We like to think of our homes as impenetrable fortresses. Even though most of us don’t have much more security than locks on our doors and windows, that is enough to give us peace of mind. So, when you start seeing rodents like mice and rats inside your house, it seems impossible. “My house is secure! There’s no way rats could get in here,” you might think to yourself. Well, rodents don’t just materialize out of thin air, so your house isn’t as tightly sealed as you might think. Here are some ways rodents can get into your home that you might not have thought about.
Garage Doors
An open garage is like a highway for rodents. They see so many potential shelters behind shelves, boxes, and clutter in garages, and have easy exit points to go outside. They can also easily squeeze through openings or cracks between the garage door and the walls or floor. Make sure your garage door tightly seals off the interior when it is down.
Chimney Opening
Though most Floridians think of chimneys as more of a stylistic feature than functional part of the house, it still opens up to the outdoors. Animals like rats can easily climb up your house to the chimney and crawl down into your home. Make sure the flue is always closed when you aren’t using it, but you can also put a mesh covering over the top.
Pipes/Wires Running into the House
When plumbing and electricity are installed in your home, technicians have to cut small holes in the walls to run the pipes and wires inside. This is a popular way that rodents can get in, because we never think of these areas as access points.
Cracked Foundation
Depending on the age of your house and the materials used to create its foundation, rats and mice might be able to get in through it. Cracks tend to develop over time where your house meets the foundation, especially in rubble and stone materials.
Gable and Soffit Vents
Mice and rats are athletic enough and clever enough to chew threw gables, soffits, and eaves to get into the attic. The attic is one of the most popular rodent access points because it is less sealed off than the rest of your house.
If you notice signs of rodents in your home, chances are they got inside in one of the above ways. A quick check of your house should help you determine where they got in, but it can be difficult for homeowners to identify this by themselves. Sometimes, it takes an expert who knows exactly what they are looking for.
Call Critter Control® of Tampa right away for a free inspection of your home. We can help you determine if there are rodents inside and how they got in. But, more importantly, we can get them out and fix your house so they can never get back inside in the future. To get started with the most comprehensive rodent control service in the industry, give us a call at 813-328-6646.
