Mice may look small and harmless, but once they sneak into your home, the problems get big fast. At Pest Pros, we know how to get rid of mice in walls and ceilings quickly and effectively, because hidden infestations like these are some of the most common calls we handle. Rodents chew through electrical wiring, tear up insulation and furniture, contaminate food, and can spread serious diseases. Even worse, they reproduce quickly. One female mouse can have up to 15 litters a year, with each litter containing around 10 to 12 baby mice. That means one or two mice in your walls today can turn into a full-blown infestation tomorrow.

Mice settling inside walls and ceilings are difficult to spot and remove. Effective strategies and professional help are crucial for long-term mice control. Knowing the warning signs, understanding how they enter, and using proven methods to keep them out are all key steps in protecting your home. In this article, we’ll cover how to identify an infestation, your removal options, and why calling a professional is the most reliable solution.

How Do Mice Get in My Home?

Contrary to popular belief, mice do not only infest dirty homes. They are simply looking for warmth, food, and shelter; your home provides all three.

Mice can squeeze through holes as small as a dime. Common entry points include:

• Cracks in the foundation
• Gaps around doors and windows
• Holes in siding or roofing
• Open garage or basement doors

They are excellent climbers and jumpers, which means walls, ceilings, and attics are ideal nesting spots. Seasonal changes, especially colder fall and winter months, often push rodents indoors. Urban development and mild winters in the Pacific Northwest have also made infestations more frequent.

How Do I Know If Mice Are in the Walls and Ceilings?

Now that you know how and why mice will enter your home, let’s go over mice in walls and ceilings. Mice are intelligent animals and usually stick to dark areas — but that doesn’t mean you can’t find them if you know what you’re looking for. Here are some signs of a mouse infestation in walls and ceilings:

• Sounds: Rustling in the walls is one of the most noticeable indicators. One way to test whether you have mice, rats, or bats is by thumping on the wall. Mice and rats tend to react quietly compared to bats.
• Holes in Food: If you also find holes in food bags that don’t look like the result of another family member (like the family dog), there is a good chance it was a mouse. Despite their small stature, mice eat 15 to 20 times daily, so keep an eye on your food.
• Holes in Fabric, Cardboard, Furniture: Do you notice small holes in the fabric, cardboard boxes, furniture, and/or paper? These mammals will chew out bits of accessible soft materials to build their nest.
• Droppings: One easy thing to spot is mouse droppings that look like small, dark seeds. The newer they are, the shinier they are.
• Ammonia Smell: You might recognize a musky ammonia-like smell. Mice mark their territory just like other animals, and the distinct odor can linger for a long time.
• Foot Tracks: Mice might leave footprints and tail tracks on dusty floors. However, this is a little harder to notice unless you haven’t vacuumed.
• Odd Pet Behavior: Last but not least, your pets might notice pest infestations before you do. If you see your dog or cat looking under appliances, into holes, etc.

Together, these clues make it clear that mice are not just passing through; they are settling in. Because walls and ceilings provide dark and undisturbed spaces, they are often the first places mice choose to build nests.

How To Get Rid Of Mice In Walls And Ceilings?

Like with anything in the world, you can try solving the issue yourself. However, getting rid of mice in your home (and keeping them out) requires professional expertise and care. DIY solutions can be significant temporary fixes, but you’ll be better off in the long term by calling a trusted pest control company to eliminate and prevent the problem effectively. If you live in Washington or Oregon, call us today for a no-cost estimate!

For a quick start, try these DIY options, and follow up with Pest Pros for a complete solution:

Set Traps

Mousetraps are effective and are still the go-to for pest control companies. We recommend leaving snap traps at the bottom of your wall so you don’t have to deal with decaying mice in your walls or ceilings. But, there is still a lot of room for error, and we cannot guarantee that this will solve the mice infestation without professional care.

It requires expertise and the right equipment to sweep out the mice. The other part that homeowners often overlook is the aftermath. Even if you could calm the mice infestation yourself, you would have to dispose of the pest carcasses and clean the inside of your walls and ceilings. Rodents are messy and require proper sanitation. After cleaning, you’d need to perform exclusion techniques and strategies to prevent another mouse infestation from happening.

Natural Mice Repellent

Mice have a strong sense of smell, making them excellent food hunters and susceptible to specific smell preferences. Mice dislike peppermint oil, cayenne, pepper, and cloves, for example. Soak some cotton balls in these essential oils and place them at entry points if you are able to find them, but keep in mind this typically does not resolve the entire infestation; mice are smart enough to create another entry point to get to your food.

There are several other natural mouse “repellents,” but they often do more harm than good. Some have suggested using fabric softener sheets, for example, to stop traffic through entry points; mice and rats like the softness of these sheets, however, and will often use them as cozy additions to their nests. Apple cider vinegar and water are another common suggestion as a mouse repellent, but they are ultimately just old folklore.

Get A Cat

Cats are a mouse’s worst nightmare! So, cat lovers rejoice: cats can be great for mice management. That said, it’s a tall task for a single cat to eliminate an entire infestation in the walls and ceilings.

To reiterate, your best method of eliminating and excluding mice from inside your home is to call a local professional like Pest Pros. With our expert know-how and equipment, we can ensure all mice are removed from your walls and ceilings…and give them no reason to come back!

Call a Professional Pest Control Expert

DIY methods may reduce numbers but rarely address nests or stop new entries. A licensed pest control expert like Pest Pros has the training, equipment, and exclusion strategies to safely remove mice, sanitize contaminated areas, and seal off entry points for complete mice control.

General Mice Exclusion Strategies

You can also take steps to try and prevent mice from entering your home in the first place.

• Store Your Food Carefully: Place grains, pet food, and other dry goods in glass or metal containers.
• Eliminate Additional Nesting Materials: Store all unused fabric, rugs, and blankets in storage bins. Recycle unused paper and cardboard.
• Seal Entry Points: This is especially important during the cold months. Seal tiny holes in your foundation, siding, and doorways.
• Ultrasonic Devices: These products emit rodent-distressing sounds undetectable by humans. Occasionally, these products will work for other pests, including bats.

Call Pest Pros for Mice Removal & Exclusion

Mice in your walls and ceilings can be stressful, messy, and dangerous, but you don’t have to deal with them alone. At Pest Pros, we know precisely how to get rid of mice in walls and ceilings, and we do it quickly, safely, and completely. Our licensed team brings over 50 years of combined experience, using proven methods to eliminate infestations, seal entry points, and keep rodents from returning.

Contact us today for your free estimate and let Pest Pros handle the problem so you can get back to a safe and healthy home.