People are always looking for ideas to help keep their homes rodent-free. As the temperatures start to drop, mice begin looking for cozy places to stay. To them, your house is a warm winter retreat.
Image credit: piyato | FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Here are three ways to keep mice out of your house over the winter:
Close entry points
A mouse can fit through a dime-sized hole. Go over your foundation carefully. In your basement, look for areas where you can see light coming through. These are all spots that should be filled with mortar. A bonus is that this will help cut your heating bill as well.
Check for air movement. An easy way to do this is to use a candle. If the flame flickers, you have a leak nearby. Also, make sure that any holes for wiring or plumbing are filled. Double-check any repairs made in the past. Sometimes, small gaps or holes in foundation walls are filled with expanding foam, which mice can easily chew through.
Foam also has a tendency to degrade over time, so make sure any cracked or crumbling pieces are replaced. The same goes for caulk – it will not crumble, but it does separate easily from concrete.
Look at your doors and windows. Seal any gaps between door and threshold. Make sure weather stripping on doors and windows isn’t cracked or worn. Put screens on your dryer vent and the exhaust for your kitchen and bathroom so that mice can’t climb into the vent pipes.
Clean up your garden
Densely planted beds around your house provide refuge for rodents as they await their opportunity to get inside. Try to keep plants at least a foot away from the house, and keep weeds down as much as you can. It is also wise not to allow junk to collect near the house, and be sure to keep firewood well away from buildings.
Use glue traps
Even if you don’t have mice in the house, it is a good idea to keep glue traps in areas that are prone to rodents. You can check the Internet for where you should put them. Well-placed traps will catch stragglers, and more importantly, it will alert you immediately to an infestation. You will know exactly what kind of pest you are dealing with and you will get an idea of the population density based on the amounts the traps are catching.
About the Author:
Karleia is a freelance blogger. She recommends visiting www.GuaranteedRodentRemoval.com, if you are in need of profession rodent removal services. Visit Karleia on Google+.
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