Fully grown mice can squeeze into gaps about the size of a dime. That means they often enter through gaps under exterior doors, the garage door, settling cracks in the foundation, openings where pipes and cables pass through walls, dryer and exhaust ports, roof and gable vents, chimney flues, seams along rooflines and soffits, and hairline cracks along window trim.
If you see rodents in your home, it’s natural to wonder how they managed to get inside in the first place. The truth is that rodents are so small that they can access the home through even the tiniest gaps.
A lot of the time, rodents are able to get in the same way people do: the door. Doors often have gaps under the front, back, and side. Unless these seals are replaced, rodents can easily get in. This is extra true for garage doors where the gaskets at the bottom often take a beating.
Foundations are also common entry points for rodents. Small settling cracks open in every foundation as a house ages, invisible from five feet away, ample at mouse scale. Right behind them: utility penetrations, every spot where a pipe, wire, or cable passes through the wall. Dryer and exhaust ports are also common entry points as their flaps and screens have a tendency to age quietly.
Mice are also very good at climbing home exteriors. If you have rodents in the attic, they may be getting in through roof and gable vents, roofline seams, soffits, gutters, chimney flues, and other openings.
In practice, if you’re worried about rodents, the best thing you can do is seal gaps in early fall to reduce the odds of rodents getting inside. Better yet, you can have a professional do it for you as trained eyes often catch small entry points that DIY scans miss.
If you have a rodent infestation, Mosquito Squad of North Shore can help. Mosquito Squad finds out how rodents are getting in and then blocks the entry points. Then they help remove the current population and set up annual inspections to make sure they stay gone. This service is available through Complete Home & Yard coverage.
