Yes, mice often nest inside wall voids because they are dark and well-insulated. Once inside walls, mice can then easily travel through the structure to reach the kitchen, attics, and crawl spaces without going through an open room.
Mice don’t like to be disturbed. If at all possible, they want to go in dark places where the temperature is steady. That’s what attracts them to the inside of walls. Of course, that doesn’t make it any less creepy to hear them scratching in there at night.
Part of what makes rodents go inside is the cold weather that comes with each winter. Inside walls, the temperature is steady. They also have access to insulation which they can shred and make into nests. They can follow framing bays and plumbing chases to just about anywhere else in the home so they can easily access food and water.
To get inside is pretty easy for a mouse to do. Fully grown mice can get through holes about the size of a dime and often, if they find gaps that are slightly too small, they can chew them until they're large enough. This is how they often get in through cracks in the foundation, gaps around doors and windows, dryer and exhaust ports, and roofline seams. Even the small gaps where pipes and wires pass through the wall are easy for a mouse to use as an entrance.
You don’t want mice to stay in your walls for long. So if you hear them scratching or you see droppings or greasy rub marks on baseboards, call a professional. They can chew wiring and that’s a major fire hazard. They also breed quickly so a pair of mice in November can be a huge problem by February. A professional can use traps and bait to lure them out and then help you seal the gaps that let them into the home in the first place.
If you are hearing mice inside your walls, Mosquito Squad of Northeast Indiana can help. Mosquito Squad finds how mice are getting in, clears them with traps and bait stations, and seals the entry points. Monthly rodent protection is also available through Complete Home & Yard coverage.
