Photo Album: Mice find multiple entries in Franklin Park, NJ community

Several homeowners in a Franklin Park, NJ residential community were having issues with mice entering their home. As temperatures drop, mice and other pests seek to overwinter in our homes to escape the harsh outdoor elements. Unfortunately, because of their diminutive size, it’s often easy for them to find entry points along the building’s foundation. They only need a quarter-inch gap (about the diameter of a dime) for them to squeeze their way in. Mice are more than a nuisance. They are a bona fide health hazard. Once inside your home, they forage for food mostly at night, quietly using wall voids to stay hidden. Mice will chew their way through cereal boxes and other containers. They also leave their droppings anywhere and everywhere, potentially contaminating your food, your silverware, and your kitchen countertops.

Mice exclusion around outdoor faucet

To find them requires a thorough inspection. It also helps to have the experience of a pest control technician to know where to look and the likely trouble spots where mice gain entry. During my inspection of the building's exterior perimeter, I found several possible entry points around utility lines that were entering the structure.

Mice entry around faucet

The key to any successful rodent control program is finding and sealing these openings. You can set all the bait traps you want in and around your home, but if the rodent entry points are not dealt with, you'll be sure to have on-going rodent problems. These tiny gaps, cracks, and openings can be easily overlooked,

Mice exclusion in Franklin Park

To deal with the rodent infestation, I first treated the openings and the wall voids with an effective tracking powder. When mice come into contact with this powder, it clings to their skin, Then, when they groom themselves, they ingest it and die soon thereafter. After applying the treatment, to prevent any further rodent entry, I used chew-proof copper mesh to carefully seal any gaps around the utility lines

Mice entry point in Franklin Park, NJ

Finally, I secured rodent bait stations around the building perimeter to create a first line of defense against the trespassing rodents. Before leaving the residential community,

Mice exclusion around gap

I contacted the property manager to relay to him the results of my inspection and the steps I had taken to resolve the infestation and ensure that these homes stay pest-free.