How do mice enter a building?

Mice will enter into your home using different means, and the most common entry points are spaces around windows and doors. Other common entry points are areas that have not been properly screened in the attics or eaves, cracks in the foundation, and the soil access areas of the plumbing penetration. Weep holes of brick constructed homes are a common way that mice may enter into the home. The weep holes are also sometimes referred to as welcome stations and are like tiny doors where the unwanted guests may come in. The use of proper screening and seals is the chemical free way that you can keep the unwanted guests away from your home.

In the construction phase of the brick-veneer structure, gaps called weep holes are built on purpose at the lower layers of the bricks so that the wall may ventilate or drain. The problem with these weep holes is that they can allow the pests to enter freely into the interior of the walls. There are homeowners who do not realize this and they try the mice repellent and electronic pest control instead. They might also consider the use of mice poison, mouse traps or mice extermination. However, these will not have a long-lasting effect. Mice will keep coming in until the weep holes are dealt with.

The mice are known to be the best when it comes to finding gaps where they may crawl inside. These include entrances found at the walls where the pipes are and those found on the exterior of the home where the soffet and the flashing meet. The mice can also enter where doors do not close well or where there are gaps around the windows. There are also other gaps on the bricks that were not intentional that mice can use. The roof should also not be ignored when searching for where mice can gain access to the house. You have to check the venting and consider the places where the mice may get on the roof by using pipes, wires or bushes.

Go back to the How to Get Rid of Mice page or email us if you have any other questions about How do mice enter a building?