How to Keep Uninvited Guests Out of the House

Most homeowners find the mere thought of rats and mice living in their homes enough to make them cringe in horror and disgust.

What many of them do not realize, though, is that vermin infestation is a very common problem here in Southern California.

Even homes in the ritziest parts of town are prone to some of the worst infestations. Many people have uninvited guests in their attics and under the house and don’t know it.

When rats and mice enter your home, they usually do so through an opening or crack on the perimeter of the house. Therefore, owners should make sure that their houses are properly sealed.

At least twice a year, walk around your home and check carefully for access points. Look behind shrubbery and objects set against the house. Remember that rats have been known to enter a home through holes smaller than an inch across.

Pay particularly close attention to foundation and attic vents. They have a wire mesh screen that may wear out or loosen, providing pests a virtual open door to your home.

The best material to use to repair holes in the outer surface of your house and worn foundation or attic vent screens is quarter-inch hardware cloth, a mesh material of stiff, rust-proof wire in quarter-inch squares. It is sold by the foot at most building supply stores and can be cut with tin snips.

To seal holes and cracks up to about five inches across, cut the hardware cloth about a quarter-inch larger than the hole to be sealed, and wedge the material into the hole. The natural springiness of the mesh will force the stiff material into the sides of the hole, thereby holding it in place.

To repair larger holes and foundation or attic vent screens, cut the mesh to about a half-inch longer and wider than the hole or vent. Again, wedge the material into place so that its springiness keeps it in position. To help assure that it will stay put, secure it in place with 1 1/2- or 2-inch roofing nails every 5 inches around the perimeter of the vent, driven in at about a 45-degree angle.

Another common entry point is around pipes and conduits that come into the house under sinks and behind cabinets. These holes can likewise be sealed with hardware cloth wedged into the crevices. A patching compound provides a finished surface around the pipe.

BUTTONING UP

1/4-inch hardware cloth, cut 1/2-inch longer and 1/2-inch wider than opening to allow for nailing.

Secure mesh with 11 1/2-inch or 2-inch roofing nails at 4 to 6-inch spacing.