A closed door might not be enough.
It's almost time to bust out the sweaters, bask in the smell of distant wood-burning fireplaces, discuss the deciduous plant life in transition, and do it all with pumpkin-spiced-whatever in hand. It also means raking leaves, cleaning gutters, and laughing as your dog frolics through the piles of your labor. But there's one chore this year you may not want to forget -- mice-proofing. Mice, and the like, not only carry unpleasant diseases, but also can be very destructive.Now if you own an old house, you're probably more familiar with the chore. Mice like to welcome themselves through various cracks or creaks, and they don't have to be large. Oftentimes mice can make an entrance via gaps just a 1/2 inch wide, and if it's less than that, they'll try chewing.
[gallery ids="22652,22653,22654"] So what can you do? Well, if you have an older home and you do find cracks or holes -- even on the roof -- then copper/metal mesh is your best friend, along with a tube of caulk. Other products also incorporate a steel wool-like material to make the area impervious to chewing. Believe it or not, some species of mice can jump from tree limbs onto your home, so trimming the trees around your house can also help, and installing small metal screens on your vents is prudent practice. [gallery ids="22656,22657"] However, the main entrance for many mice -- especially with newer homes -- is the garage. An improperly installed garage door can leave you susceptible to intrusion, but more often than not, they'll chew through the weather stripping at one of the corners. If you see a mouse in your garage, be sure to check the weather-stripping at the bottom for signs of chewing. If that's the case, you can purchase steel wool-lined garage weather stripping that'll help keep the mice in their natural habitat.