Central Indiana homeowner drove out mice, then 20 short-tailed shrews showed up indoors

A rural homeowner in central Indiana said short-tailed shrews have started showing up in the house, even though a prior pest-control effort had successfully brought a mice problem under control.

The situation, described in a Reddit post on r/pestcontrol, points to a reality for people living near farm fields and fragmented wildlife habitat: Solving one pest issue does not always end the pressure from wild animals trying to get inside.

What happened?

The poster described that their home sits on acreage in central Indiana amid cornfields, and it is the only property with substantial tree cover for about two miles — a setting they said brings heavy wildlife pressure. 

The house had already been professionally treated with exclusion work, bait, and traps, which had effectively dealt with mice. A short-tailed shrew had shown up once the previous year and initially seemed like an isolated case, but that changed dramatically. 

"Fast forward to now — we have had at least 20 shrews in the house in the last 2-3 months," the poster wrote. After a vacation, they added, "We have at least 3-4 shrews running around." 

The homeowner also said they had spoken with the pest control company's most experienced techs about the problem.

Comments gave advice on various methods to ward off the shrews. 

One user pointed out that it's smart to search for openings and shared an easier method of doing so: "I would advise someone go outside the house at night with a bright flashlight and someone else go in the basement with the lights off. See if you can see light coming in from the flashlight." 

They shared that this method worked for them, adding: "I had a tiny hole in my perimeter foundation and absolute incredible luck, the sun hit my neighbor's window which reflected on my house right where a tiny hole from an old pipe had gone through the perimeter foundation."

Why does it matter?

Even after paying for professional work and successfully dealing with mice, the homeowner still dealt with other wildlife getting inside. 

The combination of agricultural land, limited tree cover beyond their property, and a house that may offer warmth or entry points could be increasing contact between people and wild animals. 

One commenter even brought up humidity as a possible appealing climate for the shrews: "Is it humid in the basement? Have you tried a dehumidifier?"

More broadly, human expansion into and reshaping of natural spaces can intensify these encounters, a dynamic explored in this BBC Future report.

When one property becomes one of the only sheltered spots in an otherwise heavily altered landscape, animals may continue testing it.

What can I do?

A fresh inspection is often more useful than assuming an old mouse-proofing plan covers every possible entry route.

A home can be well equipped against one kind of pest but still vulnerable to another.

It can help to document exactly where the animals are showing up, when they are most active, and whether sightings cluster around a basement, garage, utility opening, crawl space, or door threshold. That information can give pest professionals a clearer starting point.

Homeowners can also ask for a recheck of exterior gaps, foundation penetrations, door sweeps, vents, and areas where vegetation or debris sits close to the house.

On rural properties, conditions around fields and tree lines can shift seasonally, making routine monitoring useful.

Pest prevention is rarely one-and-done. When surrounding habitat has been reduced or concentrated by human land use, nearby homes can become fallback shelter.

As one Redditor joked about the persistent problem: "Heck give it and the others names, buy them clothes, feed them and start their college funds soon. Hope you get a hold on these cute bastards."

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