There’s a creak in the house, no one is stirring—could it be a mouse? Regardless of if your home was built in the 80’s, 70’s or beyond, a mice problem isn’t one anyone likes to deal with. You may find them in your cupboards, in-between the walls; Can Mice Climb Walls? You may even be asking yourself.
They can, they do, and due to their evolutionary genes, they can climb most walls, smooth or rigid.
Mice can enter your home through your water systems (they’re great swimmers), through the smallest nooks in walls or door frames, and even just right through the front door if given the chance. Mice are nocturnal, so you’ll be at odds with yourself to even know that they’re in your house, until the creaks start.
A mouse problem is similar to a rat problem, just more infectious, a mouse is smaller, quicker and is able to reproduce at a much higher rate than a rat. Finding the mouse, eliminating the way in which the rodents have found their way into your home is a must, the sooner the better—or you may soon find them climbing up your walls.
What types of walls can mice not climb, which are their muses, and what can you do to stop it?
Can Mice Climb Walls Vertically?
Mice can climb walls vertically, they can shimmy from the inside of walls across drainpipes—sometimes even through light sockets (though this has a necrotic end for them).
Whether it be smooth interior walls with finished trim or brick layed walls outside of your home, mice will find a way to climb it. Though there are some types of walls that mice are unable to climb, those being:
- Smooth plastic walls (Think a large tupperware container)
- This is why the most common form of mice containment and disinfesting is to fill up a large plastic bucket with water, then leave it out. Mice are curious creatures, and it gets the better of them most of the time. Leaving out a bucket can rid you of a couple of mice, but could still leave a lot to be desired if you’re dealing with a full blown infestation.
- Smooth metal (Insulated furnaces, industrial grade material)
- Though not commonplace in homes, smooth surfaces—regardless of makeup, are mice’s worst enemy.
- Glazed and Smooth Wood (More commonly found as floors)
- Glazed and smoothed wood are notorious for disallowing mice to latch onto them with their claws, though the downside to this material is that it is not usually found in most homes—rather not their walls.
Painted, unsmoothed walls are easy for mice to traverse. Microscopic holes lead to an easy pathway for mice to rock-climb and shimmy their way from one area of your home to another, sometimes unseen.
Want to stop mice from climbing on your walls? There’s plenty of ways to prevent them.
Attaching sheet metal bands to your walls (one foot above ground level, and one foot below the ceiling) is an easy way, though requires legwork and can possibly be an eyesore if you have a more contemporary style of home.
Another way is by using essential oils, dabbing a cotton ball then leaving it in a cupboard, on a windowsill, or even towards minor openings or blemishes in your home is enough to ward off uninvited guests.
But when all else fails, you may have to call your local exterminator. They will definitely get the job done, though it can be pricey due to whatever level of infestation is occurring at your home.
Can Mice Climb Brick Walls?
We’ve already broken the code that mice can climb vertically, but brick walls laid on the outside of your home? They can climb those too, that’s why they’re called pests, they’re hard to get rid of and somehow—someway, they always find a way to get inside your home and living spaces.
Mice are able to climb up to two meters (around six feet) up and around any type of wall, so long as their claws can grip it. This can lead to them scurrying their way outside, up your brick wall and through the windowsill. Due to mice’s compact size, they’re able to squeeze into areas that only have a five millimeter gap (as small as a pen’s width!)
If there are trees nearby your home, leaves brushing against your windowsill, a forest of friends could be waiting to come in. Mice are known to climb up trees and onto thin branches in order to get onto rooftops, windowsills, easier access to climb wallsor sometimes more advantageous spots for their survival.
Weep vents, a precautionary type of gap in-between your brick wall that allows for any interior moisture to find its way out, are a mouse’s best friend. The very slim gap that you can barely push your fingers through, allows just enough room for a mouse to squeeze itself through into your residence.
Besides climbing onto window sills, the weep vent is a mouse’s primary form of infiltration. In order to stop and hinder the mouse from doing so, investing into outdoor mouse traps could be the way in which you stop the mouse problem before it ever becomes one.
It can be infuriating to deal with on multiple fronts, from mice gnawing through the lining/trimming of your walls to them even leaving droppings in cabinets after they’ve chewed through your perishables.
Can mice Climb Painted Walls?
Vertically, across and up bricks and yes—climbing even painted walls, Mice are versatile, save for what has been mentioned before, they can climb most things. Painted walls may even be easier to climb.
No matter how well you paint a wall, nor how smooth it looks, there are still chances for it to have some minor abrasions that leave notches and give mice the ability to continually climb.
Even a rough painted surface still gives mice the textile grip they need in order to scurry their way up the texture. Globs of paint dried are like rocks on a rock wall, mice will slip their grip and easefully guide themselves across it and up your wall.
Now, while the mice will climb vertically, know that it has its limits. They’re not spiders; if you have fifteen foot high walls the mouse themselves are not going to climb up every inch of that wall to get to the top, it’s all out of necessity for them. If there is a hidden pathway in-between the walls, or even a small hole the mouse has found, they’ll take the shortest path to get to it.
Vertically or not, the mouse will find a way to make its mark on your walls, leaving droppings, small possible scraps and bruises plastered into your walls, they’re not there for show; the mouse is about and you need to have a plan to get rid of them.
Indoor mouse traps, peanut butter traps, or even the classic mousetrap that everyone thinks of when they hear mousetrap, there are plenty DIY ways for you to rid mice from your home, just know that it takes time, some money, and any form of progress (a dead rodent) is a great sign.
Killing one rodent is not good enough (you must eliminate all sources of food from your property), if you’ve found one dead, it’s merely the beginning.
Can Mice Climb Smooth Walls?
The answer to this depends on the types of walls in which you have, if it’s one of the aforementioned substances that mice aren’t able to stick to, then NO, mice cannot climb smooth walls. But just because a wall looks smooth to you does not mean it is that way for the mouse.
If the makeup of the wall is porous, then mice will find a way (no matter if it works for them or not) to latch onto it and shimmy up and away.
Concrete that is smooth, is not porous, so if you have an unfinished basement with concrete lined walls, mice will not be able to climb up those. Same goes for plastic. If it’s not porous, a mouse cannot climb it. The bucket method (as mentioned before) is a way in which mice are able to be exterminated without much care from your part, due to its plastic lined walls.
It’s best to make sure your wall is actually smooth, glide your hand against it, if you feel a single notch in it or abrasion—a mouse can feel twenty. That’s the problem when it comes to mice invading your home, they’re hard to spot, but when you do—you know it’s already a problem.
Follow the principle, if you spot a mouse, that means they’ve been there for awhile, if they can climb up your walls or not does not matter in terms of your infestation, they’ve found their way in, and since they’ve set up residency, your home is fitting enough for them.
At home mouse traps, buckets, exterminators, there are a plethora of ways to deal with a mouse problem (thereby also a rat problem), it’s just what works best for YOU. If you’re willing to go at your own pace, and feel as if you have the situation under control, set up mouse traps in high traffic areas of your home, in cabinets, in dark closets, heck, even in attics or the basement.
Places less visited by you are more common to have the things (and pests) you never suspected residing in them.
| Other Areas that Mice Attempt to Climb |
|---|
| mice climb ceilings |
| mice climb stairs |
| mice climb trees |
| mice climb glass |
How do you stop mice from climbing walls?
If you have noticed mice climbing up your walls, there are a few steps you can take to help stop them.
1. Seal any cracks or holes in your walls or foundation. Mice can fit through holes as small as a dime, so be sure to check for any potential entry points.
2. Place wire mesh or metal flashing around the base of your walls. This will help keep the mice from being able to climb up the walls.
3. Install a motion-activated light or an ultrasonic pest repeller near the walls to deter mice.
4. Place glue boards or sticky traps along the walls. These will catch the mice if they manage to climb up the walls. By following these steps, you can help keep mice from climbing up your walls.
