Ask An Expert

Why Your Home Has Mice

My name is Tom Lopatosky. I’m the President of LOPCO Contracting(www.LopcoContracting. com) & I’m honored to have the opportunity to talk to you about home improvement on a monthly basis. I love answering your questions! Please send them to tom@LopcoContracting.com or call 401-270-2664. Thanks in advance for taking the time to read this column!

Most everyone I know has some type of “fear” that totally “skeeves” them out. For some people, it’s spiders, for some, it may be cockroaches, or, it could be any other of a wide variety of creepy crawlies that can scurry around your residence. For me, it is mice. If I see one of these tiny beings, I will totally freak out and run for my life!

roughout various properties that I am responsible for, I use differing methods of control in order to prevent mice from working their way in and setting up shop. Although these methodologies have been proven to be quite e ective, the big question is how do the mice get in there in the rst place? Valid question.

e simplest answer is – any way they can!

In general, mice do not need that big of a hole, whatsoever – typically, not bigger than a dime – in order to make their way inside a home or business and start exploring. With the alternative of getting overrun with these tiny creatures, in many properties, some type of mouse control is vital. In addition to control measures, here are some tips in terms of limiting access points:

Old bulkheads (basement doors) – make sure these are very well sealed; these tend to lose their tightness over time and can develop into great entry points for mice.

e weather stripping at the bottom of entry and garage doors – if these are not solidly tight, mice will very easily work their way in. Holes in the foundation or a gap where your foundation meets the main exterior siding – these entry points are especially tricky to neutralize because mice can (as an example) enter from one area (i.e. - just above one’s sill plate) and begin to work their way in behind your siding, until they gradually nd a path into the house.

Gaps associated with windows – mice will o en work their way around a property until they nd a weak link around a window; many times, this ends up being an unknown space large enough to t the mouse, yet tiny enough to be undetected.

A gap around a pipe that enters the home – this could be a water pipe, a gas pipe, or the like – de nitely an attractive possible entry point! To prevent the unsettling feeling of seeing a mouse scurry across the room as you are comfortably watching television on any given evening, proper prevention tactics (as with most things) are critical.

I believe the best way to go is to bundle a mouse control plan with an approach of making sure that any potential entry point is as limited as possible. It is good to have a mouse control system in place, if able to be done, it is even better to stop the mice from getting in altogether. e key is to eliminate any semblance of a gap that mice might be able to squeeze their little, yet exible bodies through. is includes making sure any rotted wood that can easily be gnawed through for access is properly replaced.

Unfortunately, prospective areas of ingress can be seemingly everywhere; the more possibilities you are able to eliminate though, the less of a chance that you will have that random startling encounter with this tiny animal, which has been known to cause even the bravest of hearts to jump up on tables in order to avoid them!

About Tom Lopatosky

Tom Lopatosky has run his own carpentry and painting business in Providence since 1995; LOPCO Contracting – the “Personable, Particular Professionals” – specializes in carpentry and exterior & interior painting. Recently LOPCO Contracting was named ‘RI’s Finest Painting Contracting Company’ by ShopInRI Magazine. In 2013, Tom was named “Humanitarian of the Year” by the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA) and a “40 Under 40” award winner by Providence Business News. He is a member of both the PDCA and RIBA (Rhode Island Builders Association). Tom has weekly ‘Home Improvement Tips’ that air on the radio on 630 WPRO AM (during the weekday morning news) and on television on WPRI 12 (during the Saturday morning news.

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