How to Plug Mouse Holes in Your Home (Inside & Outside)

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Learn strategies to prevent mice from invading & when to call the pros
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When you think about a mouse hole, you might imagine a small, arched entrance similar to something you've seen in cartoons. The reality is that mice and other rodents can slip through tiny holes and crevices no larger than a nickel. In this helpful guide, we'll explain how to close up mouse holes inside and outside of your home, as well as how to prevent mice from coming back in. We'll also share expert tips from Pest Control Specialist, Chris Parker.

How do you close mouse holes?

Insert steel wool and apply caulking to small cracks and holes in walls, baseboards, cabinets, and floors to fill them in and prevent the mice from getting through. Cover large holes like vents and chimneys with steel screens or mesh. Close gaps around pipes with custom-fitted sheet metal.

Section 1 of 7:

How to Close Mouse Holes Inside Your Home

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  1. Buy a tube of caulk online or at your local hardware store and go around your home looking for any cracks. Pay particular attention to the base and backs of cabinets and walls where they meet the floor or ceiling. [1]
    • Check your attic and basement as well. Pay close attention to exterior walls, as they can potentially give rodents direct entry into your home.
    • If you have a fireplace, check for possible holes in that area. The warmth makes it an attractive area for rodents to nest.
    • When in doubt, run caulk over any crevices you see. Even if a rodent can't get through it now, it might expand if it isn't sealed.
  2. 2
    Cover basement drains with hardware mesh. Floor drains in basements, garages, or laundry rooms can be easy access points for rodents. You can opt for hardware mesh or a drain cover with holes smaller than 1 ⁄ 4  in (0.64 cm) in diameter. [2]
    • Typically, you can place the screen directly under the drain plate and secure it in place with the plate itself.
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  3. Check the pipes under your sinks, washing machines, water heaters, and furnaces where they penetrate a wall or cabinet. If there are gaps between the pipe and the surrounding wall or cabinet, cut and fit a piece of sheet metal around the pipe and seal it in place against the wall or cabinet. [3]
    • Your local hardware store can cut the metal for you to fit the space that you need. Simply measure the pipe to make sure the hole cut in the sheet metal will fit around it.
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Section 2 of 7:

How to Close Exterior Mouse Holes

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  1. Stuff the steel wool into the hole to plug it completely. Then spread caulk or spray foam around the edges of the hole to seal the wool in place and prevent the mice from simply pulling it out. [4]
  2. Look for a cement mix online or at your local hardware store, or buy wire mesh that you can affix over the opening. Measure the hole before you buy your materials so you'll know how much you need. [5]
    • Make sure you don't leave any gaps in the cement or sheeting that a mouse could still get through.
    • You can also use hardware cloth or lath screens (backing material for plaster) to cover the holes. Just don't use wood, which rodents can chew through.
  3. Close up the gaps on either side and on top of a window with caulking . [6] Fill the gaps surrounding a door with new weather stripping . [7] You can also attach sheet metal or wire mesh to the edges of your door to deter mice from gnawing through it. [8]
  4. Some holes on the outside of your home are meant to be there. Unfortunately, these holes also present opportunities for rodents to enter. Buy steel screens at your local hardware store or online and cover the vents with these. That way, the vent will still work properly but won't serve as a doorway for outdoor pests. [9]
    • Use caulk to seal the screen in place if you can't use the vent cover itself to hold the screen on.
    • Install mesh screens over your roof vents and chimney, as well, so rodents can't get through these holes. [10]
    Robert Corrigan, Urban Rodentologist

    Effective rodent control requires closing entry points mice can squeeze through and use durable materials they can't gnaw through. Regular inspection and maintenance of any gaps are essential to prevent persistent mice from entering.

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Section 3 of 7:

What do mouse holes look like?

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  1. Mouse holes are cracks or gaps as small as 1 ⁄ 4  in (0.64 cm) in diameter. They can be the size of the head of a pencil or a dime and a mouse can still squeeze its body through them. This ability can make finding and closing mouse holes a challenge because even the most innocent-looking crack or gap can be repurposed as an entrance for these rodents. [11]
Section 4 of 7:

Common Mouse Hole Locations

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  1. Mouse holes are common in or near walls, floors, ceilings, vents, and pipes. Mice can chew through soft materials like wood and dry wall, so they can make new holes throughout your home where they didn't exist before. But they also look for areas where cracks might already exist. Below is a list of other common places to look for holes that mice and other rodents might be using. [12]
    • The corners of a room
    • Around the fireplace
    • Around windows and doors
    • Around pipes and gas, electrical, and sewer lines
    • Around wires and cables
    • Behind appliances and around drains and vents in the floor
    • In the attic, basement, or crawl space
    • In the roof (including the eaves, gables, and soffits)
    • In the foundation
    • In siding that has worn down or deteriorated
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Section 5 of 7:

How to Prevent Mice Infestations

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  1. Place them near areas where you noticed signs of mouse activity. Parker also recommends sealing most or all of the holes in your home and leaving a trap at one or two entrances, so the mouse has no choice but to go to that hole and spring the trap.
    • Parker suggests avoiding baiting your traps with rodenticide (i.e., rat or mouse poison), especially if the mice are getting into your house. If they eat the rodenticide and then go back inside, they may die in the walls and leave a pungent stench that will be difficult to get rid of. Instead, use peanut butter.
    • If you catch any mice and want to release them, take them far away from your home, preferably in a field. Remember to wear gloves and never let your skin come into contact with the mouse or anything it touches.
  2. Store all food, including pet food, in airtight containers. Clean up any spills or messes promptly so rodents won't smell food in your home. Wash dishes and utensils as soon as possible after use rather than letting them pile up in the sink. [13]
    • Any kind of food left out overnight will attract rodents. If you've had a problem with rodents in the past, don't leave out pet food overnight. Return any uneaten food to the airtight container, then replace it in the morning.
    • Rodents tend to get their food close to where they live, so eliminating potential food sources around your home is the best way to prevent a rodent infestation.
  3. Keep trashcans at least 100 feet (30 m) away from the exterior walls of your home to avoid attracting rodents. Use closed containers so rodents and other creatures can't get to the trash inside. If you have a compost pile, keep it at least 100 feet (30 m) away from your home as well.
    • Keep your trash in rodent-proof bins and clean them with soap and water frequently.
  4. Any weeds and brush around the walls of your home provide great nesting areas for rodents. Sweep or rake brush frequently and keep it away from the exterior walls of your house. [14]
    • If you have a yard, keep your grass cut so that it's shorter than 12 inches (30 cm). [15]
    • Keep any shrubbery within 100 feet (30 m) of your home neat and trimmed short.
  5. Any woodpiles or garbage cans on the ground also provide nesting areas for rodents and other pests. You can buy stands or holders online or at your local hardware or home improvement store or you can build your own.
    • Make sure the area under the woodpile or garbage can is also kept clear. Any brush or debris will only exacerbate your problem.
  6. Call a local junk service to have these items hauled away, then clear any brush or debris from that part of your yard. This removes potential nesting spots for rodents. [16]
    • If your local government doesn't have a service to haul away junk, contact several junk haulers to get estimates.
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Section 6 of 7:

Signs of a Mouse Infestation

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  1. 1
    Mouse droppings and urine. Mice poop and pee as they walk, so they will often leave brown or black droppings like tiny pellets and urine in the path where they were recently scurrying around. If you notice these telltale signs in places like drawers, cupboards, countertops, or under the sink, you can be sure there's at least one mouse living in your home with you. [17]
  2. 2
    Nesting material. Mice like to make nests out of paper, fabric scraps, or dried plants. If you notice a collection of these items in one place, most likely a mouse carried it there to make a home. The best response is to remove the material right away and throw it away, so the mouse won't have any nest to come back to. [18] \
  3. 3
    Chewed up food packaging. Mice enter your home to look for food, so it makes sense that whenever they find some, they'll try to get into it. Be on the lookout for items in your pantry that suddenly have holes in them they never had before. If you find such items, discard the package (and the food left in it) without eating any of the contents. [19]
  4. 4
    Bad or stale smells. If you notice an unpleasant or stale smell that seems to come from a concealed area, like cabinets, a wall, or under the floor, that may be a sign that mice have moved in. Mice don't smell good, especially when you consider their habit of leaving droppings and urine everywhere they go. [20]
    • If you notice a putrid smell, it's possible that a mouse has died in your home. Trace the smell to its origin. If it's in a wall or underneath the floor, you may need to call an exterminator to come and remove the dead mouse safely.
    • Never touch a dead mouse, a mouse nest, or any surface a mouse has walked on with your bare fingers. Instead, Parker recommends wearing rubber or latex gloves and double-bagging the dead rodent and their nesting materials before throwing it away.
    • While still wearing gloves, thoroughly disinfect any surface they may have peed, pooped, or walked on with a bleach solution or an EPA-registered disinfectant. [21]
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Section 7 of 7:

When to Call a Pro

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  1. If you've done everything you can to prevent mice from taking up residence in your home and you're still seeing signs of them, a professional exterminator can help. The mice might be coming in through an opening that you can't see, or they might be trapped in your home and unable to get out to go someplace else. [22]
    • Have exterminators from several different companies come out to evaluate the situation and give you an estimate. That way, you can compare and choose the one that best suits your needs and your budget.

How Do You Close a Mouse Hole?


Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    What are the most humane traps for killing mice?
    Chris Parker
    Pest Control Specialist
    Chris Parker is the Founder of Parker Eco Pest Control, a sustainable pest control service in Seattle, Washington. Since 2016, Chris has been specializing in Integrated Pest Management and doesn’t use any chemicals for pest removal. He offers removal services for ants, rodents, fleas, spiders, wasps, and more. Chris is a certified Commercial Pesticide Applicator in Washington State and received his bachelor’s from the University of Washington.
    Chris Parker
    Pest Control Specialist
    Expert Answer
    Typically the quicker the kill, the more humane the trap is. Snap traps hit the mouse's neck right when they go off, so they're considered the preferred method.
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      Tips

      • Check around your home for cracks and crevices at least twice a year—once when cold weather starts and then again when things start to warm up. Preventative maintenance can help you avoid a rodent intrusion. [23]
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      • Dead rodents, rodent waste, and nesting materials may carry disease. Always wear gloves when cleaning up after them and dispose of the material promptly. [24]
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      • Wait until you're sure there are no mice in your home before you completely close all the holes. If you don't give them any way to get out, they could die in your walls.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/seal-up.html
      2. ↑ https://www.prairietownship.org/DocumentCenter/View/3768/Preventing-and-Eliminating-Rats-Flyer?bidId
      3. ↑ https://www.prairietownship.org/DocumentCenter/View/3768/Preventing-and-Eliminating-Rats-Flyer?bidId=
      4. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/seal-up.html
      5. ↑ https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/what-do-about-wild-mice
      6. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/caulking-windows/
      7. ↑ https://www.thisoldhouse.com/doors/21016488/how-to-make-your-doors-draft-free-with-weatherstripping
      8. ↑ https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/pests/rats.htm
      9. ↑ https://www.health.ny.gov/environmental/pests/rats.htm
      1. ↑ https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1025&context=icwdmhandbook
      2. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/seal-up.html
      3. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/seal-up.html
      4. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/identify-and-prevent-rodent-infestations
      5. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-get-rid-of-mice/
      6. ↑ https://www.prairietownship.org/DocumentCenter/View/3768/Preventing-and-Eliminating-Rats-Flyer?bidId=
      7. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/identify-and-prevent-rodent-infestations
      8. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/identify-and-prevent-rodent-infestations
      9. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/identify-and-prevent-rodent-infestations
      10. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/identify-and-prevent-rodent-infestations
      11. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/rodenticides/identify-and-prevent-rodent-infestations
      12. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-pets/rodent-control/clean-up.html
      13. ↑ https://www.prairietownship.org/DocumentCenter/View/3768/Preventing-and-Eliminating-Rats-Flyer?bidId=
      14. ↑ https://www.nyc.gov/site/doh/health/health-topics/rats.page
      15. ↑ https://www.prairietownship.org/DocumentCenter/View/3768/Preventing-and-Eliminating-Rats-Flyer?bidId=

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