How to Tell If You Have Mice in Your House

Droppings are the most reliable sign

Mouse droppings are small, dark and about the size of a grain of rice. Look in kitchen drawers, under the sink, behind the stove and refrigerator, along basement walls and in pantry corners. Fresh droppings are soft and shiny; older ones are dry and crumble.

If you are finding droppings in more than one room, the activity is likely established rather than a single mouse passing through.

Sounds at night

Mice are most active from dusk to dawn. Scratching, light scurrying or gnawing inside walls, ceilings or under floors at night is a strong indicator.

Chewing and nesting

Look for gnawed food boxes, chewed corners on bags of pet food or birdseed, and shredded paper, fabric or insulation gathered into nests in quiet places such as storage boxes, drawers and wall voids.

Rub marks, odor and pets

Mice travel the same routes along walls, leaving greasy gray rub marks at gaps and corners. A stale, musky smell in a closed cabinet or room, or a pet fixated on one spot, are also common signs.

What to do next

Clean droppings with gloves and a disinfectant rather than sweeping or vacuuming them dry. Then find out how they are getting in. In Southeast Michigan, the most common entry points we see are garage door seals, gaps around utility lines and openings at the sill plate.

A professional inspection identifies those entry points and puts monitored protection in place inside and outside the home.