Mice are the rodents that are the biggest nuisance for many landlords and tenants. Mice are dangerous to the properties available in your place, and they are also dangerous to human health. The mouse will enter your place in search of food and shelter, and they love to live in a dark environment. They can enter any of the holes in your home as their body is very flexible. There are many steps to control the mice infestation and the first step is to seal their entry points. In this article, we are going to discuss, how to find and seal mice entry points.
How to Find Mice Entry Points?
Signs of Mouse Entry Points
Any crack or gap in your place can act as an entry point for mice. You should look for the below-listed signs near all the holes and cracks in your place, which are used by the mouse to enter and exit your home. Some of the common signs are,
- Tracks and Footprints
- Gnaw marks
- Urine stains
- Mice droppings
Mice can roam around your place, and they are frequent eaters so they will release droppings often. You can search for urine stains and rodent droppings; you can also find gnaw marks in many places because they love to chew.
Where do you need to look for?
It is known that rodents like mice and rats can enter any of the holes and cracks that are larger than the size of a dime. Most people do not know, where to look for the entry points, so here we have listed some of the common entry points for rodents in your home,
On Exterior Walls
- Transitions from one wall to another
- Weep holes in brick
- Trees or branches near a window
- Plumbing pipes and faucets
- Cable and gas lines
- Plumbing pipes
- Dryer vents
Inside the Home
- Windows and windowsills
- Gaps between exterior doors and the floor, and exterior door and wall juncture
- Floor corners in closets
- Floor vents and dryer vents
- Fireplaces
- Basements and crawl spaces
- Pipes that connect water heaters and furnaces
In the Kitchen
- Inside, below, and behind kitchen cabinets
- Stoves, refrigerators, and other large appliances
- Pipes under the sink
- Kitchen vents
In the Bathroom
- Shower and bathtub drains
- Pipes under the sink
- Bathroom vents
In the Laundry Room
- Household dryer vents
- Laundry room floor drains
- Pipes around washing machines
Around the Attic
- Roof rafters
- Roof eaves
- Roof vents
These are the common entry points for mice and rats to enter your place, try to search all the places in your home and take a proper action.
How to Seal Mice Entry Points?
- Use steel wool or aluminium mesh for small gaps around the house because mice cannot chew steel and aluminium. Note that steel can rust easily and quickly so, you can make use of copper wool.
- Use exterior caulking or wood putty to reseal the holes after sealing them with mesh wires.
- Use can also use sheet metals to seal the gaps, but they cannot be used before ventilators and windows. But all the other small gaps can be sealed with sheet metals.
- If you notice any large gaps or cracks in your wall, use cement to seal them which is the permanent solution.
Conclusion
The above listed are the methods to find and seal the entry points for mice and other rodents. Make use of these methods if you found any mouse or rat in your place. If you cannot handle the infestation then hire a professional pest control service to get rid of mice for years.