It’s common knowledge that mice can get into your home, but can they get under your house? The short answer is “yes” if you have a crawl space. This article discusses the damage mice can cause to your crawl space and how to help get rid of mice in (or under) your Chicago home.
What Kinds of Mice Infest Chicago Homes?
There are several species of mice found in the United States, but the house mouse is perhaps the most common intruder (no surprise there). During the fall, these rodents typically make their way into homes in search of food. As the weather cools, the seeds, and plants on which they feed become scarce.
These mice are gray in color and rarely grow longer than two inches. They’re expert climbers who can squeeze through cracks and holes the size of a dime. All of this suggests that they may be able to enter your home more easily than you thought. They can crawl under garage doors, around cables, and through gable vents.
Mice Invade Crawl Spaces for What Reason?
Crawl spaces are open areas built beneath houses that do not have basements, and they are commonly found in older traditional homes, prefab homes, and modular homes. Crawl spaces, while providing easy access to structural elements of the home, can attract pests if not properly maintained. Rodents and insects such as termites and cockroaches can enter crawl spaces through small openings. Furthermore, moisture can accumulate in crawl spaces, resulting in damp conditions and mold, both of which can attract pests.
Mice in your crawl space can cause damage to your home by chewing on insulation, gnawing on wires, and destroying air ducts. They may even use your wiring, plumbing, and ductwork as entry points into other parts of your home.
How to Recognize a Mouse Infestation
Are you concerned about mice living beneath your house? If you decide to go into your crawl space, keep the following signs in mind:
- Mouse urine or droppings Nests made of paper or insulation
- faulty insulation or wiring
- Bite marks on ducts, insulation, or wiring
- Unfortunately, a crawl space isn’t the only place in your home where you might come across mice. These rodents can live in your garage or even your walls. You may have some extra company if you hear scratching, squeaking, or scurrying noises at night (mice are nocturnal).
How to Aid in the Prevention of Mouse Infestations
Mouse infestations can be difficult to control, and mice reproduce quickly, so there may be more than you think in your home. Mice can also carry pathogens that can cause disease, so finding them in your home can be dangerous. You can aid in the prevention of an infestation by doing the following:
- Seal any cracks or holes larger than a quarter inch on the outside of your home – wire mesh or quick-drying cement are often the most effective fixes (though they are not appropriate in all situations).
- Trim ivy and branches – these can allow mice easy access to your home.
- Trash cans should be tightly sealed.
- Food should be stored in airtight containers.
- Remove wood piles, leaves, rubble, and firewood from the area around your foundation or crawl space access point.
- Because mice can be difficult to locate and DIY methods can be costly and ineffective, professional help is often the best way to deal with an infestation.
In the winter, where do mice go?
After a long, hot summer, most people look forward to the cool breezes and temperature drops of fall and even winter. However, with these new lows comes the possibility of some unwanted houseguests. Because mice may seek shelter in your warm and cozy home when the weather turns cold.
Here are some of the most common places mice like to hide in a house, as well as some tips for keeping them at bay.
In a House, Where Do Mice Hide?
When mice enter your home, they are looking for easily accessible shelter that is close to a source of air flow and a food supply. Mice are particularly drawn to the following nooks and crannies:
- Attics
- Walls
- Crawl areas
- Basements
- Behind-cabinet spaces
- Ventilation or air ducts
- Thermoplastic insulation (Mice have been known to cause expensive messes by nesting in insulation.)
While you may never see a mouse, you may notice signs that one or more are living in your home. Droppings, urine, disturbed insulation, nests made of paper or other materials found in your home, and chewed or gnawed ducts are examples of these signs.
Other creatures, however, can leave some of these surprises behind, so it’s best to have trained pest control technicians, such as those at ATAP Pest Control, evaluate the problem for you.
What Causes Mice to Hide During the Day?
Mice are nocturnal, which means you won’t see or hear them during the day unless they’re in desperate need of food or water. You may also see them during the day if you have disturbed their nest or if the population is large enough that they are competing for a nesting site.
So, when do mice emerge from their dens? Of course, at night! Because mice are active after the sun goes down, you might not see them at all… However, you may hear them squeaking and scrambling inside your walls.
Oh, and mice don’t hibernate, so they’ll be running around while you’re tucked into bed on a cold winter night.
In this situation, prevention is critical because avoiding an infestation in the first place means you won’t have to deal with a problem later on. Here are some precautions you can take to avoid a mouse infestation:
- Inspect your home’s perimeter and seal any holes or cracks larger than one-fourth of an inch.
- To help reduce easy access, trim ivy and tree branches away from your house.
- To help eliminate potential shelters, keep woodpiles or debris stacks well away from your home.
- Make sure the doors are completely sealed and that weatherstripping is installed at the bottom.
- Food for humans and pets should be stored in airtight containers that mice cannot chew through.
- After each meal, wipe down the counters, stovetops, and tabletops.
- Vacuum and mop on a regular basis.
- Indoor and outdoor trash cans should be sealed.
If you’re worried about mice invading your home this winter — or if you suspect you already have one — call ATAP Pest Control to schedule a free inspection.
We’ve come to your rescue! The mice will flee for their lives if our technicians take one look at the situation!