How to prevent mice from entering your property. Mice are nefarious creatures known for invading homes throughout Toronto. Although a mouse will enter a home at any point in the year, they more commonly invade when the weather gets cold. They seek out shelter, food, and water, which is something easily found among human inhabitants. Fortunately, you can stop mice in their tracks and prevent them from entering your home by understanding where they enter from. Alternatively, you can call mice control to get rid of mice completely.
Some Tips on How to Prevent Mice from Entering Your Property
Exterior Prevention
Start with the exterior of your home. You will need to inspect the outside of your home carefully. Look for gaps, cracks, and holes in the foundation, siding, brick, or other external material of your house. Fill any cracks and gaps you see with steel mesh, steel wool, and silicone caulk. Mice have sharp teeth, but they are unable to chew through steel mesh and steel wool. The silicone caulk adds an extra layer of protection because it is also difficult to chew and helps hold the steel wool or mesh in place.
If you have a chimney, have someone install metal sheeting around the base of it. Mice have sharp claws that allow them to climb vertically up rough surfaces, including brick chimneys. Metal sheeting is a smooth material that prevents mice from climbing up and gaining entry into your home. If you have garbage bins outside your home, make sure they have securely locking lids. Mice will tear into trash bags in an attempt to eat trash as a source of food. Move the trash bins away from the side of your house and place a locking lid that makes it difficult for mice to gain access to trash.
Interior Prevention
Next, you will need to work on the interior of your home. Cleanliness is, of course, an important step to take. However, mice will sometimes invade even clean homes. Having an infestation of mice does not mean your living environment is filthy. It simply means mice found something that attracts them to your home. Search in your cabinets for bags and boxes of food. If you have bags and boxes of food, look to see if there are any chew marks or holes in them. Mice can easily chew through a bag or box. When you purchase foods in bags and boxes, immediately place them in plastic containers to prevent mice from having a food source.
You should also place pet food inappropriately sealed containers. Of course, if you have pets, that means you have pet food bowls. After your pet has ample opportunity to eat and drink, remove pet food bowls from the floor and clean them out with soap and water. Dry them afterward and put them away. Leaving pet bowls out overnight is very attractive for a mouse because it gives them an easy meal and a refreshing drink. Speaking of drink, make sure you also wipe dry your sinks, tubs, and showers every single night before bed. Any remaining moisture is enough for a mouse to rehydrate.
Sweep and vacuum your floors religiously. Make sure you do not allow eating in any other room aside from the dining room or your kitchen. Particles of food on the floor and in the trash is like a calling card for mice. Wipe off your counters, stove top, and inside your microwave each day. Cleaning is not the only method of interior prevention. Just like you did on the outside, you will need to inspect the inside of your home. Repair any cracks, gaps, or holes in the wall. Use a combination of silicone caulk or steel wool or mesh. Place weather stripping under doors, including garage doors if you have any, and seal around all of your windows. A mouse can slip into the tiniest of cracks and gaps if necessary by altering the shape of their body to fit.
If you find yourself dealing with a very resourceful mouse that found a way into your home anyway, then you will need to contact a pest control company. A pest control Toronto expert can rid your home of mice and provide you with additional tips to prevent re-infestation of mice from occurring.
