Mice in Brick attic caused alarm to residents - Mice control and removal in Brick, NJ

Challenge

I was dispatched to a Brick residence in response to a call into Cowleys for unusual wildlife noises coming from the attic. Upon arrival, I spoke with the homeowner to gain a better understanding of the type of noises she was hearing from the attic and when she would hear them. With mice, you may hear scuttling, squeaking, or gnawing sounds, especially at night. Other animals make similar noises, so, while these are not definitive signs of a mouse infestation, there are definitely unwanted visitors in the home. Often our house pets with their sensitive hearing will be disturbed by sounds that us humans can’t hear. So, if your dog or cat is getting all excited as though there is something in the house, there may very well be. I started by inspection around the exterior of the home, looking for potential entry points around the roof or fascia. There were none of the typical openings seen with squirrel infestations.

With no evidence of infestation activity on the outside of the home, it was time to venture into the attic, At first glance, the attic seemed fine, and there was nothing to indicate an infestation. But with a rodent infestation, a cursory inspection is not enough. You have to get down on your hands and knees and look for small, sublet details. I went to the area where the homeowner described hearing noise, and I observed a white pipe with rub marks. Although rodents like to stay out of sight, there are number of tell-tail signs of an infestation. They can include fecal pellets and urine stains, gnaw marks and shavings, and runway, tracks, or rub marks. Mice have poor eyesight, so they tend to hug the walls as they travel. They memorize routes and rarely stray, which enables them to run rapidly along a path, even in the dark. Over time, a faint, dark trail of body oil and dirt will cause visible rub marks on piping or woodwork. In dusty areas, if you shine a strong flashlight at a low angle, you can often see footprints. In dirt or insulation, you may see a smooth, worn path. Sure enough, when I pulled back insulation near the rub marks, I exposed a load of mice droppings.

Solution

I went downstairs and showed the homeowner these pictures. The best way to describe her reaction was that she “flipped out.” I did not mean to alarm her; rather, I just wanted her to know that she was not imagining things and there was a rodent infestation up above. She was also a bit annoyed because her pest control company had just completed its quarterly service and their tech failed to notice any infestation activity. I went ahead and set up a baiting system, and I’ll return shortly to see how many rodents have been caught and if there is still evidence of an active infestation.