Americans love their pets. Statistics reveal that in 2024 almost 88 million homes — 66 percent of homes in the U.S. — included a pet.1 While we love our dogs and cats, they are among the few animals we willingly allow in our homes.
Other animals, like mice, we actually term as “pests” — annoying or troublesome animals.
Anyone who has dealt with a mice infestation can attest that annoying and troublesome might be mild words for the destruction mice can cause to both your property and your emotional well-being.
Homes, cars, recreational vehicles and sheds can provide one or more of the essential things that mice desire including warmth, protection from predators and a ready source of food.
How do you know there’s a mouse in your house?
There are some obvious, and some not so obvious, signs that mice might be present in your home. Unusual sounds may give you the first indication that something may have breached your sanctuary. While mice don’t weigh much, when they run back and forth above your ceiling or in your wall cavities, they produce a slight scampering or scratching sound.
You may also see mice droppings, especially in the kitchen or in areas where food is stored. Mice dropping are usually close to where the mice are feeding or nesting.2 Another sign to look for is chewing activity. If you see a hole in your baseboards or wall boards or find holes in towels or other soft materials, you may have a mouse issue.
Mice will also chew on electrical wires, PVC pipe and other building materials. They often make nests using the materials they have destroyed so it is not uncommon to find paper, scraps of cloth, home insulation and other materials in a mouse nest, which is usually hidden in a home’s wall or roof cavity.
Your other pets can also alert you to a mouse presence. If you find your dog or cat pawing certain areas or staring at certain spots in your home, it is a good idea to inspect those areas as the pets’ odd behavior may indicate a problem. Odors from mouse urination can also be an indication that mice are around.
What problems and dangers do mice pose?
If you suspect that you have a mouse problem, take action immediately by calling a wildlife removal or critter control company near you. A female mouse can have up to 14 babies at once, but usually has 6-8 babies at a time, and can give birth to 5-10 litters per year with baby mice being able to give birth at just two months of age.3
In addition to destroying property, mice are also a health hazard in the home. They can bite humans, generally only if they are defending themselves. Mice don’t get rabies so they can’t pass it to a human.
They can introduce ticks, fleas and mites into your home. They can contaminate your food and water as well as the dust you breathe in your home.4 Equally as alarming is that mice are known to spread diseases such as hantavirus, leptospirosis (a bacterial infection), lymphocytic choriomeningitis (a viral infection), plague and typhus.5
While you can try to eliminate a mouse infestation on your own, due to the seriousness consequences of a mouse infestation it is best to call a pest and critter control professional. That professional will be an expert in not only eliminating the mice from your home, but also in finding where the mice entered your home and correcting the issue so that you don’t continue to have mice issues in the future.
Effective Wildlife and Mice Removal Services
Critter Evictors in Scottsdale is Arizona’s trusted leader in wildlife and mice removal services. We specialize in wildlife infestations and how to remove, eradicate and prevent new invasions in homes, businesses and properties throughout Maricopa County. For fast and effective solutions to rid your home or business of mice and other pests, you need an expert service that’s responsible and safe.
For more information on the removal of mice from your home, contact the wildlife professionals at Critter Evictors!
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1 Pet Ownership Statistics 2025 by Michelle Megna, 1/2/2025
Link: https://www.forbes.com/advisor/pet-insurance/pet-ownership-statistics/
2 9 Signs of a Rat or Mouse Infestation in Your Home by Lisa Jo Lupo, 11/8/2024
Link: https://www.thespruce.com/signs-that-you-still-have-mice-or-rats-4151787
3 How Many Babies Can a Mother Mouse Have at Once? by Johnathan Fuentes, 3/13/2023
Link: https://www.wikihow.com/How-Many-Babies-Do-Mice-Have
4 Mice: Health Risks, Habits, and Extermination, 1/18/2024
Link: https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/know-about-house-mice