Although mice can be cute, you never want to have them in your home. Mice can get into walls, and if they aren’t caught and dealt with, they can cause serious damage to your home and create an unhealthy environment. Most of the time however, you won’t even be aware that there is an infestation until it has grown quite large. Thankfully, man’s closest friend comes through for us once again. Dogs have very keen senses of smell and hearing, and this allows them to detect an infestation before there are any signs that we may be aware of. Here is how your dog will let you know that you have a house mouse infestation:
How dogs behave when they detect a mouse infestation
Even though you might not be aware of any intruders, dogs can hear and smell the mice in your walls. Their hearing is so sensitive that they pick up on the tiny scratching sounds that mice make in the walls as they scurry around.
When it senses mice, your dog may run near the walls, looking excited and alert. You may notice your dog wagging its tail and scratching at the wall. Your dog may also be sniffing the wall and then follow the scent along it. Other signs that the dog is detecting a rodent in the walls include sudden excitement with no obvious stimuli, barking, whimpering, growling or staring at the wall.
Signals from your cat
We all know that cats are adept rodent hunters, but they do not give off as many alerts as dogs do. However, you may notice that the cat is trying to get behind the walls, and that it is showing keen interest to certain walls in the home.
What to do if your pet detects a mouse?
If your dog continues in its strange behavior, it might be time to look for other signs of an infestation, such as droppings, grease marks and damaged food containers. Alternatively, you can call over a pest control pro to perform a more thorough inspection and to get the infestation under control if there is one. If you would like to know more about professional inspections and pest control procedures, or if you suspect that you have a mouse infestation in your walls, contact us today and we will answer any questions you may have.
