Mice find easy entry to Freehold home | Mice Control & Removal in Freehold, NJ
Challenge
I was dispatched to a Freehold residence in response to a homeowner who had contacted Cowleys because of mice activity in basement. I started my inspection around the exterior of the home, looking for potential entry points. Closing all of the potential entry points for mice can be a challenge. If you shaved the hair off a mouse, you would be amazed at how small these creatures really are. A mouse weighs less than three-quarters of an ounce, and because mice don’t have collarbones, their only limit for squeezing through holes and gaps is the size of their skull. Mice can squeeze through holes that are the diameter of a pencil.
Mice populations increase rapidly and it is important to contact a pest control professional at the first sign of a problem. Infestations do not self-resolve. Mice and other wildlife can cause significant property damage and their urine and droppings are a health hazard. Their droppings can contain bacteria, parasites, and other pathogens. When the pellets dry, microscopic spores are released into the air. Also, mice commonly transport ticks and their blood-borne diseases as well. While mice are certainly less threatening than rats, they are still a health risk inside your home, especially once they enter kitchen areas and contaminate food and counter tops.
Solution
While inspecting the exterior perimeter I came across two significant potential entry points for mice to access the basement. Both were common. The first entry point was piping from the AC unit penetrating into the home’s foundation. There was a gap around the pipe that was easily large enough for a mouse. The second entry point was the dryer exhaust. I sealed both entry points were sealed with copper mesh and caulking. Inside the basement, I set up a baiting system. I’ll return shortly to see how many rodents have been caught and if there is still evidence of an active infestation.
You can see how easy it is for mice to enter a home. You don’t need obvious cracks or defects in the foundation. There are plenty of holes and gaps that are formed just from vents, pipes, and wiring that we must have throughout our homes to bring in electricity, telephone wiring, cooled air, and to expel things we don’t want building up in our homes like hot air and moisture from our dryer and bathrooms. Wildlife of all sizes take advantage of these small spaces, and the tiny mouse, not to mention insects, has the easiest time of finding some hole or gap to squeeze their way inside your home. Everything is size-relative, and spaces that look like nothing to us are, for a mouse, the equivalent of the Lincoln tunnel.
