Mice And The House Siding Problem: How To Keep Them Out

Mice can be a serious problem for homeowners. They can spread diseases, cause damage, and are generally unpleasant to have around. One way they can gain entry to your home is by getting behind the siding. Mice are excellent climbers and can jump quite high, so they can easily get behind the siding and from there, into your home. They can fit through cracks as small as a quarter-inch and can contort their bodies to fit through tight spaces. To prevent this, you can seal any gaps or holes in your siding with materials such as caulk or expanding foam.

Mice can climb up houses and enter through the attic

Mice are a common pest problem and can cause damage to your home and property. They can also transmit pathogens that cause diseases, endangering your family. Mice can enter your home in a variety of ways, and one of their favourite places to set up camp is in the attic.

Mice can enter your attic through pipes, gutters, and drains. They can run up drainpipes to access low gutters and then find a way into the attic via the eaves. They can also enter through air vents, air bricks, and holes around wiring, such as meter boxes and telephone cables. If there are tree branches or external structures against your house, mice can use these as a pathway into your attic if there are small gaps in the walls, such as air vents or other holes.

Mice can run up vertical walls, with the height depending on the roughness or smoothness of the surface. If your house has low eaves, mice might be able to run up the external wall and into the attic if there is a tiny gap. Even if your eaves are higher, large objects close to the walls, such as bins or planters, can provide a platform for mice to reach the eaves.

To prevent mice from entering your attic, you should trim trees and shrubs, ensuring branches are not close to your walls. Keep bins and other large objects away from walls so mice cannot use them as a platform. Seal small holes and gaps near vents, door or window frames, cable entry points, or the eaves. Use weatherproof fillers, caulking, or steel wool to block gaps, and secure a fine wire mesh sheet over air vents and blocks.

Mice can squeeze through tiny gaps and holes

Mice are notorious for their ability to get into small spaces. They can squeeze into any nook and cranny, and this is why they are so difficult to get rid of. Their bodies can contort in ways that allow them to fit through gaps as small as a 1/4-inch or roughly 6-7mm wide. This is about the size of a pencil, and while it is unlikely that a mouse can squeeze through such a small space, it is not impossible.

The size of the hole that a mouse can get through may vary. For instance, starving mice, being thinner, can get through smaller holes. They are also more desperate and willing to squeeze themselves through tighter gaps. The same goes for younger mice, who are smaller and more flexible.

Mice have highly flexible rib cages that can move and flatten. This, along with their sloping clavicles, allows them to get through almost any space, no matter how small. After gauging an entryway's width with their whiskers, they poke their head in, and if their head can pass through, the rest of their body will follow.

To prevent mice from entering your home, seal up all holes and gaps around the perimeter of your house. Pay special attention to pipes, electrical, plumbing, and gas lines, as these often have gaps that mice can exploit. These gaps can be closed up with putty or wire wool. Also, look around the foundations of your home for any gaps between the house and the ground.

Mice can climb gutters and textured walls

Mice are incredibly agile and persistent when it comes to finding ways into your home. They are excellent climbers and swimmers and can gain entry through the smallest of openings. They can climb stairs, furniture, and even vertical surfaces to reach areas that most people would assume are out of a mouse's reach.

Mice are able to climb textured walls due to their strong toe pads, claws, and tails, which help them grip and cling to almost any material. They only need a slightly rough texture like stucco, wood, or brick—any material they can grip their claws onto. They can also use their tails for balance when leaping from one surface to another.

To prevent mice from climbing gutters, you can install hardware cloth or chicken wire around the base of the downspout. Regularly remove and clean the barrier to maintain its effectiveness. For textured walls, you can use wire cloth or wire mesh over the walls or any openings to deter mice from entering.

Mice can transmit pathogens and cause damage to your home

Mice are known to carry a variety of viral, bacterial, parasitic, and fungal agents. They can spread diseases such as salmonellosis (food poisoning), rickettsial pox, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis to humans. Mice also may carry leptospirosis, rat bite fever, tapeworms, and the organisms that cause ringworm, a fungal skin disease of humans. Urine of mice may be an asthmatic trigger in some people.

Mice cause damage to structures through gnawing and nest-building. In livestock confinement facilities and similar structures, they quickly can cause extensive damage to insulation inside walls and attics. Such damage also occurs in homes, apartments, and commercial buildings. Mice often damage large electrical appliances by chewing wiring and insulation, resulting in short circuits, fire hazards, and other costly malfunctions. Mice also damage items stored in attics, basements, garages, and museums. Heirlooms, paintings, books, documents, and other such items often are impossible to replace if they are damaged by mice. Mice will gnaw on just about anything that they see as useful in building their nests. This could be wood, paper, cloth, books, etc. A mouse will gnaw and burrow into upholstered furniture or seats of cars to create a hidden, snug nest. Mice also will gnaw and burrow into insulation around wires, which has been known to cause a real threat of fire. Mice will even build their nests in large electrical appliances, again chewing on or through insulation and wiring, which can cause the appliance to short circuit, malfunction, or lead to the risk of fire.

Mice can be prevented by sealing gaps and holes in walls and siding

Mice can be a persistent problem for homeowners, as they can spread diseases and cause damage to your property. They can also transmit pathogens that endanger your family's health. While mice can be attracted to clutter, where they find places to hide and reproduce, they can also enter your home through the smallest of gaps and holes in walls and siding.

Mice can squeeze through very small spaces; a gap of only 1/4 inch is enough for a mouse to gain entry into a house. They can climb up textured walls, such as brick, and up gutters to find entry points. They can grip their claws on wood, stucco, and brick siding, and they can also climb up the corners of vinyl-sided homes.

Mice can enter through the garage, especially if the garage door sweep has been damaged or gnawed on. They can also chew through the weather stripping along the garage door trim to create an entry point. Gaps, cracks, and holes in the siding can also provide runways for mice to enter your home.

To prevent mice from entering your home, seal any gaps, cracks, or holes in your walls and siding. First, find the entry sites by crawling around the exterior of your home with a flashlight to identify the cracks, holes, and gaps. Then, check the siding, especially where it meets the foundation of your home, as this is a common area for mice to enter. Use a small mirror to help you see into tight spaces.

Once you've identified the entry sites, gauge the size by trying to slide a pencil into the gap or hole. If a pencil can fit, a mouse can squeeze through. Then, seal the gaps and holes with the appropriate materials. For small cracks and gaps in your siding (under 1/4 inch wide), use an acrylic latex caulk. For larger gaps (up to 1/2 inch wide), use polyurethane caulk. For even larger gaps and holes, fill them with expanding foam, or plug them with copper scrubbing pads before filling with expanding foam.

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