Mice crawl into houses through the smallest cracks in the roof, walls, foundation or open doors and windows. They attracted to houses by warm temperatures, moist spaces and source of food and nesting materials.
It can be hard to spot the exact place where mice enter the house from because they can fit through spaces as small as large coins. This is why mouse prevention in the house can be difficult.
However, there are certain measures you can take to prevent these furry creatures from scurrying into your house. Getting rid of mice that are already in the house is more difficult but possible, as well.
Read on to learn more about how mice enter your house and how to prevent new mice coming inside.
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How Do Mice Enter Your House?
The body of a mouse is very flexible, they can squeeze their bodies through openings that seem far too small for them. Mice can crawl through any space that is big enough for their little head to fit through.
Though impressive, this does mean that mice have ample opportunity to get inside your house. Holes where wiring enters your house, cracks in the walls or foundation, air vents and loose roofing are common entryways for mice.
If you are worried about mice entering the house then be sure to seal any cracks near your exterior walls with caulk or cement. If there are openings that you cannot seal off like air vents or where piping and wires enter the house then you can use strong copper mesh to block the space.
What Attracts Mice to Your House?
Mice have two main reasons for entering your home; finding food and collecting nesting materials. Food and nesting materials are harder to find for mice in a clean house but a clean house does not completely rule out the possibility of mice.
Food sources for mice are leftovers left out in the open, crumbs on the floor and any food packaging that they can gnaw through like paper bags of dry food or open jars. Mice have very sharp teeth so thin plastic, cloth or paper packaging won’t deter them.
To prevent mice from getting into your food, make sure that you leave nothing out in the open and regularly clean the floor, tabletops and counters to clear away crumbs and spilled liquids. Keep the food in your pantry in well sealed boxes or tightly closed jars.
Mice also search the house for nesting materials. Fibrous materials like shredded pieces of cloth or lint, cardboard, paper, food wrappers or natural materials like wood chips are the kind of materials that mice look for to build their nest with.
If you notice tiny bite marks on furniture, magazines and books or a trail of string then you probably have a mouse colony in the house. This is a dangerous sign because nesting mice are looking to breed meaning that you might soon have even more mice in the house.
Mice Like Dark, Warm & Moist Spaces
Mice infestations are more likely to occur in the fall and winter when your house is a warm refuge for them. Mice like to nest in warm and moist spaces which your house could be full of, even if you are not aware of it.
Mice are also nocturnal animals, meaning that they are active during the night. This is why mice tend to crawl around in dark spaces of your house like the attic, in the walls and under floorboards.
Since mice stay away from predators, they are most likely to keep to quiet spaces in the house where humans and pets will have difficulty reaching them. Aside from basements, attics, walls and foundations, you can also find mice in cluttered storage space or other mouldy and damp spaces.
Here’s some additional bits of info on how mice might be sneaking their way into your house!
What to Do When You See a Mouse in the House?
When you spot a mouse in your home then the chances are that there are more mice scurrying in hidden spaces. You need to address this problem as soon as possible.
Read through the other posts on this website to find out what you can do to get rid of mice in the house. If you are unsure about the effectiveness then calling pest control is always the safest option.
Aside from catching the mice already in the house, you need to make sure that no new mice enter your home. Take the necessary precautions, even after you have already dealt with a mice infestation since it can become a recurring problem.
Remember, prevention is always better than having to deal with an infestation.