If you think that mice cannot get into your home, you might want to think again. Many homeowners are very surprised to learn that mice have gotten into their homes even though the homeowner believed there are no access points for them to fit through. It is very important to know how mice can enter your home.
All pests move into an area seeking three things: food, water, and harborage. As the temperatures drop in the fall and winter months, these things become scarce on the outside, driving rats and mice into homes as they follow their survival instinct.
Inspect your home for possible points of entry.
Inspect the interior and the exterior of your home for potential breech areas. A mouse’s skeletal structure is built in such a way that it can easily squeeze through cracks and holes that seem impossibly small. You can’t look at a crack and think it is too small for a mouse because it very well may not be – and you could wind up with an infestation.
If the hole is the size of a dime, they can get in.
Possible points of entry for mice to get into your home include:
- Gaps around windows
- Cracks under doors
- Gaps where the ceiling meets the wall
- Holes in the wall or ceilings
- Openings around sewer lines
- Drainage pipes that are not properly sealed
- Bath tub or sink drains
- Animal feed that was stored in a shed or outside and brought into the basement or garage or winder weather
- Entry holes around oven gas lines or plumbing
- In boxes that may have been stored in the attic, especially if the boxes have paper products inside
- Boxes or bags from someone else’s house
A couple of mice that sneak into your home can turn into several hundred mice in a matter of months. They can get into your food supply, damage your furniture and other belongings, and subject you, your family, and your pets to serious diseases.
Prevention is the key.
Use Plastic Containers to Protect Food
The best way to manage a mouse infestation is to prevent it from ever happening. Seal all cracks, holes, and openings with cement or metal. Ensure that all of your doors and windows close as they should and that there are no gaps under doors.
Store your food in plastic containers that have tight, sealing lids. Do not leave food lying around, clean up any food waste when it occurs and don’t let food sit out overnight. Don’t leave water standing either. Once you eliminate the food, water, and harborage, the mouse will go elsewhere or will not be attracted to your home in the first place.
If you have a mouse problem…
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, your mouse problem persists. That is when it is time to call a professional. If you would like a pest professional to inspect your home for potential points of entry for mice and other pests, or if you have an infestation you need to eliminate, Preventive Pest Control can help. Give us a call and one of our qualified Phoenix rodent control technicians will come to your home and assess your risk for a mouse infestation so that your home can be pest free.
Mice can get into a home in many different ways that you may not have ever considered. It is important for homeowners to understand how and why mice enter a home – and what they can do about it.