How do Mice Get in the House and What Damage they can Cause

Rodents are often frequent guests in our homes that often stay too long. Mice invade an estimated 21 million homes in the United States every winter.  And that’s not it; there are a lot of other facts about mice that would surprise you.

Rodents dig holes in our walls, chew up wires, contaminate food, and bring in fleas and parasites. The most common rodents that enter our homes are rats and mice. They are tiny creatures with the agility of ninjas. Now before you find out the best rodent removal technique, let’s first find out how mice and rats get into your home.

How do Mice Get in the House

• Corner Posts and J-Channels
  

  Rodents easily climb up the corner posts of your house to get into your home. J-channels are the trim around doors and windows, and mice and rats often squeeze in the gaps between the siding and the j-channel.

• Foundations
  

  Rodents enter homes through foundation cracks. Rubble and stack stone foundations are highly vulnerable to rodent infestations. So, if your foundation is not rodent-proof then no rat traps would work well for rodent control. They’ll keep coming in.

• Attached Garages
  

  Mice in garage! If your garage doors are open for a long time, then these unwanted furry pests will move into your house. Also, make sure your garage doors are not uneven to prevent rodents from entering your home.

• Bilco Doors
  

  Bilco doors are slanted doors that lead to the basement. Rats and mice often fit through the gap between two doors and get into your home.

• Gutters and Waterspouts
  

  Rodents get access to your roof through these external fixtures, very easily.

• Chimneys
  

  This is one of the easiest ways for mice and rats to get into your house. Bricks and stones are easy to scale.

• Openings for Utility Lines
  

  If the openings for utility lines are large, rats can easily make it in.

Here are the problems that can occur with the presence of rodents in your home:

• Rodents chew wood, paper, cloth, wires, and everything that they find helpful for building their nests.
• They create tunnels inside walls to make themselves homes. They gather soft materials in these tunnels and create a home.
• Rats chewing wires can cause electrical issues and power failures. They chew through wires to build their nests and store their food.
• Mice start reproducing by the time they are 4 to 6 months old and can have babies any time of the year. Each year, a female gives birth to 5 to 10 liters.
• Rats and mice transmit diseases that are dangerous to humans that can even cause neurological damage.

Rodents can be extremely harmful. So, make sure you contact a professional rodent exterminator to get rid of rats and mice in your home. Hire pest control professionals for mice and rat control and removal. Take Care Termite is known for delivering excellent services. So, if you’re experiencing a rodent infestation or would just like a rodent inspection, contact us now.