Mice can squeeze through a hole the size of a nickel, and rats can squeeze through a hole the size of a half dollar! Prevent rodents from entering the home by checking inside and outside the house for gaps or holes.
Where to look for gaps or holes inside your home
- Inside, under, and behind kitchen cabinets, refrigerators and stoves.
- Inside closets near the floor corners.
- Around the fireplace.
- Around doors.
- Around the pipes under sinks and washing machines.
- Around the pipes going to hot water heaters and furnaces.
- Around floor vents and dryer vents.
- Inside the attic.
- In the basement or crawl space.
- In the basement and laundry room floor drains.
- Between the floor and wall juncture.
Where to look for gaps or holes outside your home
- In the roof among the rafters, gables, and eaves.
- Around windows.
- Around doors.
- Around the foundation
- Attic vents and crawl space vents.
- Under doors.
- Around holes for electrical, plumbing, cable, and gas lines.
Fill small holes with steel wool. Put caulk around the steel wool to keep it in place. Use lath screen or lath metal, cement, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting to fix large holes. These materials can be found at your local hardware store. Fix gaps in trailer skirtings and use flashing around the base of the house. If you do not remember to seal up entry holes in your home, rodents will continue to get inside. Outbuildings and garages should also be sealed to prevent the entrance of rodents.
[Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2010-07-29]