Rodent-proofing, or rodent exclusion, is the process of sealing up all of the small openings that mice or rats use to enter a building. Typical rodent-proofing steps are screening vents, caulking around openings where conduits enter, patching cracks around the foundation, repairing roof soffits, adding door sweeps or thresholds, caulking around foundation vents, and reinforcing areas where rodents have gnawed (see Mouse-proofing Your Home – Advice From the Pros).

Here’s the problem. A mouse can squeeze through an opening that is only 3/8-inch high. We sometimes say that you have to seal any crevice that is the width of a pencil and any hole bigger than a dime! How can you possibly find and seal all of the openings in your home that are larger than 1/4-inch? You can’t, but diligent rodent-proofing really can seal enough openings to make a difference.

It’s Time-Consuming, But it Works

In one test, 64 homes that had previously been infested by mice were randomly divided into two groups. One group received rodent-proofing by sealing openings associated with chases, roof eaves, and attics with insulation and wire mesh. When all houses were sampled again approximately 6 months later, the researchers found that the rodent-proofed houses were infested by mice significantly less often (3 of the 28) compared to the non-rodent-proofed houses (13 of the 36). The average number of mice that got inside was also less for the rodent-proofed houses.

Let Colonial Do the Rodent-Proofing For You

If you look at this blog, How Are Mice Getting Into My House, you will be totally overwhelmed by all of the places where mice can get in and that need to be rodent-proofed. And the older your home, the more openings. But guess what? You don’t have to do all that work yourself. At Colonial Pest we specialize in pest exclusion jobs. We use high-quality materials and our work is guaranteed. Call Colonial today and ask about our Rodent Exclusion services.

Photo Credit : By Carsten Volkwein | CC BY-SA 2.5