You may love entertaining guests and having people over at your home. That’s the thing though - you want to have people over, not pests. That goes especially for rodents. Rodents can really do a number on your home and threaten the health and safety of those living in it. But how can you tell if you have one?

Hearing noises in the night isn’t all that uncommon, nor is it an automatic guarantee that you’re playing host to rodents. Houses settle, after all. Still, if what you’re hearing is squeaking, chittering, scratching, or thumping within your walls, there’s a good chance that rodents are the cause. You’re most likely to hear these sounds at night, since rodents like mice and rats tend to be most active at night.

If you notice suspicious holes in packaging, there’s a good chance you have a rodent problem on your hands. It’s easy enough for mice and rats to chew through cardboard and flimsy plastic. Once they’ve gotten through to the food or whatever else may be inside, it will be contaminated, and, in the case of food, no longer usable. That’s why it’s so important to keep food in tightly sealed containers. It’s harder for them to find food and get to it that way.

Food isn’t the only thing they’ll damage though. Rodents often like to chew on wires and other materials you have in your home. Be sure to take a look at your wiring on a regular basis to make sure it remains undamaged. Damaged wiring is a huge safety hazard.

Obviously, if you find urine stains or droppings, you can take that as a sign that you have a rodent problem. You’re most likely to find urine stains and droppings on shelves and in the backs of drawers and cabinets. You may find them underneath the furniture lining your walls as well if they are pieces that allow space between themselves and the floor.

It’s hard to fix a problem that you don’t know about. That’s why it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for signs that indicate that you’re dealing with a rodent problem. While not an exclusive list, noises in the night, damage from chewing and gnawing, and finding urine stains or droppings around your home are all indicators you should definitely pay attention to. Remember, if you see one, odds are that there are more of them.

Get to know the rodents you could find yourself facing. Read this next: A Quick Introduction to the Mice and Rats of the Pacific Northwest .