Scratching in walls is a common complaint that makes our phones ring off the hook every fall and winter. Inevitability, every one of the callers will think that their problem is unique and that there must be some large animal making all that noise. However, quite the opposite is normally true and its usually a mouse that’s the offender.
When you hear scratching in walls of your home a mouse is likely either stuck in the wall or using that wall to go someplace else. Mice are small enough that they certainly can fit through large plumbing voids or gaps between elements of construction within the wall. The problem becomes how do you deal with it?
The best way to deal with a mouse scratching in the wall is to set up the home with all the normal control measures like snap traps, bait stations etc. The areas that these control measures are placed are usually the areas where droppings have been found like the attic, basement and garage. Since mice are curious by nature they’ll typically inspect these items rather quickly. Upon inspection of the traps mice are usually caught. In fact, it’s typical to start catching mice the first night; sometimes in large numbers.
But, what happens if they’re in the wall? Unfortunately, sometimes mice that are scratching in the walls are actually caught in the wall. At this point there’s only a few options
1. Ignore the mouse and let it die in the wall
2. Open the wall and let the mouse out
3. See if the mouse will work it’s way out
All of the preceding are not great options as none are quick and easy. Typically I recommend number three. The reason is that mice do some amazing things and there’s a chance that they’ll find they’re way out. Most homeowners ask if the mouse will chew through the wall. The answer is yes it can,but it likely will not.
In the end hearing scratching in the walls from mice is common. In some cases there could be a larger animal like a bat or squirrel stuck in the wall.
If you suspect that you’ve got mice, bats or squirrels scratching in walls, call Envirocare Pest Control we can help