· By Ruth Calloway · 1 min read
The five ways mice get in
A mouse needs a gap the width of a pencil. Here are the five places we find them most often, and how each one is sealed.
Every autumn, as the fields are cut and the nights get cold, mice look for a warm way in. They don’t need much: a gap the width of a pencil is enough.
1. Round pipes and cables
Where the water, gas and air-conditioning lines go through the wall. Copper mesh, then sealant: mice chew through foam, not copper.
2. Under doors
The garage door and the cellar door are the usual ones. A new sweep or a rubber seal closes them.
3. Vents
Gable vents, foundation vents, the dryer vent. A stainless steel screen keeps the air moving and the mice out.
4. Where the roof meets the wall
Gaps under the eaves and round the chimney, reached from a branch that touches the roof. Trim the branch, seal the gap.
5. The crawlspace door
Often warped, often left ajar. Make it close properly and latch it.