How to Tell If There's a Mouse in Your House

Article by: Kelly Garbato

You've just settled down in bed , Buying ding for your Home and are twenty minutes into Letterman when you hear it: a light , Tips on Choosing Wide Plank Flooring scratching overhead, accompanied by a squeak here and a squeal there. You assume that it's the wind making strange noises (after all, it is windy tonight!), or perhaps the house , enhancing natural light is just settling (you do live in an older home, , Convection Causes Pocketbook Corrosion so it would make sense...). Maybe the sounds are just the result of an overactive imagination. You hope!

Of course, you just can't get around the obvious conclusion - you have company. Whether it's a bird, , Saltillo Tiles a bat, a squirrel, or an entire family of mice, there's something up there. Given that you've had recurrent rodent problems, the latter option is probably the safest bet.

However, how can you be sure what type of animal you're dealing with - assuming that you even have unwelcome visitors at all? Before you can evict them, you need to know who "they"Â are.

Above all else, your first step is to inspect your home , Air Purifiers and How to Find them for signs of mice. Different problems call , Air Purifiers and How to Find them for different solutions; if your visitors are actually squirrels instead of mice, you'll need to develop a different strategy.

When canvassing your home, , Construction - Choosing The Right Architect keep an eye out for these seven telltale signs:

1. Droppings and urine

Mouse droppings resemble a grain of rice; they are approximately the same size, but are black in color. , Hire Independent Contractor to Get the Best Remodeling Results Mice will not generally travel across open spaces, so you're more likely to find droppings along walls, , Why Don't You Choose An Epoxy Floor For Your Home? pipes, and beams, as well as in storage areas and next to objects. "Urine pillars"Â are less common; they consist of mounds of grease, urine, and dirt. You can also use a blacklight to find individual urine droppings.

2. Chew marks

Look for tooth marks and wood , Werner Buying Tips For The D5920 Extension Ladder Revealed shavings (similar in consistency to sawdust) around doors, , All Time Favorites - Iron Railings baseboards, and cabinets. Marks on food , Tips on Choosing Wide Plank Flooring containers can also be a clue that you have company.

3. Grease marks

When traveling alongside pipes, beams, and walls, , About Rainbow Shower Filter mice may leave greasy smear marks, as dirt and oil from their fur rubs off onto the surfaces.

4. Tracks

Footprints and tail marks on dirty, dusty, or muddy surfaces can indicate activity. If you suspect that mice have taken up residence in an otherwise impeccably clean area of your house, , Air Purifiers and How to Find them lay down a sprinkling of talc to catch them in the act.

5. Nests

Mice construct nests of shredded paper and similar debris; check attics, basements, , Small Prefabricated Buildings garages, , Small Prefabricated Buildings storage areas, closets, and other dark, enclosed places , Septic System Design Secrets for nests or "stolen"Â materials.

6. Sounds

You're more likely to hear squeaks and squawks at night, when the house , Installing your new bathroom tiles is quiet and your guests are active.

7. Sightings

It's not uncommon to see mice during the day; although they are largely nocturnal, they do move about in daylight.

Now that you're certain that you're dealing with mice, it's time to start strategizing. Your plan , Convection Causes Pocketbook Corrosion of attack will actually come in three phases: first you need to clean up the messes you found; next, you must trap and release your unwelcome visitors; and finally, you'll mouse-proof your house , Traditional Futon Beds so they can't get back in (and wouldn't want to, even if they could!). Good luck!

Copyright Kelly Garbato, 2005
Kelly Garbato is an author, ePublisher, and small business owner. A guardian to three dogs and a cat, her work is largely inspired by (and aims to honor) the human-animal bond. She's currently designing a web , Radiant Heat And Ceramic Floor Tile site, Angel Pawprints (http://www.angelpawprints.com), where humans can celebrate their dearly departed companion animals.
To learn more about Kelly, or to send her an email, visit her web , Bathroom Lighting and Home Decor Accessory Ideas site at http://www.kellygarbato.com.

What's Inside
Shag area rugs, one of the most popular floor coverings around - Placing other types of rugs , Home Improvement for The Ladies! by home , How To Refinish Hardwood Flooring entrances, sinks, or in other areas where the flooring , Choosing and Buying Inexpensive Laminated is likely to get wet is your best bet of reducing the chance for falls. , Shower Heads: Women vs. Men Additionally, the softness of ...
Electricity and Energy - A Glossary of Terms for UK Homeowners - If you're shopping around for the cheapest supplier of electricity , Storage Shed Plans in your area, there are some terms that you need to be familiar with. Below is a list of the some of the commonly used terms.1. KWh (kilowatt hour) - The standard unit of me...
Traditional Interior Design - Traditional interior design , A Guide to Home Dehumidifiers encompasses a great variety of elements in a home. , Tips for Choosing The Right Bathtub From the ceilings to the floor; including the trim, the wall , Simple and easy ways to decorate your bathroom finishes--all the way to the window , Artificial Flowers: A Great Alternative treatments and the furniture. , Warm Weather Alert: How to Save Money and Ensure Your Comfort with Your Home's Cooling System The careful designer , How To Find Quality Log Furniture And A Trustworthy Retailer must focus att...
Using Storage Under The Bed - What’s under your bed?When’s the last time you looked under there? Go take a peek, you’ll probably see dust bunnies, books and those missing , Tools: Purchasing For A Gift socks that you have been looking for. But if you think that’s all it’s good for then you’re missin...
Roofing, Flashings, and Chimneys - IntroductionThe primary function of the roof , Organize Your Seasonal Home Decorating system is to protect against and manage the weather , Stop Burning Wood Pellets elements, particularly precipitation, thereby protecting the interior , Tips for finding best Home Improvement Contractors and structural components of the home. , Memory Foam History...Astronauts, Racehorses and Bed Sores For the purposes of a home , Audio Options for HDTV inspec...
Improving your Home with New Windows - Want to impress family, friends, and visitors when they come to your home? Do you know how to , Kitchen Remodeling Checklist: Are Your Prepared? make a good first impression with your home? Windows , Water Purification Units - Every Home Needs One and doors , All About Metal Ceiling Tile make the first statement when someone visits your home. , Electric Boilers When visitors come to your door, , Home Remodeling they...
Anti Static Bars - In simple words static electricity , Why is Wood the First Choice for Windows and Doors? can be defined as an electrical imbalance of a material that can interrelate with other materials. An atom has the positively (+) charged Protons and negatively (-) charged Electrons in equal numbers and force. T...
How To Clean Windows And Not Leave Streaks - When cleaning windows , Water Ionizers Counters the Effects of Urbanization it's not always what you see is what you get! Some window , Rubber Roofing cleaning chemicals won't leave streaks right away but after a good drying period a dull film will start to appear. This usually occurs if the window , How To Install Laminate Floors cleaning solution has...
Tin Ceilings Have So Many Virtues - Tin ceilings are the best product , Buyers Guide For Modern Mailboxes to use if you want the Olde Worlde charm of a decorative ceiling. Whether this is a DIY job or whether you are calling in the professionals you must have a serious think about using tin panelling rather than sheet...