Silver Bullet Pest ControlLight scratching over the bedroom ceiling at night, droppings on the attic floor, or flattened tunnels in the insulation? Those are classic signs of mice in the attic. Silver Bullet Pest Control finds how they're getting up there, removes them, seals the gaps and, when it's needed, cleans up or replaces the soiled insulation.
4.9 stars on Google • NJ License 90568B • 15+ years • Based in Garfield • Hablamos español
Text a photo of what you found in the attic to 973-510-2585 — we'll tell you if it's mice, rats or squirrels.
To get rid of mice in the attic, you have to remove the mice already living there and seal the gaps they use to climb up — usually through wall voids from the basement, utility lines, soffits and roof vents. Traps alone rarely end it, because new mice keep finding the same route. Silver Bullet Pest Control inspects the whole house, traps the mice, seals entry points with chew-proof materials, and can clean or replace insulation that's full of droppings. Mouse service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls. Call or text 973-510-2585.
Most people hear them before they see anything. Here's what to look for when you go up with a flashlight:
Lots of droppings in one spot usually means a nest is close by. Wet them first before cleaning — never sweep or vacuum them dry.
Mice love insulation because it's warm and easy to tunnel through. Badly soiled insulation often has to come out.
A mouse needs only a gap about the width of a pencil. Finding these openings is the most important part of the job.
The sound and the timing tell you a lot before anyone climbs up:
| Clue | Mice | Rats | Squirrels | Raccoons |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sound | Light, quick scratching and skittering | Heavier scratching, gnawing, thumps | Running, rolling, scratching | Heavy walking, thumping, chattering |
| When | Night, often right after dark and before dawn | Night | Early morning and late afternoon | Night |
| Droppings | Rice-sized, pointed | Bigger, blunt, raisin-sized or larger | Larger, rounded, often scattered | Large, piled in one latrine spot |
| Way in | Tiny gaps, inside walls from below | Gaps about the size of a quarter, roofline, wall voids | Chewed holes at soffits, vents, roof edges | Torn vents, soffits, roof openings |
| Who handles it | Rodent control + sealing | Rodent control + sealing | Wildlife exclusion | Wildlife removal |
Noises in the daytime usually point to squirrels, not mice. See our guide to attic noises from squirrels, rats and raccoons and signs of squirrels in the attic.
People are often surprised that mice end up in the attic at all. Mice are excellent climbers, and the attic is usually the end of a route that started somewhere much lower:
North Jersey has a lot of older homes — Cape Cods with knee-wall attics, two-families with shared walls, and houses with stone or block foundations that have settled over the years. Those homes have more gaps, and mice find them every fall when the nights turn cold. Our page on why mice love New Jersey homes goes into more detail.
Don't just block the hole you found. If mice are still inside, sealing one gap can trap them in the walls, where they die and smell, or push them down into the living space. Removal and sealing need to happen together.
Mice gnaw constantly to keep their teeth worn down. Chewed wire coating in an attic is a real concern.
Tunneling, nesting and urine flatten insulation and soak it. Wet, packed insulation doesn't keep the house warm.
Waste builds up over months and leaves a smell. Cleanup needs care — wet it down, wear gloves, no dry sweeping.
An attic colony doesn't stay in the attic. Mice travel the walls into kitchens, bedrooms and closets.
Mice breed fast, so a few in October can be a much bigger problem by spring.
Attic, roofline, walls, basement, garage, utility lines and the outside foundation. We find the nests, the runways and every way in — not just the attic.
Traps set along the routes mice actually travel in the attic and walls, placed where kids and pets can't reach them.
Gaps at the foundation, pipes, wires, vents, soffits and roofline closed with materials mice can't chew through.
We come back to check activity. Mouse service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls. If the insulation is soiled, we can clean it up or replace it.
More about our sealing work: entry point sealing and mouse and rat extermination.
Not always. If there are only a few droppings in one corner, careful spot cleanup may be enough. Replacement makes sense when:
We do this work ourselves: removal of the soiled insulation, HEPA cleanup and odor control, and new insulation once the attic is clean and the entry points are sealed. Doing it in that order matters — new insulation in an attic that isn't sealed just becomes a new nest. See attic insulation removal and replacement.
If you clean a small area yourself: open the attic to air it out first, wear gloves and a mask, spray droppings and nests with a disinfectant until wet, let it sit, then wipe up with paper towels and bag everything. Don't sweep or vacuum dry droppings — that puts dust in the air.
| Method | Does it work in the attic? | The catch |
|---|---|---|
| Snap traps | Yes, for a few mice | Must be set along runways and checked often — hard in a cramped or hot attic |
| Poison bait | Kills mice, but risky | Mice often die inside walls or insulation and smell for weeks; loose bait is dangerous for kids and pets |
| Ultrasonic plug-ins | Not really | Sound doesn't pass through insulation, and mice get used to it |
| Peppermint oil, dryer sheets, soap | No | Short-lived smells don't move a nest |
| Steel wool in one hole | Partly | Helps for a while, but rusts, and there are usually many more gaps |
| Professional removal + exclusion | Yes | Costs more up front, but it deals with the reason mice keep coming back |
Trapping yourself? Our tips on the best mouse trap bait help. If you're still hearing them after a couple of weeks, the problem is the way in.
We give a free quote after we've seen the house, because the price depends on what's really going on. The main things that change it:
Call or text 973-510-2585 with what you're hearing and a photo, and we'll explain the options.
Tell us what you're hearing, when, and what you've found up there. Send a photo if you can — we'll give you a free quote and explain the plan.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
The most common signs are light scratching or skittering overhead at night, small pointed droppings on the attic floor or insulation, tunnels or nests in the insulation, and a musty urine smell. Text us a photo of the droppings next to a coin and we'll tell you what it is.
No. An attic gives mice warmth, shelter and nesting material, so once they settle in they stay and breed. Even if the noise fades, they're usually still there or have moved into the walls. Removing them and sealing the entry points is the only lasting fix.
Most climb up inside the walls from the basement, garage or crawl space, or follow pipes, wires and the chimney. Others get in at the roofline through soffit gaps and loose vents. A mouse can squeeze through a gap about the width of a pencil.
Most homes see a big drop in activity within the first week or two once traps are set and the gaps are sealed. Older homes with many entry points can take longer. Mouse service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls, so we keep coming back until it's under control.
Timing is the best clue. Mice are active at night and sound light and quick. Squirrels are busy in the early morning and late afternoon and sound heavier, like running or rolling. Squirrel droppings are larger and rounder than mouse droppings.
They can be. Mice chew wiring, ruin insulation and leave droppings and urine that build up over time. The droppings need careful cleanup: wet them with disinfectant first and never sweep or vacuum them dry. They also tend to spread into the rest of the house.
Only if it's badly soiled. A few droppings can be cleaned up, but insulation that is tunneled, flattened, stained with urine or smells usually needs to come out. We remove it, do HEPA cleanup and odor control, and install new insulation after the attic is sealed.
We don't recommend it inside the house. Poisoned mice often die inside walls or deep in insulation, where they can't be reached and cause a strong smell for weeks. Loose bait is also a risk for kids and pets. Traps plus sealing is the safer approach indoors.
You can seal gaps you find, but only after the mice inside are gone, or you may trap them in the walls. Most homes also have more openings than people find on their own. A professional inspection covers the foundation, utility lines and roofline together.
We're based in Garfield and serve Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties, with same-day visits often available. Call or text 973-510-2585 to check your town. NJ License 90568B, 4.9 stars on Google.
Sí. Sacamos los ratones, sellamos las entradas y limpiamos o cambiamos el aislamiento si hace falta. Hablamos español — llame o mande texto al 973-510-2585.
From our base in Garfield we serve homes throughout Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
