Sealing The Gaps Pests Actually Use
Most of the openings that matter are in five places, and none of them are the ones people worry about.
Exclusion is the least glamorous part of pest control and the part that keeps working after everyone has gone home. It is also almost entirely within a homeowner's reach.
The five that matter most
- Under exterior doors, especially the door from the garage into the house
- Where plumbing, gas, electrical and cable pass through an exterior wall
- Vents, including dryer vents with a flap that no longer closes
- The garage door seal, at the bottom and at both sides
- Roof lines, soffits and any gap where two rooflines meet
The rodent rule of thumb
If a pencil fits, a mouse fits. If your thumb fits, a rat can. Steel wool or copper mesh packed into a gap and then sealed lasts far longer than sealant on its own, because rodents chew through sealant and will not chew through metal.
What to do outside
Trim anything touching the house. Branches are a bridge over every ground level barrier, and a vine on a wall is a ladder. Keep bins closed and away from the wall, and store pet food in sealed containers.
Why it is worth doing before treatment
Treatment reduces what is present. Exclusion changes what can get in. Doing the second makes the first last much longer, and it is the part a technician will happily walk you through on a visit.
Want somebody to take a look?
Desert Shield Pest Control covers this every week in Phoenix.