Most everyone I know has some type of “fear” that totally skives them out.
For some people it is spiders, for some it may be cockroaches, or it could be any other of a wide variety of creepy crawlies.
For me, it is mice.
If I see one of these tiny beings, I will totally freak out and run for my life (please don’t judge me! – ha ha!!)!
Throughout various properties that I am responsible for, I use differing methods of control in order to disallow mice from working their way in and setting up shop.
Although these methodologies have been proven to be quite effective, the big question always is, how do the mice get in there in the first place??
Valid question.
The simplest answer is – any way they can!
In general, mice do not need that big of a hole whatsoever – typically not bigger than a dime – in order to make their way inside a home or business and start exploring.
With the alternative being getting overrun with these tiny creatures, in many properties, some type of mouse control is vital.
In addition to control measures, here are some tips in terms of limiting access points:
– Old bulkheads (basement doors) – make sure these are very well sealed, these tend to lose their tightness over time and can develop into great entry points for mice
– The weather stripping at the bottom of entry and garage doors – if these are not solidly tight, mice will very easily work their way in
– Holes in the foundation or a gap where your foundation meets the main exterior siding – these entry points are especially tricky to neutralize because mice can (as an example) enter from one area (i.e. – just above one’s sill plate) and begin to work their way in behind your siding until they gradually find a path into the house
– Gaps associated with windows – mice will often work their way around a property until they find a weak link around a window, many times this ends up being an unknown space large enough to fit the mouse, yet tiny enough to be undetected
– A gap around a pipe that enters the home – this could be a water pipe, a gas pipe, or the like – definitely an attractive possible entry point!
To prevent the unsettling feeling of seeing a mouse scurry across the room as you are comfortably watching television on any given evening, proper prevention tactics (as with most things) are critical.
I believe the best way to go is to bundle a mouse control plan with an approach of making sure that any potential entry point is as limited as possible.
It is good to have a mouse control system in place, if able to be done, it is even better to stop the mice from getting in altogether.
The key is to eliminate any semblance of a gap that mice might be able to squeeze their little bodies through.
This includes making sure any rotted wood that can easily be gnawed through for access is properly replaced.
Unfortunately, prospective areas of ingress can be seemingly everywhere, the more possibilities you are able to eliminate though, the less of a chance that you will have that random startling encounter with this tiny animal, which has been known to make even the bravest of heart jump up on tables in order to avoid them!
