Keep critters out of your house

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The warm summer months will soon be gone for another year, and the colder temperatures will be here. It’s the perfect time for surrounding wildlife to start thinking about getting their winter homes ready for the long, cold winter, and they may be eyeing your home as a potential place. Let me tell you, you don’t want mice in your house because you never have just one. Mice have lots of babies — as much as 50 or 60 a year. Mice also carry disease, bacteria, and parasites, and their droppings and urine can be toxic, too.

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Fortunately, it’s easy to tell if you already have these visitors by the presence of mouse droppings and chew marks. You may also hear them through the walls or ceiling, which can be a bit unnerving while lying in bed.

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So, the main goal is to prevent them from becoming house guests. How can you do that?

First and most importantly, by ensuring your home exterior is adequately sealed. Mice, rats and squirrels can squeeze into the tiniest openings. Not to mention, they are great climbers and jumpers, too. You should do a perimeter check of your home twice yearly, look for obvious cracks and gaps and fill them with epoxy injections. Sealing cracks will also help against water penetration and prevent insects from entering your home.

Replace any crumbling or broken caulking around windows and doors and old weatherstripping, and ensure your windows are sealed. Doing this helps keep rodents and bugs, like wasps, out but also helps prevent drafts, which can account for 30 per cent of your home’s heat loss. Also, check for any rips or holes in your window and door screens and repair them immediately, as this can be easy access for mice and squirrels.

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Ensure your chimney is capped correctly to keep other critters out, like squirrels and raccoons. Raccoons and squirrels are also good climbers and have no problem figuring out how to open up an old rusty chimney cap, so be sure to inspect them regularly and replace them when necessary. Squirrels can also get into your attic through the roof via a loose shingle or a hole in no time. They can create more damage by chewing through wiring, pipes and building nests using the insulation.

Also, keep your trash cans as far away from your house as possible and make sure they have tight-fitting “animal-proof” lids. Anyone who lives in Toronto or any urban centre with raccoons will know that raccoons are brilliant and have figured out the most “animal-proof” covers. Instead, try to put your garbage cans in a locked enclosure or even a shed. Also, keep your compost, mulch and firewood away from your house. Stacks of firewood, in particular, are an ideal place for mice to hide.

Mice love clutter as they see it as a place to hide and make a comfy new home for their new family. Clean up the mess inside and outside your home, including your basement and garage. Also, keep any pet food or bird seed in sealed containers.

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There are also non-toxic repellents infused with mint that can help keep mice away but are ineffective if you already have mice in your house.

Ultrasonic repellents can be irritating to rodents. However, there is insufficient evidence to support their effectiveness. Since mice can be destructive and carry diseases, it is best to contact a pest management specialist to help find the best solution.

You could use rodenticide boxes, but I’m not too fond of this solution, as they can harm pets. Plus, there are some strict regulations regarding their use. Also, when mice eat poison, they often die in the walls, and the only way to get rid of the carcass is to cut into the wall, but though stinky, they typically decompose within two weeks.

There are also old-fashioned snap-traps. Even though these are considered the most humane and effective, I would be cautious about using these traps if you have pets and small children. There are also glue boards, which are inhumane and against the law.

You could also get a cat — but make sure they are hunters. Our cat loves to catch mice, and there’s no shortage of them living in the country. A cat on patrol will be a deterrent, but they can get injured and exposed to diseases. So, as a valued family member, you must be cautious and watch how many presents your cat leaves you.

Hiring a pro is the best way to deal with a rodent or pest problem. They can show you how they entered your home in the first place and create a plan to best deal with your situation.

Residents of the GTA can apply for Holmes on Homes: Building A Legacy at makeitright.ca.

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Article content

The warm summer months will soon be gone for another year, and the colder temperatures will be here. It’s the perfect time for surrounding wildlife to start thinking about getting their winter homes ready for the long, cold winter, and they may be eyeing your home as a potential place. Let me tell you, you don’t want mice in your house because you never have just one. Mice have lots of babies — as much as 50 or 60 a year. Mice also carry disease, bacteria, and parasites, and their droppings and urine can be toxic, too.

Article content

Fortunately, it’s easy to tell if you already have these visitors by the presence of mouse droppings and chew marks. You may also hear them through the walls or ceiling, which can be a bit unnerving while lying in bed.

Article content

So, the main goal is to prevent them from becoming house guests. How can you do that?

First and most importantly, by ensuring your home exterior is adequately sealed. Mice, rats and squirrels can squeeze into the tiniest openings. Not to mention, they are great climbers and jumpers, too. You should do a perimeter check of your home twice yearly, look for obvious cracks and gaps and fill them with epoxy injections. Sealing cracks will also help against water penetration and prevent insects from entering your home.

Replace any crumbling or broken caulking around windows and doors and old weatherstripping, and ensure your windows are sealed. Doing this helps keep rodents and bugs, like wasps, out but also helps prevent drafts, which can account for 30 per cent of your home’s heat loss. Also, check for any rips or holes in your window and door screens and repair them immediately, as this can be easy access for mice and squirrels.

Article content

Ensure your chimney is capped correctly to keep other critters out, like squirrels and raccoons. Raccoons and squirrels are also good climbers and have no problem figuring out how to open up an old rusty chimney cap, so be sure to inspect them regularly and replace them when necessary. Squirrels can also get into your attic through the roof via a loose shingle or a hole in no time. They can create more damage by chewing through wiring, pipes and building nests using the insulation.

Also, keep your trash cans as far away from your house as possible and make sure they have tight-fitting “animal-proof” lids. Anyone who lives in Toronto or any urban centre with raccoons will know that raccoons are brilliant and have figured out the most “animal-proof” covers. Instead, try to put your garbage cans in a locked enclosure or even a shed. Also, keep your compost, mulch and firewood away from your house. Stacks of firewood, in particular, are an ideal place for mice to hide.

Mice love clutter as they see it as a place to hide and make a comfy new home for their new family. Clean up the mess inside and outside your home, including your basement and garage. Also, keep any pet food or bird seed in sealed containers.

Article content

There are also non-toxic repellents infused with mint that can help keep mice away but are ineffective if you already have mice in your house.

Ultrasonic repellents can be irritating to rodents. However, there is insufficient evidence to support their effectiveness. Since mice can be destructive and carry diseases, it is best to contact a pest management specialist to help find the best solution.

You could use rodenticide boxes, but I’m not too fond of this solution, as they can harm pets. Plus, there are some strict regulations regarding their use. Also, when mice eat poison, they often die in the walls, and the only way to get rid of the carcass is to cut into the wall, but though stinky, they typically decompose within two weeks.

There are also old-fashioned snap-traps. Even though these are considered the most humane and effective, I would be cautious about using these traps if you have pets and small children. There are also glue boards, which are inhumane and against the law.

You could also get a cat — but make sure they are hunters. Our cat loves to catch mice, and there’s no shortage of them living in the country. A cat on patrol will be a deterrent, but they can get injured and exposed to diseases. So, as a valued family member, you must be cautious and watch how many presents your cat leaves you.

Hiring a pro is the best way to deal with a rodent or pest problem. They can show you how they entered your home in the first place and create a plan to best deal with your situation.

Residents of the GTA can apply for Holmes on Homes: Building A Legacy at makeitright.ca.

Article content