Dogs are able to both hear and smell mice behind the walls, which makes them very adept at helping to keep your home rodent-free.
It shouldn't come as a surprise then to learn that dogs will regularly detect mice infestations in their homes long before their owners become aware of any problems. Dogs will pick up the strong ammonia-like scent of mouse urine long before human noses can detect it.
Scientific research indicates that dogs by themselves are not a foolproof solution to mouse infestations. Researchers at the University of Florida determined that mice are no more afraid of dogs than they are of their other common predators such as cats, foxes, snakes, weasels, lizards, and owls.
Look for things like barking and growling at - what appears to be - nothing. Your dog also might chase, run after, or lunge at things you can't see! It's also possible that, if the mouse is under the floor or in the wall, your dog will try to scratch, sniff, and lick the spot where they hear or smell the mouse.
Having pets makes no difference. Rats are not deterred by cats or dogs.”
It is a combination of the dog's great sense of smell and excellent sense of hearing that enables it to pick up on rat activity. If your dog detects rats in the vicinity, it may keep running back and forth to a particular spot. Alternatively, it may go to a particular spot and then be rooted there for quite some time.
Of course, you also need to remember that dogs have an excellent sense of smell, so your dog will not only be able to hear the mice in the walls but will also be able to smell them. Some dogs get over-excited because they know that there is something behind those walls that they would like to get their paws on.
Peppermint oil
Mice hate the smell of peppermint oil. Add a few drops to a cotton ball and wipe it on the baseboards in your kitchen and pantry. Add a little more oil to the cotton balls and leave them in the corners of cabinets or shelves where food is stored. See what else you can do with the magic of peppermint.
High-pitched noises may affect rodents, but research has shown the effects are often overcome within a day or so, regardless of whether the frequency is variable, intermittent, or random.
Wired for Prey
Wolves, dogs' ancestors, prey on small rodents such as mice, so the ability to hear the tiny animals' squeaks is important for survival. Humans, who evolved to cooperate with other humans, have ears that are tuned to the pitch of the human voice.
Some dogs will run back and forth excitedly to and from the area where they sense the rats. Other common traits include barking or whining incessantly, growling, sniffing at the area where the rats are, and refusing to leave the area even when you try to get your pooch away.
Unfortunately, the light inside your house is not a very effective deterrent to mice. Once inside a house or a building, they can easily look for dark areas to hide until such time as all lights are turned off. Places they can hide include inside the walls, crawl spaces, attics, and ceilings.
A dab of peanut butter will usually do the trick because mice love nuts and high-calorie food. Make sure to only put enough bait on the trap. Putting too much bait may affect the sensitivity of the trap. But if you put too little, it might not be enough to attract the pests.
Mice won't disappear by themselves
Unless you change your habits to deprive mice of their food, wipe out the existing population and proof your property to stop them coming back, you'll always be sharing your home with disease-spreading, food-stealing mice.
Peppermint Oil
This stuff smells great in small amounts, but it can be potent when concentrated. Peppermint oil is among the smells that mice hate the most, and it's often used to keep them out of areas around homes. You can buy your own, soak cotton balls with the oil, and place it in trouble spots.
It can take anywhere from two weeks to three months for your mice infestation to completely clear up, depending on the level of infestation. Large infestations take more time to handle than small ones.
As for the lights inside your house, it is not an effective mice deterrent. This is because they can easily look for dark areas to hide inside houses until such time as all lights are turned off. While the lights are on, they can hide inside walls, crawl spaces, attics, and ceilings.
The trademark smell of a mouse or rat infestation is often likened to ammonia. Other people describe the scent of mice as musky. Either way, these odors can be surprisingly strong, in part because rodents urinate so frequently.
What attracts mice and rats to your house? There are two main things that can attract mice and rats to your house – food and shelter. If you don't tidy up properly and there's food waste on the floor or surfaces, rodents are going to love it!
As previously mentioned, pacing and obsessive sniffing can be a sign that your dog is experiencing mental health problems, including anxiety, nervousness, boredom, or under-stimulation. If the behaviour is becoming repetitive or obsessive, you should discuss your dog intensive sniffing with your vet.
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.
Cat, dog, or human hair or urine sprinkled in a garden also appears to have no impact on rats. Beware of anyone claiming they have a secret weapon or chemical that will get rid of rats. There is none.
Mice are nocturnal creatures, so they are most active between dusk and dawn. They don't usually like bright lights, but a mouse may sometimes be seen during the day, especially if its nest has been disturbed or it is seeking food. Seeing them in the day also can indicate a large infestation in a home.
Where Do Mice Live in a House? When choosing an indoor nesting spot, mice hide in remote areas where there isn't much foot traffic. This usually includes wall voids, attics, crawlspace, and garages. They also hide in the warm cavities beneath appliances, in pantries or kitchen cabinets with easy access to food sources.