Advice
Signs of Mice in the House: What to Look For
Mice are small, secretive and mostly active at night, so the first clues are usually droppings, gnaw marks and faint sounds rather than a sighting.
Read the guide →We work in both homes and commercial premises, quietly and without fuss.
Empty homes are quiet places for mice
A second home that is shut up for part of the season can be left undisturbed, with a cupboard of dry food and a warm roof space above. Mice find that kind of property very comfortable, and by the time the owner arrives there may be a nest behind a kitchen unit or in the loft insulation. Droppings, shredded paper and a stale smell are common clues.
If you manage a holiday home in Salcombe from a distance, tell us when the property is accessible and we can arrange visits around you, then report back on what we find.
What we do on site in Salcombe
We inspect the inside and outside of the Salcombe building, looking for runs, gnaw marks and gaps. Traps and bait are positioned carefully and out of reach of children and pets. We return several times to check them, because mice are wary and a single visit rarely tells you whether the problem has really ended.
Waterfront businesses are treated in a similar way, with extra attention to storerooms, deliveries and waste areas. We keep a note of where equipment is placed and what has been caught, so there is a clear picture of how things are going.
Stopping a repeat in Salcombe
The aim in Salcombe is to leave a property that mice find harder to enter. We advise on sealing gaps around pipes, doors and eaves, and on how to leave a home when it will be empty: dry food in hard containers, bins emptied, bedding stored off the floor. Our area includes TQ8, and we also cover Dartmouth and Ivybridge.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do before leaving my Salcombe holiday home empty?
Clear out open food, store dry goods in hard containers, empty bins and tidy any clutter where mice could nest. Check for gaps around pipes and doors. If you have had mice before, a check by us before you leave is sensible.
Can you arrange mouse treatment if I live away from Salcombe?
Often yes. We can agree access with you or a key holder, carry out the inspection and treatment, and report back on what we found. It helps to say how mice were noticed so we know where to start.
Do steep streets and older houses make mice harder to remove?
Not harder to remove, but there may be more routes to find. Older and split-level houses often have voids and gaps that take longer to trace. We take the time to inspect fully so we do not miss the way in.