If you've found mouse droppings in a Walmer kitchen, the mice are already living inside, usually within a few metres of where you found them. Unlike rats, mice don't travel far. They set up in a warm, hidden spot close to food, often behind kitchen units, under the stove or in a cluttered garage, and breed fast. The answer is to remove the ones living there and close the small gaps that let them in.
Where mice get into Walmer houses
Mice come in at ground level, and older homes give them lots of choice. These are the spots we check first:
- Garage doors that don't seal against the floor, and the internal door from the garage into the house.
- Gaps around pipes where plumbing and gas lines enter the kitchen, especially in homes where kitchens have been redone and the old holes were never filled.
- Broken or missing air bricks under houses with suspended timber floors.
- Under exterior doors where the threshold has worn or the door has shrunk.
- Gaps behind built-in cupboards where they meet the outside wall.
The garage is usually the start
In many Walmer homes, mice first settle in the garage or a storeroom. It's quiet, full of boxes and old furniture to nest in, and there's often a bag of dog food or bird seed on the floor. From there they move through the connecting door or along pipes into the kitchen. We sometimes find nests inside stored camping gear, in the drawers of an old desk, or under the bonnet of a car that doesn't get driven much.
Two hiding spots that catch people out
In older Walmer kitchens, the first is the insulated space inside and behind the stove, which stays warm and sits right next to crumbs. The second is the geyser cupboard or the gap above built-in units, where pipes run up into the ceiling. If you keep finding droppings in a drawer next to either, that is usually where the nest is.
Signs to look for
- Small, dark droppings about the size of a grain of rice, in drawers, on shelves and along skirtings
- Nibbled packaging, especially bread, cereal and pet food
- Shredded paper, fabric or insulation gathered into a nest
- A musty smell in cupboards
- Light scratching inside walls or behind units at night, much quieter than a rat
How we get rid of them
- Inspection. We find where they're nesting, where they're feeding and how they got in.
- Traps indoors. In kitchens and pantries we usually prefer traps, so there's no risk of a mouse dying behind a unit where you can't reach it.
- Lockable bait stations in garages, storerooms and along the outside walls, where pets and children can't get at them.
- Tracking powder in wall voids or hidden runs where it's suitable.
- Proofing advice. We show you every gap and tell you what to use to close it. Steel wool and a proper sealant work; expanding foam on its own gets chewed through.
- A follow-up to check the traps and stations.
A Walmer tip: clear the garage floor
Lift everything in the garage off the floor and onto shelves, store pet food and seed in sealed metal or thick plastic bins, and fit a rubber seal along the bottom of the garage door. Mice hate open floor space. A garage they can't hide in or feed from stops being their base.
The common mistake
Putting out a single trap, catching one mouse and assuming that's the end of it. Mice breed quickly, and where there's one there are usually more. Set several traps along walls, not in the middle of the room, and keep checking for droppings for a couple of weeks.
Rats or mice?
If the droppings are bigger, like raisins, or the noise is in the ceiling rather than the kitchen, it's more likely a rat. Our page on roof rats in Walmer explains the difference.
What does it cost?
For mice it depends on how widespread they are and how many entry points the house has. Caught early, a small mouse problem can often be solved with a few good traps from the hardware store and some sealing, and we'll tell you if that's likely to be enough. An established population across the kitchen, garage and roof needs a proper treatment and a follow-up. We quote after a look.
To understand how mice breed and why they're quick to come back, read the guide to mouse control. We also offer mouse control across Port Elizabeth, including the older homes of Mill Park, and our Walmer pests overview covers the rest. Call 087 012 5550, or WhatsApp us a photo of what you've found.
Questions we get asked
How small a gap can a mouse fit through?
Roughly the width of a pencil. If you can push a pencil into a gap, a young mouse can probably get through it.
Why do you use traps rather than poison in the kitchen?
So the mouse doesn't die behind a cupboard where you can't reach it. Traps let us remove them and avoid the smell.
Can mice damage my car?
Yes. Mice sometimes nest in the engine bays of cars that stand in the garage for a while and can chew wiring.
I've sealed the gaps. Why are there still mice?
Mice already inside will stay until they're removed, and there may be a gap you haven't found. That's why we combine proofing with trapping.
Are mice a health risk?
Yes. They contaminate food and surfaces with droppings and urine, so anything they've nibbled should be thrown away.