Sealing off rodents’ access to food, water, or harborage is the first step in controlling rodents. Below are tips to help you seal your home, workplace, or barn.
- Prohibit access to food -- that’s why rodents are there in the first place. Seal all food in rodent-proof containers or secure storage cabinets
- Find and seal any cracks or holes large enough for the critters to enter– and it doesn’t take much. A mouse can slip through an opening the size of a dime – a rat only needs a nickel’s worth of clearance
- Check condition of attic and foundation vents – and cover with ¼” wire screen mesh – screen over dryer vents, too
- Cover foundation cracks with concrete mortar, metal flashing, or copper wool (steel wool can rust away)
- Be sure to check where pipes and wires enter the building, and seal snugly around them. Don’t use anything they can chew through like plastic, wood, or cardboard. Metal is best
- Cover chimney top with spark arrester screen
- Fit snug fitting covers on crawl spaces
- Keep doors and windows securely closed and sealed – make sure screens have no holes
- Put sealing gasket on bottom of garage door – check each end for gaps – and seal