Mice invading your home or garage can be troublesome because you don't know how many of these critters are around or how long they have been in your space. Often you don't even notice a mouse problem until you either hear them scurrying around or you see their droppings in pantries, under sinks, and even behind the fridge. As the weather begins to turn and these animals are more active you want to catch any signs of rodent infestations as soon as possible so you can call a pest control specialist to remove them before too much damage is caused. Here are 3 less-than-obvious signs you have a mouse issue that can help you catch them sooner.

A musty smell

As mice nest, they tend to carry with them a nasty odor that is easy to detect once you know what you are looking for. The odor is musty, similar to a wet rag or moist dirt, and is most commonly smelled around areas where they would want to call home, like in crevices in your walls, under your sinks, or in your attic or basement. It may also smell like old urine or carry a dull sour stench. Even if these mice scurry away before you can see them, you can smell their presence and use your suspicions to dredge up hiding places.

Claw marks along walls

Mice claw and chew their way through spaces to get in and out of your home and will leave behind tiny scratches or grooves along the bottoms of your doors or the bottom of your walls as a result. If you see claw marks (or teeth marks) in your pantry, garage, closets, or other quiet areas of the home, a mouse is likely to blame. You may hear tiny scratching or chewing noises late at night or when the house is quiet as well.

Mice don't just claw and chew through walls, they also leave little claw and nibble marks on food items. You aren't seeing things if you notice packaged goods have tiny tears in them or are spilling everywhere; it is likely a hungry mouse at play.

Nests

A mouse builds a nest for its young out of hair, string, dryer lint, and even bits of clothing, and may create a nest in areas you wouldn't suspect. Dryer vents, behind refrigerators, and even in storage compartments of stoves are all places that a mouse may find real estate in. If you see a mouse nest, call an exterminator, like one from A-Alert Exterminating Service Inc, right away to eradicate your rodent problem.