Squirrels find multiple entries into Belmar, NJ home.

Challenge

Homeowners in Belmar, NJ contacted Cowleys after hearing noises coming from inside the wall voids. Mice commonly enter homes through gaps, cracks, and openings around the foundation and then travel through wall voids throughout the home to forage for food and water, During my inspection of the home’s interior and exterior perimeter, I came across a few areas where there had been mouse activity. Although it is rare to find a mouse during the day, they leave plenty of evidence behind indicating that they were there.  

In addition to droppings, mice also leave behind rub or grease marks where they have been traveling. Here, I found rub marks under the kitchen sink. These marks are left behind when their fur rubs against walls and other surfaces. Mice have poor eyesight and prefer to travel along walls where they remain in contact with the surface. By doing so, they leave behind dark reddish-brown spots and streaks. Mice not only have dirt and grime on their fur, but also sebum, an internally produced oily substance that lubricates and protects their hair and skin. (Humans also secrete sebum from our sebaceous glands for the same reason. Of course, we complain when we have too much of the stuff that results in “oily” skin and “greasy” hair.) 

Solution

During my exterior inspection of the home’s perimeter, I located several potential entry points. These openings corresponded to where I had found interior rodent activity. I used an expanding foam resin that hardens like rock to patch and seal the openings. This resin is different from the commercially available foams sold in hardware stores. The foam that we use is specifically designed to prevent rodents and other wildlife from entering. Rodents often chew through other types of sealing foams to re-infest the structure. I also set up interior rodent bait stations in the kitchen and exterior bait stations nearby the entry points I had sealed. With these bait stations set up and entry points now blocked, there should be no further mouse activity in the home and no strange noises coming from inside the walls!