Ways Mice Enter Your Cottage

As the weather cools weekends at the cottage are growing less frequent. As much as we hate to admit it, the time for closing the cottage is on the horizon. It’s best to be prepared for the winter ahead and put prevention programs in place to ensure you don’t come back up to the cottage to be welcomed by pests, especially mice, as they are known to cause significant damage in cottages and homes.

The Roof

The roof is an easy access point in houses or cottages. Trees or other vegetation that hang over your home act as highways for the rodents. These pests are also able to climb vertically up the side of brick walls. While on the roof, a mouse’s access points include vents or chimneys.

Prevention:

Check your roof and roof vents for holes or other damage and fix as needed.

It is also recommended to keep the gutters clean and to install a chimney cap.

Gaps

Mice will find any gap, anywhere, on the exterior of your home. Unfortunately wherever different materials meet on a home is an opportunity for a gap. The most common entry point is the gap found between the bricks and soffit.

Prevention:

Seal any gaps you find between the bricks and soffit

Look out for siding and foundation gaps, roof and soffit gaps and roof and fascia gaps, which helps prevent them from entering the house.

Utility Lines

Utility lines, just like tree branches and vegetation, are an easy way to lead a mouse right into or onto your cottage. Most utility lines that exhaust to the outside often run through exterior walls as well as air conditioners, heating, electrical and water. These all allow mice an opportunity to enter your building’s walls. Once inside, rodents will travel throughout your home using holes cut for pipes, wiring, and ducts.

Prevention:

Regularly inspect exterior walls for gaps or holes.

Caulk around the exterior holes where wires and pipes are entering into your home, to avoid an infestation.

Replace vent covers where needed.

Doors and Windows

Doors or windows that don’t close correctly are a perfect entry point for rodents looking for food and shelter. It is imperative that your doors and windows close properly.

Prevention:

Keeping doors closed as well as caulk around doors and windows to prevent a mice infestation.

Add weather stripping around your doors. Not only will it keep these pests out, but it will increase your home’s energy efficiency.

Food

This is a big incentive for mice to take up residence in your cottage winter months (and other time of the year). Do not give them a reason to find their way in or make themselves at home by nesting in your walls and furniture.