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Know what you are looking at? Easy, Read the signs, Follow them!

By
Home Inspector with Aspect Inspection

Know what you are looking at?  Easy, Read the signs, Follow them!


a

DO you know?

Well there's a couple of my foot prints there in the attic floor insulation.

But there's more. A lot more. All over the place.

 They aren't individual tracks like mine. No, they are pathways for much smaller feet. 

And here they are roads well traveled. They are more compressed and well defined. These two around the stud in particular.

That's because this is the only direct route to the other side of this wall, to the addition section of the home.

But fainter, less traveled paths are visible too.

In fact they are everywhere.

b And here, on the other 'side' of the wall, they are just as abundant.

The route around the chimney is well traveled too, as I'm sure this area is toasty warm, in season.

Oh! Didn't I mention that!

This is the off season for these itinerant travellers.

Travellers, well I should say foragers.

They come here only to seek food and shelter in the cold season.

Now in the summertime they are out doors, feeding and doing there thing, mostly at night as they are nocturnal.

But they can be found by day if you keep an eye out for them.

But if you really want to see them, lots of them, well just come back here in the fall.

It'll be like a convention!

What are they? You might have guessed by now. They have several names that generally depend upon where you meet them.

They are most commonly known as field mice, but if you encountered them in the space over your head you would be talking about 'mice in the attic'.

Here it's a lot of mice in the attic. They've been coming here for a long time,(they have reservations!). And they know how to get here. They have easy access.

 

So if you want to be sure that your seasonal guests have invitations, you want your inspector to have the experience to read the signs and know what has been going on, even when it's not happening now.

So when you are looking at, or investing, in a home or property you want your inspector to be able to correctly 'read the signs'.

For the Montreal or the surrounding area you know who to call. 

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Comments (33)

Sharon Alters
Coldwell Banker Vanguard Realty - 904-673-2308 - Fleming Island, FL
Realtor - Homes for Sale Fleming Island FL

Robert, my sister lives in the Boston area and she says every house in New England has mice - I guess many houses in Canada have mice too :)

Sharon

Aug 13, 2011 02:10 PM
Mel Ahrens, MBA, Kelly Right Real Estate
Kelly Right Real Estate - Hood River, OR
Customized Choices for your Real Estate Needs

We're always sure to keep a cat around for rodent control. Except once when we got a huge pack rat... even our brave cat let him alone so we had to get a trap.

Gretchen

Aug 13, 2011 03:21 PM
Kathy Sheehan
Bay Equity, LLC 770-634-4021 - Atlanta, GA
Senior Loan Officer

Always a good reminder.

Aug 13, 2011 04:53 PM
Pamela Seley
West Coast Realty Division - Murrieta, CA
Residential Real Estate Agent serving SW RivCo CA

Thanks for the picture. I would not have known those were mice tracks. 

Aug 13, 2011 05:25 PM
Julie Baldino
Front Door Realty - Vancouver, WA
Opening Doors to New Chapters...

I just had a home inspector discover little trails in the attic... first time I have had one point it out!

Aug 13, 2011 05:30 PM
Sandy Acevedo
951-290-8588 - Chino Hills, CA
RE/MAX Masters, Inland Empire Homes for Sale

Yuck. I hate these little creatures. And their bigger cousins, too!                       

Aug 13, 2011 05:58 PM
Steve Stenros
Poway,La Jolla,Del Mar,Mira Mesa,Carlsbad,Escondido,Temecula - San Diego, CA
CREIA MCI, ICC, ACI Home Inspector,San Diego

Congratulations on the feature, Robert! Here in California, we battle the rats. All of the attic insulation had to be removed in a home I recently inspected due to the infestation of these critters.

Aug 13, 2011 07:17 PM
Not a real person
San Diego, CA

Well, you got the featured post but not the one I thought it would be.

Happy Sunday!

Aug 13, 2011 09:24 PM
Dan Edward Phillips
Dan Edward Phillips - Eureka, CA
Realtor and Broker/Owner

Good Morning Robert, this is a major problem in this area.  An excellent post to inform home owners what those strange sounds are!

Aug 13, 2011 10:37 PM
Angelina Clarke
Builder Services Realty, LLC - Tampa Palms, FL

WOW!!   GREAT POST!!!  We would get field mice every spring when I lived in Ohio...they would par-tay in the heating ducts...that was when I decided to get a cat... Vito Coreleone...he WHACKED 'em ;)

Aug 13, 2011 11:42 PM
Robin Sherman
www.PensacolaForYou.com - Grand Points Realty - Pensacola, FL
Search Pensacola Homes, For Sale - Pensacola FL Neighborhoods

Hmmm - Roof rats is what we see in my neck of the woods. A good bit bigger than their northern cousins! They are very difficult to erradicate. Poision at your own peril as a dead rat in the roof or walls can be a nightmare . . . unfortunately, I speak from experience.

Aug 14, 2011 01:37 AM
Brian Rugg
Rugg Realty LLC Sun City Texas 512-818-6700 - Georgetown, TX
Sun City TX Real Estate - Georgetown, TX Real Est

Hello Robert:

 

Congratulations on the feature post. Since when did you start inspecting mouse hotels?

Aug 14, 2011 02:09 AM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Robert, I was going to guess Squirrels. Either one can be a big problem in the attic.

Aug 14, 2011 02:52 AM
Evelyn Kennedy
Alain Pinel Realtors - Alameda, CA
Alameda, Real Estate, Alameda, CA

Robert:

I wonder if there are tiny visitors to my attic.  I guess I will have to go up there and check. I'll be sure and put out the no reservations sign too.

Aug 14, 2011 07:12 AM
Christine Donovan
Donovan Blatt Realty - Costa Mesa, CA
Broker/Attorney 714-319-9751 DRE01267479 - Costa M

Robert - That just doesn't look like the type of visitors I want to have in my attic.

Aug 14, 2011 10:30 AM
Deb Brooks
Brooks Prime Properties Wichita Falls Texas - Wichita Falls, TX

Robert! Awesome! What if our clients have layered insullation? How could we tell about the visitors? Isn't this a blown in type? Great post. I sure wouldn't want to share a home with those critters.

Deb

Aug 14, 2011 10:40 AM
Rob Smith
Rob Smith Property Investigations - Jefferson City, MO

Hello Robert.  Great Post!  I have seen trails and boroughs in attics that look like miniature prairie dog towns!  Fun Stuff...Happy Trails!!

Aug 15, 2011 02:59 AM
Robert Butler
Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC
Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

Phil, thanks for the congratulations. I’d rather get a cat and eat the peanut butter.

Nancy, no definitely not well received news.

Joy with three you’ll have no worries.

Oh yeah Don, they know when they’ve got it good.

Hi Brian. Age of the home is not relevant. They get into new construction just as readily. ‘Cat’ population control is effective.

Hey Scott, That sounds awful but you have to do something effective.

Frank & Sharon, I wouldn’t bet against the mice (being anywhere). They are definitely here.

Mel & Gretchen I’m sure even cats have nightmares.

Hi Kathy, Welcome to AR.

Pamela There’s lots of things to learn in the blogs of this network. And now you’ll recognize mice paths.

Hi Julie, Yes, there’s no denying the evidence once you see it.

Yes Sandy. Ditto on the bigger cousins! And they are a bigger concern.

Wow Steve, that attic must have been a mess.

Yes Russel. I noticed that you made that comment. It wasn’t that one, but the one right after. Maybe they could relate to mice better than telegraphing.

Is that a marmotte in your photo (ground hog in English)?

Hi Dan. You really have to be listening to hear them. The expression “As quiet as a mouse” has some basis in fact.

Hi Angelina. We had a cat that left mouse parts on the garden path (over night). He did'nt need to be fed all summer.

Yeah Robin. The odour of decomp can be a worse facet to deal with.

Hi Brian. Usually country homes or seasonal use buildings are 'mouse motels'.

Michael, squirrels leave much bigger tracks, are noisier and leave a lot of other evidence.

Hi Evelyn, you want to hire a full time inspector - rodent control agent. A cat.

Glad you liked it Erica. You must have a critter to control the critters.

No Christine, very few homeowners want them.

Hi Deb. Yes it's the blown-in type. In the layered batts they leave burrow holes or miniature tunnels.

Hi Rob. Yeah if these places are safe for the critters, the more the merrier (from their prespective).

 

Aug 15, 2011 08:05 AM
James Quarello
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC - Wallingford, CT
Connecticut Home Inspector

I usually see little holes in the fiberglass from their burrowing. You have to wonder why they don't get itchy.

Aug 21, 2011 03:10 AM
Robert Butler
Aspect Inspection - Montreal West Island, QC
Montreal Home Inspector | Aspect Inspection

They probably don't know why they get itchy Jim. They're ony mice. But I bet their fur coveralls helps.

Aug 21, 2011 09:16 AM