Simple Tips To Keep Rats And Mice Out
The simplest way to prevent a rat or mouse infestation is to prevent them from gaining access to your property in the first place. This article offers some tips on what to look for and how to rectify these holes, gaps and defects.
The following is a list of potential entry points for rodents:
- Gaps in the pointing of brickwork and stonework.
- Weep holes left open in walls.
- Gaps around pipework such as kitchen and bathroom outflow pipes.
- Old air bricks with large apertures.
- The vents of dryers that often have louvres missing.
- Gaps under doors and faulty threshold plates
- Gaps around newly installed PVC doors and windows.
Rats and mice can squeeze through smaller hole than you might think. As a rule of thumb, if a gap if big enough to fit a pencil through then a mouse can fit through. If the gap will accommodate a marker pen then a rat can fit through.
It is advisable to seal any gaps using the most robust material such as mortar, wire mesh or both. Old air bricks can be proofed using wire mesh. Weep holes should be proofed using mesh or special weep hole inserts. Gaps around plastic pipes, doors and windows can be sealed with a special rodent silicone. The gaps under doors can be proofed using bristle strips or rubber seals. Faulty threshold plates should be replaced. Robust vents should be used to ventilate dryer pipes as the plastic ones can easily be chewed through.
As rats and mice are excellent climbers it is advisable that all climbing vegetation is cut back to deny rodents access to the eaves. Likewise, trellis and other decorative frameworks that are built up the walls of buildings will also offer a simple way for rats and mice to enter your home.
This is not meant as an exhaustive list of structural holes and gaps, but the most common issues we find when carrying out rodent control inside homes and businesses. At Kestrel Pest Management we provide an expert rat control and mouse control service that will quickly eradicate any rodent infestation that you have in your home and business and provide a proofing service that will prevent future infestations.
