If you have heard scratching in the walls, seen droppings, or noticed gnawed food packaging, you might have a rodent issue. However, before you eliminate these unwelcome visitors, determine how they are entering your house in the first place. Rats and mice squeeze through small gaps and sneak into warm, cozy spaces. If you suspect a rodent infestation, contact a pest control company like Pointe Pest Control to help you eliminate it. When trying to determine how rodents get into your home, below are steps you can take:
Check the Outside of Your House
Rodents comes from the outside. To determine how they are getting in, carefully inspect the exterior of your house. Walk around and look for small openings, gaps, or cracks where these pests might sneak in. Pay attention to the foundation. Even tiny foundation cracks can allow rodents to slip through. If you spot small holes, deteriorating mortar, or gaps in bricks, these could be possible entry points.
Additionally, check the doors for gaps at the bottom, particularly garage doors, patio doors, and basement doors. If light comes through the bottom of these doors, this means a mouse or rat can get in. Also, check for worn-out or missing weather stripping because this allows rodents to slip inside.
Utility openings and vents are usually overlooked; however, they can be access points for rats and mice. A lot of houses have vents for dryers, crawl spaces, and attic ventilation. These vents may be poorly sealed. Also, rodents can squeeze in around water, gas, and electrical lines and enter your house. Gaps around such areas must be sealed up properly to prevent rodents from entering.
Inspect Entry Points Inside Your House
After checking the outside part of your home, move indoors and look for signs of rodent entry points. Start with the attic and basement because rodents usually nest in these areas. Often, basements have gaps around pipes or cracks in walls. If you spot small openings near the floor, particularly where pipes come through, rats and mice may use this to get inside.
Also, attics are a hotspot for rodent activity. Gaps in the roof, openings around the chimney, or broken vents allow rats and mice to climb up and find their way inside. Look for signs of nesting materials, gnawed insulation, and droppings that could indicate rodent activity.
When inspecting your home’s main living areas, concentrate on the kitchen, laundry room, and pantry. Rats and mice are searching for food, so they usually visit these areas. Check behind appliances such as stoves, refrigerators, and dishwashers for small gaps or holes in the wall. Spotting droppings, greasy smudges, or chew marks along the walls could mean rodents have been moving in and out of such spaces.
Addressing Entry Points
Once you have discovered possible entry points for mice and rats, it’s time to take prompt action. This means sealing up such entry points.
Start by filling small cracks and holes with steel wool and caulk. Steel wool is particularly effective since rodents cannot chew through it. Use hardware cloth or wire mesh for bigger holes to block access. Also, expanding foam can work for sealing gaps around vents and pipes.
Gaps under doors can be addressed by installing door sweeps. Replace damaged weather stripping on windows and doors to ensure rats and mice cannot slip through.
In addition, keep your house clean and free of food sources. Store food in airtight containers and clean up spills and crumbs immediately.
Regular home inspections can prevent future rodent infestations. If you have sealed up possible entry points, but are still dealing with rodents, pest control experts can help identify less obvious access points and eliminate the infestation permanently.