Keep Mice From Making Your Home Their Winter Retreat With One Simple DIY Solution
The memes are all over social media telling you, "if you're cold, they're cold — let them inside." Well, there are some critters out there that may come inside when it gets cold and snowy, but you may not enjoy their presence. We're talking about mice.
Whether or not you've opened the door for them, if there is a way into your home, they're going to find it. There are signs of a mouse home invasion that you may notice in the winter, which include seeing droppings in and around your home (ew). That's why it is crucial to find and seal any gaps around your house that could let them move in with ease.
These rodents move in because they are looking for warmth and shelter. It doesn't have to be difficult to keep mice out of your home; they like easy access, so if you remove that, you could have a mouse-free winter season.
How to find and deal with gaps to keep mice out
When you're going around the outside of your home looking for gaps where mice might be getting in, you may be looking at the "bigger" picture, but mice can squeeze right on through the smallest of spaces because they have a collapsible skeleton. Tiny gaps around the cable wire coming into your house? They can probably fit through there with a small amount of determination — and when it's cold out, their determination to get indoors will certainly increase.
You will need to walk around your home's exterior; take a close look at your foundation and the areas where cords and pipes come in. Identify and fill cracks in your foundation with some cement or epoxy; it's a pretty easy task with the right tools. If you see gaps around vents and wiring entering your home, you can use silicone products to seal them. For areas like the vent for your clothes dryer, be sure to use a vent cap that lets the air out while keeping mice out.
Don't forget to look up as well; mice can climb walls, and that means they can climb up the outside of your home to get into vents and windows that are up high — so be sure to inspect around your roof and all of the windows and fix any gaps there as well.