Winter mouse-proofing checklist for Ottawa homes
When Ottawa nights drop below freezing, mice look for somewhere warm with food nearby. This checklist takes about an afternoon and works for houses, townhouses and semis.
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First, check for mice already inside
- Look for rice-sized droppings under sinks, behind the stove and along basement walls.
- Check pantry food, pet food and birdseed for chewed packaging.
- Listen for scratching in walls or ceilings at night, and notice any musty smell in cupboards.
- If you find signs, deal with the mice before you seal. Sealing a house with mice inside traps them in the walls, where they chew new holes or die out of reach.
Outside the house
- Walk the whole house slowly with a flashlight. A mouse can fit through a gap about the width of a pencil.
- Check where the gas line, AC lines, outdoor taps, cable and internet enter the house. These holes are often cut bigger than needed.
- Look at foundation cracks and the gap where siding meets the foundation.
- Check the garage door's bottom seal, especially the corners, which wear out first.
- Make sure dryer and bathroom vent flaps close fully, with no gap around the housing.
- If you can see daylight under an exterior door from inside, a mouse can get in.
Around the yard
- Move firewood a few metres from the house and keep it off the ground.
- Clear leaf piles, boxes and clutter from along the foundation.
- Trim shrubs so they do not touch the siding.
- Store birdseed and pet food in sealed metal or hard plastic bins, and clean up spilled seed under feeders.
- Keep garbage and green bins closed tight.
Inside the house
- Check where pipes come through the wall or floor under kitchen and bathroom sinks.
- Look behind the stove, fridge and dishwasher if you can pull them out.
- In the basement, check the top of the foundation wall and around the furnace, water heater and water main.
- Keep food, including pet food, in hard containers instead of bags or boxes.
- Fix leaks. Mice need water as well as food.
- Cut down on cardboard storage in the basement and garage. Mice nest in it.
What to seal gaps with
- Small holes around pipes and wires: copper mesh packed in tightly, then sealant over it.
- Larger openings: metal mesh (hardware cloth) or sheet metal, fastened down.
- Doors: a proper door sweep and threshold.
- Garage doors: a new bottom seal and corner pieces.
- Avoid spray foam, caulk, plastic or wood on their own. Mice chew through them. Steel wool works for a while but rusts outdoors; copper mesh lasts longer.
When to book a technician
Book online if mice keep coming back, you hear activity in walls you cannot get into, the gaps are high up or behind finished walls, or you have sealed everything you can find and still see signs. Our mouse and rat service uses locked bait stations (no snap or glue traps), we show you the entry points we find, and it carries a six-month guarantee. Rodent proofing is a separate service, quoted after an inspection.
Book online See mouse & rat control ($299 + HST)
Keep reading
General information for homeowners. Every home is different; your technician will confirm what applies to yours.
Let's make them gone.