Mouse poop, it’s a clue we need to solve pest issues. Most homeowners that have mice say very similar things when they first call a pest control company. Typically, they tell us that they see mice in the kitchen, basement, garage or that they hear them at night in the attic.
However, recently we had a customer call that had mice in an odd location. Mrs. Jones found mouse poop in her bedroom. Catching the mice was easy, but we wanted to know how they got in.
Mouse poop in a bedroom is odd
In general mice are very predictable. They need food, water and shelter. They leave their droppings everywhere they go and most people don’t like them.
While most pest control companies don’t clean mouse droppings we do need it. The reason is that it can leave us obvious clues about where the mice may be getting in. This was the case at Mrs. Jones house in Newtown, CT
The case of the ambitious mouse
When we arrived at the home we did a quick inspection and had a conversation with the customer. We looked at all the typical places where mice get in. These places included the garage, utility penetrations as well as corners and gaps under the lip of the foundation. Since the house was previously sealed using our MouseBarrier rodent exclusion system we were fairly confident going in that these areas were tight.
New construction and additions can let mice inside
Of all the trades out there pest control is the least thought about. The reason is that most trades people don’t think about pest entry while they’re doing their job. However, the truth is that most pest problems start with something new. This was the case in Newtown.
After inspecting the entire home we went back inside to discuss what we had found with the homeowner. During this discussion she told us that she had in fact had a new air conditioning system installed. We went outside to reevaluate.
Split AC systems allow mice inside if they’re not sealed
With our new information we returned back to the exterior to see if this new AC system could be the culprit. It was!
This new utility pictured above appeared to be properly installed, but the pipe(s) that led into the home were not sealed. In fact, when we got down on our hands and knees we saw gnaw marks and more droppings in the pipe chase. This pipe lead directly inside to the wall that held the unit inside the bedroom with the mouse issue.
Fixing gaps rodents can get into
There are a variety of different methods to exclude mice from a home. In this case it was as easy as stuffing copper mesh into the hole to prevent mice from using it as a ladder, in other cases it can more difficult.
The key to controlling mice is to find where they’re getting in. Without this all you’ll be doing is harvesting the mice on a regular basis. Hire a pest control company that knows how to do a proper rodent control inspection and you won’t be sorry.
If you’re harvesting mice or have mouse poop in your home, call Envirocare Pest Control. We can be reached at 1-888-879-6481.