Mice are motivated to find warm places to nest as temperatures start to drop. During this time of year, it’s common for them to nest inside homes. This causes many homeowners to panic and question how the mice found their way inside. There are many variables when comes to locating an entry point as many homes aren’t built the same. On this page, we will review the most common places that homeowners often overlook.

A commonly overlooked entry point are open cinderblocks in the garage. (This is only regarding homes with attached garages.) You can find open cinderblocks inside unfinished or partially finished garages. The cinderblock foundation in the garage is connected to the foundation of the rest of the home. Once a mouse enters inside the cinderblock foundation, they can navigate throughout the entire home. Mice will build nests inside the foundation, as well as use it as a place to store food for winter.

In places with cold winters and hot summers, construction materials such as cement can crack and settle. When this happens, the gap between the driveway skirt and driveway slab expands. When this gap becomes large enough, pests such as mice, chipmunks, and snakes will use it to access the space underneath the garage slab. There is commonly an entry point in the foundation below the slab.

Similar to the driveway skirt, brick wall facades can also shift, crack, and settle. This is because they are not built to provide the home with structural support. They are strictly built for decoration. This causes them to break and crack in places where the brick touches other materials (siding, soffits, trim boards, etc.). This gives mice access to go behind the walls. From there, they can get into the attic or foundation.

Corners around homes are favorable areas for mice. Construction materials are often not cut flush with the foundation or siding. Homes that have vinyl siding have corner pieces called corner caps. These hollowed-out pieces provide mice with access to the top of the foundation and, in some cases, the attic.

Bay windows on homes are susceptible to entry points. In this photo, there is an entry point under the back of the window. Under the window, gaps can form between the foundation and the window frame. It is common to find entrances where the corners of the window meet with the foundation. It’s also possible for there to be gaps or evidence of rotting wood. The rot can be attributed to homeowners piling up landscaping rock, mulch, or soil above the window. When these materials touch any wood under or around them, it can cause the wood to become water-damaged. Water-damaged wood is easy for mice to chew through and can become warped creating gaps in the wood that lead inside the home.

Around a home, there are multiple pipes and electrical lines that go directly into the house. It’s common for these places to be left unsealed or improperly sealed. When mice gain access, they use pipes and electrical wires to navigate their way to the attic and unfinished rooms inside the home.

Dryer vents are commonly left open due to lint filling up in between the hinges. A clean dryer vent should be shut when the dryer is off and only open while the dryer is running. Other vents around the home can also be susceptible to entry points. There can be gaps behind the vents or through the grates. A grate needs to have 1/4-inch squares to keep mice out. Switching out a dryer vent with a Lambro dryer vent would eliminate the possibility of the flap staying open. You can buy one on Amazon by clicking here.

Mice can climb homes that have brick, stucco, or wood siding. They can access the roof easily if trees or bushes touch the roof line. Vines growing on the side of the home also create easy access. Once on the roof, mice often find ways into the attic through gables, soffits around chimneys, and vents.