Mice aren’t so different from people when it comes to looking for a place to live. The primary concerns are food, water and shelter that’s safe and readily available. Generally, they won’t work very hard to find it, so easy access is another key ingredient. Read on to learn more about what mice look for in a home. 

Easy Entry Points

Mice don’t want to work hard to find shelter. They want to find small gaps and protected routes to get inside, and since they can squeeze through openings the size of the dime, these aren’t hard to find in most homes. Garage door corners, door sweeps, soffit gaps and damaged screens are some of the most common entry points for mice.

To avoid providing easy access to mice, seal cracks and holes, install door sweeps, repair screens and vents, and use proper rodent-proof materials, such as steel wool, to keep gaps sealed. When in doubt, a professional inspection can find hidden pathways and nesting routes.

Food Sources 

Your food trash is a mouse’s food treasure. Food is one of the main motivators for mice. If they can get to pet food, pantry items, crumbs or food waste without a lot of effort, they might be attracted to your home. Bird seed, fruit on counters, grease under appliances and outdoor pet feeding stations can all attract mice.

Prevent feeding mice by storing dry goods in sealed containers, cleaning under appliances, bringing pet food indoors at night and using tight-lid trash cans. Outdoor kitchens and patios can unintentionally feed mice year-round, so be especially cognizant of these areas.

Water and Moisture

Along with shelter and food, mice go into homes seeking easy access to water. Food will attract mice, but a steady flow of water will keep them there even longer. Some of the ways they find water in homes consistently are through leaky pipes, AC condensate lines, pet water bowls and standing water in garages.

Stop giving water to mice by fixing leaks quickly, keeping sinks dry overnight, maintaining AC drain lines and reducing standing water. Like food, water can also attract insects, which can create a secondary food source for many types of rodents.

Hidden Nesting Areas

When seeking shelter, mice are looking for quiet, protected areas near food. They want a private, safe place to build their nests. Some of the areas they most commonly infest include attics, wall voids, behind appliances and in storage rooms. These nests are often made of household materials, such as insulation and paper.

Don’t let mice nest in your home. Take the following steps to avoid making your home a mouse haven: declutter, store items in plastic bins with lids, reduce cardboard storage and keep vegetation trimmed away from the home.

Safety from Predators 

The most important thing mice look for in a home is safety from predators. For mice, that includes people, even if people don’t intend to threaten them. Mice look for spots with undisturbed travel routes and places where they can hide quickly. Clutter, stacked boxes, dense landscaping close to the house and open garage doors at night all provide these safe travel routes.

Avoid creating convenient routes for mice by reducing clutter, keeping doors closed and trimming shrubs back from the structure of your home. Most of our homes have unavoidable routes for mice, but a professional pest control team can inspect your home and see if there’s a way for your home to have fewer of them. 

Mice are sneaky creatures, and avoiding them entirely can be difficult. If a mouse finds its way into your house, Command Pest Control, a rodent control company near Fort Lauderdale, has you covered. Call us at 954-943-0008 or contact us online for a free inspection.