You may have heard of the saying “as quiet as a mouse,” but are mice really as quiet as the common saying implies?
Mice do have incredibly quiet feet, meaning they make little to no noise when moving around your floor, but they can actually be quite noisy in other situations.
It’s important to know what mice sound like so you can hear signs of a rodent infestation as early as possible. Keep reading to learn more about the different sounds mice make.
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What do mice sound like in walls and ceilings?
They most common sounds mice make in walls and ceilings are squeaking sounds, scratching sounds, and scuffling sounds.
All three of these types of noises may sound faint or crisp and clear. It all depends on the specifications of your home, the severity of your infestation, and the other sounds that being emitted in and around your home. For example, it will be easier to hear mice behind standard drywall than behind concrete walls (more common in southern U.S. states). And it’s difficult to hear mice sounds during the day, unless you have a very large infestation or a home that’s extremely isolated, because mice are nocturnal and because common daytime sounds often drown out faint mouse sounds anyways.
Also, all mouse sounds are inherently faint, so you probably won’t hear a mouse in a wall that’s not in the room that you’re currently in.
If you do hear strange sounds coming from your walls or ceilings, just remember to keep in mind the three common mouse sounds: squeaking, scratching, and scuffling.
Squeaking noises sound just like as you would expect. However, be aware that mice can squeak just once or they can squeak constantly for a short period of time. The squeaks can also be emitted in different frequencies.
Scratching and scuffling sounds are extremely common noises to hear if you have mice in your home, and perhaps even more common sounds to hear than squeaking sounds (particularly if your walls are made of drywall). Mice make these sounds when they move along floorboards, drywall, baseboards, or other quiet places in the home. While it may sound like a mouse is chewing on something, the scratching or scuffling noise that you might hear is actually probably the mouse’s fingernails digging into and gripping the surface that its on. Therefore, because of their sharp nails and strong, they can pretty much climb up anything and thus find their way into all different parts of your home.
Can mice communicate to each other?
Yes, mice communicate to each other through their squeaks. They’re also communal and social animals, so in this regard, they’re actually not that different from other mammals, such as humans.
They exchange squeaks for all types of reasons. Commonly, they will squeak to one another to identify where food, water, and shelter are located. However, when you pay closer attention to squeaks, you will notice that they may resemble more of a song or series of squeaks, rather than just single, separate sounds. This is because the squeaks differ in pitch and frequency depending on what the mice are communicating.
There is still much we don’t know about the squeaking sounds that mice make, but we do know the meanings behind a few of their squeaks. For example, a mouse squeaks louder when he finds food and he squeaks faster when he’s mating.
What does it sound like when they are building a nest?
It’s more likely to hear mice gathering the materials for their nest than hear them actually build it.
Well, you may unknowingly hear them build their nest one night, but the sounds will seem similar to typical mouse sounds that you hear in your walls and ceiling. Common sounds include scuttling, shuffling, scratching or gnawing, and squeaking. There’s no set blueprint for what the building of a mouse nest sounds like; it’s more or less a combination of common noises that house mice make.
Do mice make noise at night?
Considering that they are nocturnal rodents, mice absolutely make noise at night.
In fact, you are most likely to hear them at night, while it’s quite rare to hear them during the day. More specifically, right after sunset and right before sunrise is when they tend to be the most active and thus make the most noise. This is a troublesome recipe for many homeowners. If you lie down in bed at night and hear mouse sounds, you could be in for a long, long night. Not only can the sounds can distract you from falling asleep, but the images associated with the sounds (mice crawling around right behind the walls/ceiling in your room) can make it very hard for you to get some shut-eye.
Are there noises that scare mice?
Yes, there are noises that scare mice, but I will say that there are no know sounds that get rid of mice or keep mice away for good.
Mice are timid and will be startled and scared by any loud, strong sounds. For example, if you have mice in your car, a few honks will likely temporarily scare them away.
You may have also heard of certain pest control companies with noise repellent products designed to get rid of mice. These noise repellents emit sonic and ultrasonic sounds (very high frequencies) that are either barely detectable or undetectable to the human ear (you might hear a very faint buzz). These products claim to work because mice are scared of these high frequency sound waves and will thus keep their distance from the emitter. However, it is unlikely that these devices get rid of mice.
It has long been suspected that a mouse can quickly get used to the irritating frequencies, and in my own experience, my ultrasonic mouse repellent never produced any noticeable results. Therefore, if you are looking to use sounds as a way to deter or repel mice, I suggest you look elsewhere. There are plenty of more effective and more traditional mouse repellent methods that you can use to help with your mouse problem.
