How to Keep Mice and Rats Out of Your Home and Garden

Rodents are not choosing your home out of spite. They are looking for food, water, warmth and shelter, and if your property offers any of those, they will keep coming back. The best defence is to make life difficult for them.

Block the ways in

A mouse can pass through a hole the width of a pencil, and a rat only needs a gap of roughly 15 to 20mm. Walk around the outside of your home and look for gaps around pipes, cables, vents, door frames and air bricks.

• Fill gaps with fine steel or copper wire wool and a suitable sealant, as rodents can chew through foam alone
• Fit door brushes or bottom strips to exterior doors
• Cover air bricks and vents with fine mesh
• Repair cracked brickwork and damaged damp-proof layers
• Keep loft hatches and cupboards under sinks closed

Tidy up the kitchen

Store dry food, pet food and bird seed in hard plastic or metal containers. Wipe up crumbs, empty bins regularly and do not leave dirty dishes out overnight.

Take care of the garden

• Use a closed compost bin and avoid putting cooked food in it
• Use bird feeders with trays and clear spilled seed daily
• Keep woodpiles and rubbish off the ground and away from walls
• Cut back overgrown vegetation next to the house
• Fix dripping taps and clear standing water
• Store chicken feed in sealed bins

Do not ignore the drains

Cracked or broken drains are a common way for rats to reach a property. If you see rats near a manhole or hear them in the pipes, contact your water company or a drainage specialist.

Think carefully about traps and bait

Shop-bought poisons can harm pets, children and wildlife, including owls and foxes that eat a poisoned rodent. If you use traps or bait, choose tamper-resistant stations, place them out of reach, and check them often. For anything more than a single mouse, professional control is safer.

Signs that prevention is not enough

If you notice fresh droppings, gnaw marks or sounds in the walls despite your efforts, it is time to call in help. Our Abingdon team will inspect, treat and show you exactly where to proof, as part of our rat and mouse control service. Not sure what you are dealing with? Read our guide to the warning signs of rats and mice.