Late winter can bring quiet problems indoors, especially in apartment buildings. One of the most common is mice. While the cold drives them inside, other things like shared walls, easy food access, and warm appliances give them everything they need to stick around. The spaces between units, vents, and pipes create perfect spots to stay hidden during the busy holiday season.
This is the time of year when we start hearing more about mice extermination in Ottawa apartments. Once things calm down after the holidays, those small signs become easier to spot. Whether you’re a renter or a property owner, it helps to know what to look for before the problem grows. If you’re noticing strange sounds, unusual smells, or signs of chewing, you’re probably not imagining it.
Scratching, Scurrying, or Night-time Noises
One of the earliest signs of mice is noise. Mice are most active when it’s dark and quiet, which makes apartment units a perfect place for them to move around at night.
When everything else slows down, the scratching or scurrying behind the walls stands out. You might notice it late at night or early in the morning. These sounds can echo off the drywall or ceilings, especially in smaller buildings or older multi-unit homes, making them feel louder and harder to ignore.
• Noises often come from the walls close to kitchens and bathrooms
• Ceilings or basement-level units may hear movement above or below late at night
• Some sounds may even come from behind appliances or under flooring
The more often you hear these sounds in the same places, the more likely mice have made a home nearby.
Gnaw Marks or Chewed Items Around the Unit
Mice need to chew constantly, and they leave signs behind. Gnaw marks are a clear clue. These can show up on furniture, food packaging, wires, baseboards, or even cabinet corners.
In Ottawa apartments, especially in older buildings, the risk goes beyond damaged furniture. Mice chewing on electrical wires can lead to outages or worse. They also create small holes near warm pipes or vents as they search for heat. These openings are usually the first entry points.
• Soft materials like bread bags, cereal boxes, or cardboard tend to get chewed first
• Wood trim near the floor may have small, rough bite marks
• Exposed wiring behind appliances or in closets is at higher risk
Finding bite marks in more than one place is often a sign the mice aren’t just passing through.
Unusual Smells or Droppings in Specific Areas
Another clear sign of an indoor mouse problem is droppings. These are small, dark, and pointed at each end. They’re most often found where food, warmth, or shelter is close by. If you’re seeing droppings in the same spots often, that means mice are likely feeding or nesting nearby.
Some places attract more activity than others. Apartments tend to see issues in areas that are pushed up against shared walls or inside cabinets. If parts of your unit don’t get checked often, like the back of pantry shelves or under seldom-used sinks, mice might be hiding there.
• Droppings may appear inside plastic bins, behind grocery bags, or around heating units
• A musty or slightly sour smell near closed areas may signal urine or nesting
• Closets that hold cleaning supplies or extra food are common hiding spots
Those small signs usually appear long before mice are seen in the open.
Pets Acting Strangely Near Walls or Cabinets
Cats and dogs tend to notice movement behind walls before we do. Mice have a smell that other animals pick up quickly, and they tend to move in short, sharp bursts that attract pet attention.
If pets suddenly grow fixated on the bottom of a cabinet, bark at a corner of the room, or dig behind appliances, they may be reacting to nearby mice. And while it’s normal for pets to play or explore, repeated focus in one spot often means something’s going on behind the scenes.
• Dogs may sniff and paw near vents, bottom drawers, or gaps by appliances
• Cats sometimes sit quietly near walls or tail plumbing lines for long periods
• If this behaviour becomes daily, it might point to growing activity
In late winter, many infestations go unnoticed, but house pets can help spot them early.
Neighbours Are Reporting Similar Activity
In apartments and townhomes, mice don’t just stay in one place. They travel through shared gaps behind cabinets, along heating ducts, or under flooring. That’s why mouse activity in your neighbour’s unit matters almost as much as what’s happening in your own.
If your building shares attics, crawlspaces, or basements, those are common points where mice can spread. Once one unit is affected, it’s not hard for them to reach another. Reports from neighbours or property staff should always be taken seriously.
• Shared walls often mean shared entry points
• Mice nest close to heat and food, so break rooms, old laundry rooms, or under stairwells are common base areas
• Delay in response allows fast spread between floors or across multiple units
By the time more than one resident has spotted movement, there’s a good chance the issue is bigger than it seems.
Act Before Spring: Your Late-Winter Advantage
Late winter is the right time to look for all the quiet signs. Mice breed more during spring, so this stretch between February and March gives us a narrow window to act before things pick up again. GO! Pest Control offers targeted treatments for apartments and multi-unit buildings, including discreet inspections and responsible control methods that keep residents safe and protected. Our experience dealing with both small units and large complexes across Ottawa means we can quickly address hidden nests and repeated entry points typical to the region.
Catching signs early protects apartments from further damage and spares residents the stress of a full infestation. Even if you’ve only found droppings or heard light scratching, it’s worth checking further. One overlooked corner could mean a larger nest only a few feet away.
By paying attention to the first warning signs, we help Ottawa renters and homeowners feel more in control. A mouse-free space is easier to maintain, safer for belongings, and calmer to live in, especially when shared walls make problems harder to contain. Knowing what to look for this season makes all the difference before the warmer weather begins.
Noticing droppings, scratching sounds, or chewed packaging in your apartment is a sign rodents may have found their way inside, especially with Ottawa’s cold weather pushing mice to seek shelter. We’ve assisted many renters with the same concerns, and early intervention always leads to the best results. To see how we approach mice extermination in Ottawa, call GO! Pest Control today.