Mouse control in Nijmegen: the signs
You will rarely see a mouse, but you will see what it leaves behind. House mice are mostly active at night and leave plenty of traces along the way. Typical clues include:
- small, dark droppings in cupboards, along skirting boards or behind the cooker
- gnawed packets of pasta, rice, biscuits or bird seed
- scurrying in the ceiling, walls or crawl space, especially in the evening
- a strong, musty smell of urine in a closed cupboard
- gnaw marks on insulation, cables or skirting boards
If you see a mouse in broad daylight, the group is usually bigger than you think. Mice breed quickly, so waiting generally only makes the problem worse.
How do mice get into your home?
A house mouse only needs a gap of about 6 mm. Think of the space around a heating pipe or waste pipe, a gap under the front door, an open joint in the brickwork or a broken vent cover on the crawl space. From the crawl space they climb up through service ducts and hollow walls to the kitchen or the loft.
In terraced houses and blocks of flats, mice also come from next door. A well-sealed home next to one full of gaps remains vulnerable. That is why we look not only inside, but also at the façade, the roof edge and the join with the neighbouring property. In autumn, as it gets colder outside, mice also seek out the warmth of a house more often.
Our mouse control: seal first, then treat
We follow the same order on every job. First we map the runs and entry points: where the droppings are, where the gnaw marks are, where a pipe does not fit properly. Then we close the openings with materials a mouse cannot chew through, such as steel wool with sealant, metal mesh or a grille.
Only then do we tackle the mice already inside. We use snap traps along their runs and, where necessary, lockable bait stations. Professional products may only be used by certified pest controllers, and we use them sparingly and with care. On a follow-up visit we check whether there is still activity. Our main page on pest control in Nijmegen explains how we handle other pests.
What you can do yourself – and what to avoid
There is a lot you can do to give mice no chance. Store dry food, pet food and bird seed in sealed containers made of glass, metal or hard plastic. Sweep up crumbs under the kitchen units and behind the fridge, and do not leave the bin in the utility room open. A few snap traps along the wall, baited with a dab of peanut butter, help with a single mouse.
Do not scatter loose poison pellets. A child or pet can get at them, and a mouse that dies under the floor or in a cavity wall can cause a lingering smell. Also, do not block one hole while leaving the others open: the mice will simply take another route. If the signs keep coming back, professional help is the quickest way to a quiet home.
Mouse or rat? Telling them apart
Not every rodent in the house is a mouse. Mouse droppings are small, roughly the size of a grain of rice. Rat droppings are clearly larger and coarser. Rats also often leave dark, greasy smears along regular routes and sometimes dig tunnels under paving or in the garden. The sound is different too: a rat sounds heavier and slower.
The approach differs as well. Rats often enter homes through a damaged sewer pipe, whereas mice come in through gaps in walls and floors. If you are unsure, we will establish which it is during the inspection. You can read more on our page about rat control.
