltale signs that you have mice in your attic.
The most obvious is if you actually see a mouse up there, but that’s rather obvious!
The next most telling signs are droppings and nests, both pictured to the right. It’s important to note that unless you are seeing nests or feces that were not there until recently, there’s no telling if the mouse who left them is still there or not.
Yet another sign of an active infestation is if you hear scratching or scampering noises in the walls or ceiling. Since mice are nocturnal, you will most likely hear the sounds at night.
You should be aware that a scratching noise in the ceiling is not necessarily a mouse, but could also be a rat, squirrel, possum, raccoon, or one of several other small pests.
Are The Mice In The Rest Of The House?
As mentioned above, the real danger of an attic infestation is that the mice may spread to the rest of the house.
Some attics are rather isolated from the livable portion of the house while others have easy access. It’s important to realize that just because there is no evidence of mice in your house does not mean that you don’t have any living in your attic.
Seasonal Mouse Infestations – Summer vs. Winter
Mice are warm-blooded mammals which are most accustomed to living in temperate climates. This means that winter mouse infestations are more common because the rodents are seeking the warmth they need to survive.
This is why it is important, especially if you have had rodent infestations before, to do a routine check of your attic during the autumn months to make sure entry points are sealed off and you won’t have any problems during the winter.
Methods For Getting Rid Of Mice In The Attic
Getting mice out of your attic is really no different than dealing with an infestation in any other location. It mostly comes down to removing both access and food sources.
Seal Off Entry Points
The first line of defense is to prevent mice from getting in in the first place, or at least stopping any more from getting in.
You must check your entire house, from the ground up, for any opening that a mouse could fit through. Possible entry points include (and are definitely not limited to) vents, gaps in your eaves, gaps in the siding, and holes in rotted wood.
Mice can fit through surprisingly small holes, often an opening as small as a dime.
When you find a hole, you’ll need to fill it with something that the mice won’t chew through such as wood or metal (highly prefered!).
Remove Food Sources And Nests
Any mouse nests that you find should be eliminated, along with anything that the mice seem to be chewing on or eating. If a mouse has no food available, it will have no reason to occupy your attic.
Trap, Poison, or Deter Any Remaining Mice
The final step is to use some method extermination to get rid of any mice currently in your attic. If you skip the first two steps and only do this, then you will have to keep repeating this as new mice find their way in.
A common (and non-lethal) method of repelling mice is mothballs. There are mixed opinions on this, as some experts claim that it simply doesn’t work. However, countless homeowners claim to have gotten rid of mice simply by sprinkling several boxes of mothballs around their attic.
Non Toxic Spray
This non-toxic spray kills larvae, eggs, and adult insects by breaking down their exoskeleton. It is safe to spray around the home and works only on the insects. Feel good about spraying indoors around pets, plants and children.
All Natural Non Toxic Insect Killer Spray by Killer Green