Mice in the Kitchen? How to Find Entry Points and Prevent a Return

Finding mouse droppings in a kitchen cabinet can make a home feel uncomfortable fast. Mice look for food, shelter and a way inside. A useful response combines careful cleanup, inspection, removal and repairs; treating only the spot where you found droppings may miss the route they used.

Start with the places mice can reach

Check under the sink, behind appliances, at the pantry floor and around utility lines. Look for damaged food packages, small droppings, gnaw marks and openings at the wall or cabinet backing. In a garage or basement, inspect door bottoms, pipe penetrations and gaps near the foundation. Note where you find signs, because a technician can use that pattern to identify likely travel routes.

Protect food while you arrange an inspection

• Move pantry food and pet food into sturdy containers with tight lids.
• Clean crumbs and spills, including behind the stove and refrigerator.
• Keep garbage closed and remove clutter that provides hiding places.
• Do not handle droppings with bare hands or dry sweep contaminated material.

Health Canada recommends combining sanitation and rodent-proofing with appropriate control measures. Follow its rat and mouse guidance for safe prevention and control.

Find the outside entry, not just the inside activity

A mouse problem often persists when the entry point remains open. An inspection should check door sweeps, vents, foundation gaps, siding transitions and openings around pipes and cables. Materials and repair methods depend on the location; a ventilation opening must stay functional. If mice are active inside, the removal and exclusion plan should be coordinated rather than closing holes without checking the building.

When to call for help

Call if you hear repeated movement in a wall or ceiling, find fresh droppings after cleaning, see gnawed wiring or food packaging, or cannot identify the source. Our mice removal service starts with an inspection and a plan for treatment and prevention. We explain the scope and price before work begins.

Local mouse control

Empire serves homes and businesses across Durham and York, including Ajax, Oshawa and Newmarket. For a kitchen, basement or garage mouse problem, call (289) 408-9940 and tell us where you found the first signs.