Mice can fit through any opening roughly the size of a dime (a quarter inch), and they exploit gaps around foundations, utility lines, vents, doors, and rooflines to get inside.
If you’ve found mouse droppings in your kitchen or you’ve heard scratching in the walls at night, then you’re probably feeling deeply unsettled. Your home is supposed to keep the pests out. So how are they getting in?
First, it’s important to know that mice are really good at getting into places they shouldn’t. Their skulls are narrowed and their bodies are flexible. So they can compress themselves into gaps that look impossibly small. Mice have been known to get into foundation cracks and the space where pipes or wires enter the home. They can even get into dryer vents with broken or missing flaps. May as well be a wide-open door.
They're also excellent climbers. Mice can scale rough vertical surfaces like brick, stone, and wood siding, which means entry points aren't limited to ground level. Roofline gaps, soffit damage, and openings around attic vents are common entry points that homeowners don't think to check because they're not at eye level.
As temperatures drop in the fall across Southern New Hampshire, mice start looking for warmth, shelter, and food. A heated home provides all of those things. And once a mouse finds its way in and establishes a scent trail, others follow. A single pair of mice can produce dozens of offspring in a matter of months. So a pair of mice who’ve taken up residence behind your stove can become a massive problem within months.
Sealing entry points is one of the best ways you can prevent rodents from taking over your home. To do this, you can use steel wool and stuff it into small gaps, and also caulk around utility penetrations. It’s also smart to check weatherstripping under doors and make sure vent openings are properly sealed.
If you're already finding signs of activity like droppings, gnaw marks, nesting material, or sounds in the walls, then you probably have a serious infestation on your hands already. To deal with that, you need an expert, and Mosquito Squad of Southern New Hampshire can help through its rodent control services. When you work with Mosquito Squad, a professional will inspect your property to identify how mice are entering, then they’ll come up with a plan to reduce the existing population and prevent new ones from entering.
