Mouse and rat control in Columbus, OH Light scratching in the walls at night? Mice do not stay few.

They do not need a door you would notice

House mice fit an opening about the size of a dime. Rats are larger and still get through a gap about the size of a quarter, or by climbing a pipe, siding, or a tree onto the roof.

Utility lines, foundation cracks, dryer vents, and a door that misses the threshold are the usual routes in Columbus houses, old and new. Because they work at night, the first proof is often droppings, not a sighting.

The calendar is why this should not wait

A female mouse can breed at 5 to 8 weeks. Gestation is about 19 to 21 days, and she may have 5 to 10 litters a year. Waiting to see if it stays small is how it stops being small.

Rats mature a little later and are still fast. A few weeks of "it might leave" is enough time for another litter. Sealing changes that math. Traps alone do not.

Close the holes, then stop the digging

Mesh, steel wool, and caulk close the openings they are using. Foam by itself does not. Pet food left out and an open trash can keep the search going, so those go too.

Where rats or mice tunnel under a deck, shed, or foundation, a rat wall is the longer fix. Quarter-inch galvanized hardware cloth goes in a trench, often 6 to 12 inches down, sometimes with the bottom bent outward.

What should you do tonight?

• Do not put poison in a wall. A dead mouse you cannot reach is a worse week than a noisy one.
• Put pet food away overnight and close the trash.
• Look along the foundation and where pipes enter. A photo of a gap helps. You do not need to crawl under the house.
• Tell us if you have also seen a snake. Rodents are often why it came inside.