Keeping Rodents Out of the Home

ANTIOCH — Do you have a rodent problem in your home? Have traps and similar appliances failed to provide a permanent solution? It may be because you haven’t done anything to stop rodents from accessing your home in the first place. You can set up all the traps you want, but if you don’t block the entry points rodents use to get into your home, you’ll only continue to have problems.

The most common way rodents get into homes is through small, unnoticed openings. These include eave gaps, crawl space vents at ground level, entry holes for pipes or electrical wires, fascia boards, roof joints and loose siding. It’s important to understand that even a quarter-sized hole in your home exterior can allow a rat or mouse to enter. That’s why the first step in keeping rodents out is to identify and seal all potential entry points to your home.

While sealing up entry points will help prevent rodent intrusion, keep in mind that these points must be continually reinspected after the fact. As foam and other sealing agents age, they can cease to be effective as barriers against rodents. Plus, if rodents are actively chewing or clawing on them, they can fail a lot sooner. That’s why it’s important to regularly revisit sealed areas to check the condition of the sealant and reapply as needed.