How Do Mice Get in Your House?

Controlling mice in and outside your property can be difficult because they can enter a house or building through a hole the size of a dime. If you have mice in your home, it’s likely they were looking for food, water, and shelter ideal for nesting and snuck in through a small opening. A detailed inspection from Plunkett’s is a great place to start for getting and keeping rodents out.
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[@rubenfrankish]

Yup, I spent 2 summers corking, spray foaming, replacing rotten framing with sheet metal, replacing old siding and just generally checking everything around the house foundation to make sure it's all sealed. No mice in 3 years in my basement or attic and counting. But keep checking every year... they found a way in my garage this fall... but I took care of that fast and nothing since!

[@madelinesalazar8145]

2 summers! Hell nah I need em gone NOWWWWWW 😔

[@REBECCAPGARZAMEV]

That’s right you have to get them immediately early don’t keep food around

[@PyroShields]

How did you fix your garage problem?

[@rubenfrankish]

@@PyroShields First thing was getting a new garage door, one that has a tension spring that pins it to the floor when closed, so no way in there. Then I went systematically around all siding and sealed all edges from the outside. Spray foamed in larger holes inside and out. Then I went round to the upper level as I'm in a bungalow and found more areas where they could get in. lastly I added new seals to the back door + added silicone around the window. I put seeds out in the a nice pile every year to watch if they get eaten... that's my trick to see if they've found a new way in lol. They've never get taken last few years! It's a battle you'll have to keep fighting but over a few years I stopped them getting in my attik ceiling and basement and my garage. They're a pain in the ass for sure!

[@PyroShields]

@@rubenfrankish Can't they chew through the foam?

[@williamschwiegeraht2092]

I' found through the dryer vent gap. It amazes me the small gaps they can squeeze through!

[@DadGangGamer]

Yooo shout out Michael he came and serviced my home yesterday and did an awesome job!!! They actually help you with payment plans and did such an awesome job

[@michelgrenier1878]

Mice were getting in my attic by climbing up the vinyl corner trim that was through the soffit , A clear path to the attic , I capped the trim corners with steel wool and silicone .

[@tembofly]

FYI, the reason for using copper mesh is that it does not rust. Use that whenever there is a chance of moisture getting to it.

[@neilwiggins2839]

I found out the mouse entry point in my house finally after 2o years of trapping. I had tried putting steel wool over every little hole, with no help. They had chewed a hole in the pipe head for the sump pump and were coming through the pipe about 75 feet from the ditch, and into the basement of the house. I finally noticed the hole by accident as I would never have guessed this could happen. So far this year, not one mouse yet.

[@DIY4CFH]

What did you do to solve the issue?

[@neilwiggins2839]

I packed the hole tightly with steel wool, and check it regularly to make sure no new hole is chewed.

[@cheryllady749]

I've had massive rodent problems for YEARS. I have a chicken coop as well & they're very attracted to the chicken feed. I live in a rural-ish area with 2.5 acres of fields & I was over-run with mice. Couldn't use poison because of my dogs. Being a single, older woman, don't have the physical ability to find all the holes & places mice get in(I'm sure there are many!).However, I can tell you what worked for me to get rid of them & keep them gone. It was as simple as getting a barn cat. Resisted the idea for a long time as I'm very allergic to cats, but we have 2, they stay outside & along with all the mice disappearing from the chicken coops, they have disappeared from my house as welI! I do feed the cats as I'm sure they can't survive on what they can catch, but it's worth the price of a little cat food to be rodent-free. Of course this won't work for people who live in places that they can't have an outside cat, but those who aren't allergic to cats could perhaps have an indoor cat. It's very effective rodent control & since I no longer see mice or any signs of them, I think the mice must be able to smell or see them & stay away.

[@mrbill9248]

​@@cheryllady749 a single farm woman ?😍🤩🥰

[@gvallen26]

Cats worked for me too.

[@BettyVecchio-d6k]

Hired Plunketts in south bend in. They did a great job.

[@rebelwolf1776]

The information was great, however, the music was way too loud and distracting.

[@SteveSmith-zo4ml]

I have them come into the house every autumn (fall). They get in below ground level through buried soil pipe openings in the walls. This happens because builders back fill the foundations without sealing the gaps they’ve left in the brickwork for soil pipes to pass through. Once through the outer wall, they climb up the cavity between the inner and outer walls. That gets them into the attic, or into the void between the downstairs ceiling and upstairs floor. A lot of infestations happen in this way in the UK. Builders just don’t think about this issue unfortunately. And it can be very disruptive and expensive to excavate and seal the openings in the wall.

[@abbytomkiewicz2232]

That was helpful, you included a couple spots I hadnt thought of. Thanks

[@jamesp8459]

Now I have a lot of places to look

[@davidbrooks8809]

😅

[@ThomasKuhar]

They seem to be consistently coming in my unfinished basement, so I leave plastic cubes scattered about with peanut butter bait. Works like a charm. I also keep a couple in the kitchen since they have been there early on, before I preemptively catch them in the basement now. NO WAY can I seal up ALL the potential openings outside!

[@jeanne819]

I hear you on the exterior entry points ! What is this plastic cube you use ? I set two Victor traps wood and killed two overnight in kitchen first time 35 years - tucking peanut butter in the little holes so they have to keep working at the trap to get it

[@michaelperry4398]

Suprised he didn't mention the corners of the vinyl siding (corner trim pieces) mice can go right up there all the way up, they even make a product for that spot called kriiter cap

[@jeanne819]

thanks for the tip !

[@kristiansandsmark2048]

Actually, when your garage door is open. It is big enough for the mouse to get in. If the hole is big enough for a car, it is big enough for a mice.

[@bradrose7774]

That is an amazing insight. Never would have thought that... LOL

[@deeayeveeeyees]

I shall take my car around my house to see if it can fit in all the other gaps too.

[@LauraCoughlin]

😂​@@deeayeveeeyees

[@danielle1103]

Wow!!! Great job, Joe!! Thanks for the awesome advice! 🐭

[@rexrexford5249]

Excellent. Thanks for sharing your knowledge with us. You pest prevention advice is very helpful.

[@keithbernasconi8554]

It's not access. It is light that they will avoid. They are nocturnal. put a 24/7 LED light system in your attic/crawl space/garage. They wont enter or come back.

[@LMCEK]

You did a really good job on this video. Thank you 😊

[@davidhalley9795]

That’s true it does matter how new or old your house is. I had a couple of colonies of ants in my new home within a month three years ago. Once our landscape project was done last summer our next door neighbor started there’s and the next thing I know we had mice in the house a gophers ruining my freshly done landscaped backyard! Come to find out the mice and ants came through a lip on either side of our front door. The ants took over a bathroom and the mice got in through plumbing holes in the laundry room. Our pest control guy took care of the mice plugging up the lip, plumbing holes and a neighbor who has a side business removing neighbor gophers took care of ours. The only pests my parents dealt with were raccoons, always getting into the trash or walking on the roof.

[@atrain132]

Did you get rid of the ants? If not, I did this to a rent house we have for work, and it turned out great. I ordered a small bag of powdered Boric Acid from Amazon. Took a few bottle caps, and mixed in some of the Acid, and Molasses. They ate that stuff up fast, and within less than 2 weeks they were gone completely.

[@GeorgeSawtooth]

I live next to a vacant field, but have never had a mouse in my house! My house is sealed better than Fort Knox.

[@elitepestcontrolnj]

Great video!! Don't forget to check crawlspace if the house has one. Seal up any pipes going up into the house. Especially gas lines to stove or clothes dryer

[@tomrunning357]

Our cat was hanging around in the mechanical room of our house where the ac lines pass through the outside wall and eventually caught a mouse. I sealed things up and would recommend having a cat.

[@user-yv4mm6bx3c]

I had a couple of mice get into my house one week. My cat made sure they were taken care of.

[@EButta71]

We're allergic to cats but damn I wish I had one!

[@dingdongrocket]

1, I wanna party with this dude 2. my life is sooooooo low I'm watching rodent entry point videos 3. my house has more entry points than el paso texas 4, when Plunkets opens a store in Pittsburgh give me a buzz, your hired

[@janerichards3868]

I watched a mouse climb my brick wall as though it was a flat surface. The attic is often the point of entry. Down the walls and into your basement. Unfinished basements are a weak point into your house.

[@gordonstewart6757]

Even if your cats are not "Mousers" the mice and rats detect their presence and will stay clear...usually.

[@JorgeDominguez-m5b]

Not my house. Two cats. Mice never come out, but they certainly get in my basement and walls. Cats just stare at the walls.

[@gvallen26]

Cats worked for me.

[@2fas4ya]

@@JorgeDominguez-m5b😂😂

[@wylie5525]

My cats are the ones to bring them in. They play with them, get distracted, and the mice run away and hide.

[@tonymeehan7859]

yea.....I have 3 cats, one that is a great mouser. I have one in my attic currently, a mouse that is

[@kolankprof]

Excellent overview! Thanks for sharing your knowledge on this topic!

[@jeanne819]

Great video ! I’m in NY and had loose insulation pumped in to cover entire attic floor last year and past couple weeks heavy mouse activity over bedroom ceiling first time 34 years and unable to sleep hours every day. pest control failed to do an exterior inspection and locate possible entry points and instead went to attic and installed poison which they said the mice would consume and leave the house but I’m reading that the mice consume poison and return to their nests which are all in my insulation ! Is this true ? There is 2 feet of loose insulation up there and it will all have to be pumped out thousands of dollars

[@lizadivine3785]

I got more from this vid then the very expensive pest control co that would only come out if I signed on with them for a full year of service. They never even made an inspection just layed out poison traps that I could have gotten at any hard ware store.

[@stockyguru]

True they don’t check for entry points.They don’t care most of them,they just poison ☠️ down that’s it.

[@BEYONDYOURIQ]

No mice in a well built stone house with concrete basement walls

[@evhvariac2]

Ok sounds good I will buy a stone house. Amazing advice

[@jeanne819]

Great to hear ! What about your attic?

[@BEYONDYOURIQ]

@jeanne819 none there either. If they cant get in at or near ground level, then they arent getting in.

[@jeanne819]

@@BEYONDYOURIQthat’s good to hear ! I have many trees close to house and heavy mouse activity in attic with new insulation and thinking they are climbing up the corner gutter pipes I don’t know - hired pest control business supposedly technologically advanced and useless

[@ronguerra]

have you looked into wall-e-cover? it's an exterior cover for roof or dryer vents

[@thelazyhandyman]

I have stucco type aggregate siding. They can easily climb up to into my attic. How would you block them from climbing straight up? Wrap a metal sheet all around the house?

[@mykebillig3698]

As far as I'm concerned, they have to be current on their rent!

[@JasperJokerII]

And remember, there is almost always more than one...

[@PyroShields]

Not always.

[@ttb1513]

Can mice climb vinyl siding 1:46? or not 0:46?

[@patrickhouston2610]

That was very informative and straight to the point, would give me confidence to use this company if this is a standard of your workers that you employ, unfortunately not in your area of the world but the information would do well in Brisbane Australia. Materials for building homes seen her same.

[@pinkleather6725]

I am extremely piss i just brought a home went off to work came back 3 months later mice dropping everywhere house just hit 1 year mark

[@patmiller7272]

How do you block them from going up your gutters?

[@johnsradios484]

I clauked, spray foam and wire mesh. Finally got rid of the mice in the attic. You just gotta find all the openings no matter how small .

[@jsmith3964]

mine the vent on top of stove.for a long time i wondered.as for snap traps only 1 time and he was small.stick trap 5 times i got one..im slowly covering hole and trying to stop the problem.i have 1 move thing im ficing to buy. but i was mot homme much at all for about 5 months and that s when it started,and i lived here7 years.

[@catholic3dod790]

Can you set up the cams for seeing how do the mouses enter the house.🤔🤔🤔

[@ducrab]

Tha'ts what I do.... I have several old Arlo Pro wireless cameras that I set up in my crawl space and attic, I know right away when I've caught something in my traps.

[@momof4121]

But do mice travel in walls from home to home? Or in piping from Home to home It seems that’s how they get in

[@jefferypease3920]

Thanks a lot very informational. I’m gonna do a walk around my house. Look for all those things that you just mentioned.👍

[@srnd2008]

Very helpful!

[@TBrl8]

All types of siding then?

[@jerrymeindersee5944]

How do you stop rats/mice from tunneling in under foundation to access house from crawl space?

[@brettstover1850]

I had a mole in my house recently. The cat wouldn’t kill it just torture it. Eventually I caught it and put it outside. Haven’t seen it since.

[@jhors7777]

Thank you for posting this helpful video

[@B-ch6uk]

So basically you're screwed

[@bird271828]

Good tips. Background music is distracting.

[@susanpeterson9558]

I have found that if there is air or light coming in around your garage door its an entry point. I used sound pipe insulation to fill the ends of the garage door sweep. I left it a little longer and no more air or light. Plus, I have glue traps on both sides of the door. If one gets in, it gets stuck. The glue traps also catch crickets and spiders.😊

[@Rew123]

That's a good thought process, also tells you where spiders are coming in.

[@TheBestChannelEverrr]

wowow very helpful. a lot more info then I would've imagined

[@alanmclenon9703]

I let my dog in one day and one of those little stinkers ran into my house like he had just been waiting to sneak in.

[@vienna844]

Or everywhere

[@fightingfortruth9806]

So basically there is no way to stop them. Got it.

[@thequickbrownfox7289]

I am guessing most of them walk in, although a few of the happier ones may skip and jump. Only a rare few will rappel in.

[@tammyroszel3478]

We have big spiders snakes and now mice coming in. Usually all found in the basement. There is a small addict too. The house was just bought I believe the previous owners did many "quick fixes" to hide a lot of this home's issues... Those infestation of mice and snacks being one issue in warmer months.

[@dezcanso1540]

can you foam around the air coniditon lines/gapping? or can it catch fire dangerous? ty

[@danielleeasley9907]

How do you fix the problem with them climbing gutters? Cant block the gutters because then water can’t go through right?

[@SeahawkAz]

You can put some hardware cloth at the end

[@WallyKurtz]

You can also get wire mesh at stores like the home depot that are designed to fit in the end of a gutter

[@DaDaDo661]

You see where that wall is made of some kind of atoms/matter? Yeah they can scale that.

[@dennisbalo8583]

What about mice digging a tunnel in the grass near your foundation and coming up your cinder block into your basement or home, very common.

[@ridgerunner7980]

yes , they live in the ground

[@emoshnz1]

How about those ultra sonic ..they do good at keeping them at bay.

[@gregdittrich1206]

I have a rat running in between floors and is so loud. Smart little thing wont fall for the normal snap traps or glue traps. Signs all over the attic where they travel but can't kill him. Finally resorting to poison to see if that works.

[@ravenlorans]

How do Mice/Rats and even Opossums get into mine... I live in a Camper and when I bought it, did not know the previous owner put a Hole the size of a Baking Pan in the bottom under the toilet.. And after finding that out after I permanently set it up and can no longer get under it, Blocked it off the best I could to keep the Opossums Out but made it Possible for the Rats and Mice to get in.. 15yrs... Tried Poison Pellets, Candy to them.. Tried 1/3 Cornmeal, Sugar and Baking Soda, Does Nothing or it Rots. Faster than Snap Traps or they Won't Trigger them or Run away with them attached. Glue Traps are Not Sticky enough depending on temp and can peel themselves off. Dual Tone Ultra Sound they Ignore and get use to and even sit on the damn thing. Scents they "Hate" they also Ignore.

[@monyakirkland1815]

My mice crawling around on my base broad not the floor where the traps are

[@mattiesful]

How do you find someone who will find the holes/cracks. We had 2 exterminators who charged hundreds up front, put out a couple cardboard sticky traps and a few plastic traps outside, then charged a monthly fee to pretend they were checking them monthly. They didn’t. I know this because they can’t get through my gate unless we let them in. I don’t need an exterminator, I need someone to find the cracks. 😅

[@josephfriedling9190]

My cats bring in the local tree rates - big ass rodents. Cute when they're little, much easier to catch when they're full grown. baby rat lurking in the garage right now, waiting for the little critter to hit the glue trap.

[@1notgilty]

Good advice. Thanks!

[@joshuahawkins2743]

A mouse can get through a quarter inch hole and a full grown rat can get through a half inch hole remember that

[@emoshnz1]

New fear unlocked😢

[@Doc_Tar]

We have a running debate about how mice have been getting in. I'm hopeful this will win me the argument.

[@TheChopcat]

My cats bring them in and hide them

[@garyowen9044]

🐭 🐭 “Thank you! My partner and I were taking notes.”

[@rruizproductions]

My neighbor has many feral cats and haven’t seen mice or rats in years. My two Yorkies keep the cats away from our house as well.

[@HitchHikersBlues]

Mouthy little gits.

[@Meli_Miel8]

There are no mice inside my home but I hear them inside the walls. I'm hoping they don't start making a hole to get inside inside

[@LOYALTYROLLIN]

Don't use foam ust concrete and keep your home clean inside and out and keep your trash low as possible.

[@TaylorCaseyA24]

Mice can come in a clean house mice will find their way in

[@iwantmykidssusan4941]

Yup I’ve gotta look for holes. I trapped a mouse a few weeks ago, first one ever in this house, I thought that maybe I left the door open a little too long but I just saw another one bolt across my living room. Now I’m thinking they found an entry point somewhere.

[@leejmuam1]

Same here. We found a mouse a few years ago. Recently, I noticed mouse activities so that one was gone. Then my husband thought maybe there's more. My son saw it running yesterday when he was washing his plate. Now I'm thinking there is an entry somewhere.

[@marcusthegreat8710]

I was sold soon as he said it doesn't😊 matter if your home was built 100 years ago or yesterday 😂🤣

[@RMA8159]

The mice chew right through that strip under the doors and garage doors. 😑

[@JamesG1126]

In the PNW, most homes have a dirt crawl space with plastic covering the floor. You're screwed. Mice will find a way in.

[@alexachenbach821]

Thank for sharing 😊

[@pm6693]

They usually use the cat flap when Tiddles isn't watching...🙂

[@NortheastAndRetired]

Mickey Mouse and company lost more that half of their net worth and are now trying to hide out in people's homes to save money. 😂

[@airbornesoldieramerica7125]

Out of all these comments didn't see a comment on a snake problem. One family members cottage is an old farmhouse. They are very clean people and had an mouse problem at their cottage, with a following snake problem a year later. Then the following year they had a snake problem. We think the snakes smell the mice where they are getting into the house at is how 2 different snakes got in.

[@leeb.7188]

A lot easier to just adopt a formerly feral cat. She’ll clear out the mice in no time!

[@christal2641]

Cats CONTROL the mouse population, but as long as their best food and shelter from the cold is your house, they can reproduce to maintain a population. Also, feral/semi-feral cats have their own risks, so be sure they don't feel trapped inside or your belongings will suffer. A 2X4 ledge running the perimeter of a room 18" below the ceiling with a carpeted "cat ladder" will make them feel safe. Males will spray their scent repeatedly in and out of your house, A female -- sprayed -- is your best bet. BE SURE TO KEEP THEM VACCINATED AND TREATED FOR FLEAS & TICKS or they will bring a lot more problems inside. Once bonded to you, some mousers present you with their prey. My designer siamese (whom I had since weaning and had never been outside) neatly left the mouse TAILS in one wastebasket. Now THAT'S CONSIDERATION!

[@Nita98]

I wish. Allergic.

[@TBlevins2222]

Yea but they will still be in there somewhere hiding. I need to know how they are getting in in the first place

[@freemanmt]

Our cat brings mice from outside and loses in the house.

[@kingofthedots3835]

​@@freemanmtho ho ho 😮

[@joshjones3189]

Realistically around your foundation not 10 feet up but possible

[@sarahMuahahaha]

Brand new build/home. Lil bastards already found their way in. It didn't take them long. No trees or shrubbery near house about a quarter acre cleared. On 10 acres but surrounded by woods, farms and swamps for 100s of acres and still wanna come here 😅

[@cindymorlang327]

We have mice in our heat duct work how are they getting in there?

[@gypsydildopunks7083]

Good luck with all that, I believe he would like a thumbs up

[@AstoundLikesWoW]

Gross, did you get that figured out?

[@rondavid7413]

Funny how you never see them running around in the streets of your nice neighborhood but they're somewhere waiting to get into your house over & over Maybe keep stray cats prowling the neighborhood & alleys Which seems to control them in my neighborhood

[@Gelo202]

It will be easy to use an old home for this video that a new home😂

[@raylegend808]

I caught 2 field mice last night with Tom cat traps 🎉🎉

[@kjhnsn7296]

Very useful

[@hellostorm7661]

So in other words, keep bait traps inside and out. Aint no way we'd be able to suffocate the house to keep bugs and mice out 🤷🏼‍♀️ IJS

[@brolisimo]

build a house with blocks and concrete floor

[@smachsimo]

Why are people with cats watching these videos and commenting if they have no issues with mice 😂?

[@paigeanderson5643]

Right! Like why are you here then?? 🤣

[@vc5074]

Nice info

[@gardenrose264]

Great video. Unfortunately, eventually mice or rats will eat through the spray foam. Trust me!!!!😊

[@winnhill3736]

The mouses get inside my house from the outside.

[@jimnewt9432]

I don't know how mice got into my home, but I do know how a few well-placed sticky mats can get rid of them.

[@MrKingVulture]

So where 🔩

[@azmike3572]

The cat invites them in...

[@MrDaiseymay]

HOW DEPRESSING. ALL NEW HOUSE DESIGNING SHOULD INCLUDE THE PREVENTION OF SUCH INGRESS, BY ALL LIKELY ANIMALS.