How to Spot Rodent Entry Points

When it comes to dealing with rodents, we understand why you might feel uneasy. Rats and mice can be repulsive to think about, let alone remove from your home. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, rodents are capable of spreading over 35 diseases to humans through their saliva, urine, and feces, as well as through transmission to any fleas, ticks, and mites they can bring into your household.1 

To prevent a rodent infestation or take the necessary steps toward insulation removal to eradicate one that has already taken hold, it’s important to identify rodent entry points. By finding out where these pests can get in, you can seal these entry points and get back to feeling secure.

In this guide, we discuss some common rodent entry points and offer tips on how to find them.

Where Do Rodents Typically Enter a Home?

An adult mouse needs less than an inch of space to wiggle its way into your life, so you’ll need to be both patient and diligent as you do your best to rodent-proof your house.2 Once rodents make their way inside a home, they’ll typically go wherever is safe and in close proximity to a food source. To get inside, however, they will search the perimeter of the building for:

  • Holes between walls and pipes
  • Cracks in the foundation
  • Gaps around windows or doors

By identifying these possible entry points, you greatly reduce the chance of welcoming an unwanted guest into your living space.

Exterior Entry Points

Armed with a flashlight, caulk, and some weather stripping, take a walk around your property in search of gaps, cracks, and holes. Doing a general sweep of your home’s exterior can help you spot potential rodent entry points. Be sure to check:

  • The garage – If you have a garage, you’ll want to take a good look. It’s common for people to neglect the seal on their garage door, leaving it a perfect point of entry for pesky rodents to use.
  • Soft spots on the home’s exterior – Check the wood or vinyl of your doors, windows, and siding for signs of unusual wear and tear. When they can’t find ready access, rodents are notorious for chewing their way through some truly tough materials to get where they want to go.

Interior Entry Points

Rodents are tenacious, and can sneak into your home through surprising places. That’s why it’s vital to do a thorough inspection of your home’s interior as well as exterior.

Check on the following places:

  • Pipes and utility lines – Pay special attention to pipes and utility lines. These critters can even get in through your toilets, vents, and other less obvious points of entry from the outside world. 
  • Attics and crawl spaces – Last but not least, make sure to take a look around your attic. These warm and secluded spaces are particularly attractive for rodents looking to sleep and even breed in peace.

It might seem overwhelming, but it’s important to think like a rodent. Be resourceful. These animals have a relentless drive for survival, and you’ll need to be equally dedicated to making sure they stay out of your home.

How to Spot Rodent Entry Points

As you’re checking your home for entry points, keep an eye out for evidence of rodent activity. 

Some key signs a rodent has been nearby include:

  • Droppings
  • Urine stains
  • Teeth marks
  • Unusual pet behavior
  • Signs of digging or burrowing outside

If you’re having trouble determining where a rodent has been coming in, you can try scattering some talcum powder around possible entry points. If you return to find little pawprints in the dust, you’ll have a better idea of where to lay traps and do any necessary repairs.

As you make your way around the interior and exterior of your home, check for these telltale signs. They could make your investigation a lot simpler and save you invaluable time. If you already have an infestation, it’s crucial to identify these points of entry so that any extermination measures you take will be effective. Rodents are incredibly habitual and, should they survive, will more likely than not find their way back to the place that provided them shelter.

Protect Your Home Against Rodents with Attic Construction

Rodents are nothing if not persistent. They will do anything they can to survive, which means you need to take the necessary measures to keep your home free of any invaders. 

If you think you might be in the midst of an active infestation, however, you’ll want to get connected with a professional exterminator or pest control company of your choosing. These experts will provide both peace of mind and the quality service you need to get rid of your rodent problem fast.

Identifying entry points and even sealing them up can seem like a simple enough task to do on your own. However, as previously mentioned, it can be pretty easy to miss those tight spaces where rodents find a way into your home. At Attic Construction, we offer a range of rodent proofing services from thorough inspections to sealing up entry points in your attic without compromising your home’s ventilation.

Additionally, we offer attic decontamination and rodent cleanup services to remove rodent waste and sanitize your living space in the aftermath of an infestation. With our expertise, we can rid your home of rodent-related health hazards that have been linked to a number of bacterial, respiratory, and viral diseases. 

Infestations of any kind are unpleasant. Along with rodent prevention, it is also important to understand how to prevent mold in a crawlspace. Whether you’ve spotted a rodent or want to make sure you don’t have any types of mold in your home, our team of experienced technicians will address any conditions that might contribute to infestations through services that include:

Before you attempt to tackle a rodent problem on your own, be sure to contact a professional who can provide a consultation and any services you might need.

Sources: 

  1. CDC. Rodents. https://www.cdc.gov/rodents/index.html 
  2. CDC. Seal Up! https://www.cdc.gov/rodents/prevent_infestations/seal_up.htmlÂ