What counts as an opening.
Roughly a quarter inch admits a mouse, and roughly half an inch admits a rat. That is smaller than most owners expect. The openings we find most often are not dramatic: a gap around a pipe, a worn corner of a garage door, an uncapped vent, a cable passing through siding.
| Where it opens. | How it gets closed. | What an open gap invites. |
|---|---|---|
| Pipe or cable passing through a wall. | A metal collar bedded in sealant. | An open gap turns the wall cavity into a corridor. |
| Garage door corner or seal. | New seal or rebuilt threshold. | Stored bins turn into a nest site. |
| Roof vent or soffit panel. | Heavy mesh and flashing. | Attic access for climbers. |
| Dryer or bath exhaust. | Metal cap with screen. | A duct straight to the attic. |
Why the metal matters.
Salt air is a fact of life near the Atlantic. It corrodes thin aluminum and cheap hardware, and rust opens new gaps. Stainless mesh, galvanized flashing and hard-cure sealant last longer in these conditions. We check what is already installed and replace parts that have started to fail.
Mesh must be fastened, not just pushed in. A rodent will pull out loose steel wool and use the hole it plugged. Fasteners, flashing laps and sealed edges are what separate a repair from a delay.
Which room, which hour and what the sound is like: those three facts are enough to start.
Reach us on (888) 686-4821The right order.
Sealing begins after trapping shows which routes are active. Closing a hole too early can lock an animal inside, which makes the noise worse and sometimes leads to a dead animal inside a wall. The sequence protects you from that.
- Walk the building and list every opening.
- Trap along active lanes until catches stop.
- Seal the openings, roof first and then the ground level.
- Return to tug-test each seal and record the result.
Trees, fronds and the roofline.
Live oaks and palms are common here, and a limb or frond that touches the shingles is a bridge. Exclusion covers the building, but the bridge has to be trimmed too. The Ormond Memorial Art Museum and Gardens is a reminder that this is a city of planted landscapes. Tell us about plants near your walls, since landscaping decides how close rodents can get.
A sealed building with a limb on the roof is still open.
Before you call, set the broom aside.
Fine dust is the hazard, so every step below is about keeping it out of your breathing zone.
- Sweeping and vacuuming dry droppings are off the table, since both fling fine particles toward your lungs.
- Airing comes first. The CDC starts closed-space cleanup with roughly thirty minutes of fresh air.
- Cover your hands throughout the task and keep even gloved fingers from touching your face.
- Wet everything thoroughly, give it a few minutes, then lift it with paper towels.
- Knot the bag and drop it in the ordinary household bin.
- If you feel off later, tell a doctor about the cleanup and let them judge what matters.
Origins of the safety advice.
Links open the agencies' own websites, which carry the full wording.
- CDC page on preventing hantavirus: The source for our advice on closing gaps and decluttering.
- CDC guide to cleaning up after rodents: The recommended order for airing out, soaking and bagging waste.