Where Do Mice Hide in a House? 10 Places We Find Them Most in NEPA Homes
Mice don’t hang out in the middle of your kitchen floor. In Northeast Pennsylvania — including Scranton and Wilkes-Barre — they look for quiet, warm, low-traffic areas where they can move between food and shelter without being noticed.
If you’ve heard scratching at night, found droppings, or spotted one mouse and hoped it was a fluke, this guide walks you through the most common hiding spots we uncover during rodent inspections in NEPA homes — and what signs to check for.
If you’re wondering whether it could really be “just one,” start here: Could it be just one mouse?
Why Mice Hide (and Why NEPA Homes Are Especially Vulnerable)
Mice choose hiding spots based on three needs:
- Safety
- Warmth
- Easy access to food and water
In Northeast PA, two additional factors make homes especially vulnerable:
- Freeze-thaw cycles that widen tiny foundation and siding gaps
- Older construction styles (stone foundations, fieldstone basements, layered renovations) that create hidden voids between rooms
Remember: a mouse can squeeze through an opening about 1/4 inch wide — roughly the width of a pencil.
For more on how they get inside, see: Mice in Pennsylvania Homes
10 Places Mice Hide in a House (And What to Look For)
If you suspect mice, start where food and heat are. Then move outward to structural voids and low-traffic storage areas.
1) Behind the Refrigerator (and Under the Stove)
Appliances give off steady warmth, and crumbs collect along wall edges.
Look for: small dark droppings along the back wall, greasy rub marks at floor level, shredded debris, and gnawed food packaging nearby.
2) Kitchen Cabinets and Pantry Areas
Back corners and rarely used shelves provide cover with easy access to stored food.
Check for: pellet-shaped droppings tucked into corners, torn bags or boxes, pinholes in packaging, and scattered food particles behind items.
3) Under Kitchen and Bathroom Sinks
Plumbing openings often leave small gaps that connect to wall voids.
Inspect around pipe penetrations for: droppings clustered near the back of cabinets, damp nesting material, and visible openings where pipes enter the wall.
4) Laundry and Utility Areas (Including Furnace and Water Heater)
These spaces stay warm and often contain exterior vent or line penetrations.
Common signs include: droppings along baseboards, chew marks near vent lines, lint or insulation disturbance, and small gaps around utility entries.
5) Basement Rim Joists and Sill Plates
In many NEPA homes, this is a primary entry zone due to freeze-thaw expansion and older foundation materials.
Look along foundation ledges for: droppings, disturbed insulation, daylight around utility lines, and widening gaps at seams.
6) Crawl Spaces and Under Additions
Protected and rarely disturbed, these areas are ideal for nesting.
Watch for: droppings along joists, tunneled insulation, gathered nesting piles, and soil disturbance near foundation openings.
7) Inside Wall Voids
Walls act as hidden highways between kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and attics.
You may notice: scratching sounds at night, droppings appearing along baseboards, faint squeaking, or recurring activity in one section of wall.
8) Attics (Especially in Insulation)
Insulation provides warmth and nesting material, and rooflines often have subtle entry gaps.
Check for: droppings near stored boxes, insulation that looks flattened or tunneled, chewed vent screens, and gnawed wood near soffits.
9) Closets and Storage Areas
Holiday décor bins, cardboard boxes, and long-term storage often go undisturbed.
Look inside containers for: droppings, shredded paper or fabric, chew marks on bin corners, and small nesting piles in soft materials.
10) Garages (Especially Along the Shared Wall to the House)
Garage door gaps and clutter make this a common transition zone.
Inspect behind stored items for: droppings along interior walls, chewed cardboard, light visible under doors, and worn weather stripping.
If you want the nesting-focused version of this topic, this companion article is helpful: Where Do Mice Usually Nest in a House?
A Quick Reality Check: Hiding Spots Often Mean More Than One Mouse
If you’re seeing signs in more than one area — or hearing activity in multiple rooms — it’s rarely a single mouse situation.
Mice reproduce quickly, and hidden nesting sites can turn into a larger issue faster than most homeowners expect.
If you’re concerned about property damage, this may also help: Rodents and Fire Hazards in PA Homes
How to Confirm You Have Mice (Without Tearing Your House Apart)
Here’s the simple, low-stress approach we recommend:
- Follow the walls. Mice travel along edges and baseboards.
- Check heat + food + water zones first. Kitchens, pantries, laundry rooms, basements.
- Look for the “3 signs” together: droppings, gnaw marks, and nesting materials.
- Inspect entry points from low to high. Foundation up to roofline.
If you’re also concerned about rats (which behave a little differently), these identification pages can help:
Clean-Up and Safety Tip (Especially In Basements and Storage Rooms)
If you find droppings or nesting material, avoid sweeping or vacuuming it dry. The CDC recommends a wet cleaning/disinfecting approach to reduce the chance of contaminated particles becoming airborne.
When It’s Time to Call the Local Pest Control Pros
If you’re seeing repeated signs or hearing activity inside walls, the issue is almost always larger than it appears on the surface. Evergreen Pest Solutions, a local pest control company serving Scranton and surrounding areas, can inspect your home, identify entry points, and recommend a practical plan to eliminate activity and help prevent it from coming back.
Request help here: Contact Evergreen Pest Solutions
If you’re looking for year-round protection that includes rodent issues in NEPA, you can also explore: home pest control plans
