@@Bozemanjustin "Mice are nocturnal, meaning they like to sleep during the day. This is why pet mice or house mice can be heard playing or foraging during the night. Most wild mice are timid toward humans and other animals, but they are very social with other mice."
Story time. I have adhd so hang with me. I’ve been in my home for 10 years. Never a single mouse until last year. I stored some rice in my garage temporarily while I organized the food closet and I missed a box of it… I set an arlo camera in the garage and caught the video of getting the mouse. Mission accomplished….or so I thought. Fast forward from last year to last Wednesday (8/10/22). My son was in the garage and said he saw a mouse. I got around to dealing with it on Thursday. So there I was…in my garage doing what men do….Organizing, planning, etc. plotting the execution of this problematic mouse… I was at my red craftsman tool box (six foot high, but not too wide). I reached for my drill bit kit to put my gate back on my new fence post I had just set a few days prior. As I move to the drill set, my eye caught movement on top of my tool box. Eye level. It was a foot from my face. Maybe closer. I jumped back. Screamed like a inner city metrosexual. There it was…with the same mission as I….24 inches of silent slithering death. I immediately retreated in defeat almost crapping myself and having a heart attack to boot. Side note…for added affect…I am a USMC infantry vet with two tours to Fallujah and a Purple Heart. I would rather fight the Taliban again than deal with any snake of any size. Before I could take it prisoner..it was gone. It had snuck in the crawl space near my ac unit drain line. Bastard found a weak spot in my defenses. Nonetheless I had to get the mouse…and now a snake. At least one of each. I was outnumbered but…they were inside enemy lines. My castle…my rules of engagement. (Plus my wife was not letting me rest until I could prove victory). So, I set the mouse traps all around their infiltration point. All I had to do was figure out the snake. The next morning, Friday, I had to take my wife to an early appt. When we left through the garage..MISSION SUCCESS. Marine one. Mouse zero. I left it as my wife and I needed to be on time for her appt. (She had to have an ultrasound due to serious abdomen pain -thankfully she’s just full of gas. Ha..) As we were driving home I mentioned I need to clean the trap, but maybe leave it to try to get the snake. To my surprise when we opened the garage door…the snake had already fallen victim to my two extra lane mines - er, mouse traps - it had tried to swallow the dead mouse and got caught in two other traps. I quickly put it out of its misery, just as it would do to me, probably. Marine two, mouse and snake negative one. To be proactive I set three more traps. Got two more mice…no more snakes but the neighbor recorded a 4 footer in my cucumber patch. To be continued….
This is called wildlife exclusion work. It’s highly specialized and you will not get most “pest” companies to do it (at least not correctly). My father has made his career off this in PA/MD/VA for the last 25 years. It goes far beyond mice.. squirrels, bats, birds etc. especially on the commercial side.
I have done the same in the past with my garden. For the camera, I used a "game/trail" camera. Often, these are on sale for $50 on Amazon. Then, set live animal trap, with bait, in pathway. Next morning, relocate critter miles away. Rinse, repeat, til critters gone.
I actually do this for a living, and here are a few thoughts.... Good job first off.....but keep in mind that sometimes mice/rats will be within the structure when you seal up the hole. If you only use the foam, they can/will chew through it (especially if they get trapped inside). Rats teeth never stop growing and they are experts at chewing through things like foam, aluminum, paper........so forth. I suggest using steel or copper whenever sealing up a mouse/rat hole. For your situation....you could fold a piece of 1/8 or 1/4 inch meshing and stuff it up there, spray with rubber coating like flex seal......and it's a done deal without messy foam. Also.....because you may trap them within the structure, it is a good idea to set traps in the attic and sub area to make sure you get any trapped inside. If you want to be sure they are gone after sealing, put some nuts or dried fruit in there overnight and see if it goes missing. Again.....thanks for the video.......rats and mice are very tricky and intelligent (trust me lol)
Was going to say the same thing. Had mouse getting in around a drain pipe and used foam to plug it. Within a month or so they ate right through it. Used packed wire mesh instead.
This is our problem. And I am about to lose my mind. Its been 7 months !!!! We had a guy come out and seal up a hole by our AC unit. He said that is the only opening in our house. He laid bait boxes all over our house with poison . We checked and the poisin had been eaten . We saw a lot less activity . But 90% solution is not 100% . I also caught 3 mice in humane traps . glue traps , old fashion snap their head traps . I thought ....maybe .... we were near the end of this insanity Nope. The mice are within the structure/ house!!!!! We share a wall with our neighbor and they are in the walls. Two weeks ago. A mouse chewed through the crown molding in my daughters bedroom!!!! I talked to our neighbors and they said they did have a problem but haven't seen any mice in while. SO my question is how the hell do you end the madness if they live ini the walls. Do I have to seal up every nook and cranny within the house? It seems they are living behind the appliances and obv the poisin isn't killing them anymore, Its like they are immune to it. My plan this weekend is t take all of our pots and pans out of our lower cabinets and pull away all appliances and seal up any holes in our kitchen with the spray cement solution . The worst part is the urine smells DISGUSTING . We have not used our pantry since last april . We keep all food in cabinets now but we have a small kitchen so its a total pain. . and I love to cook and the smell is unbearable. They love being behind the oven. Our oven is broken now and I balme these little f****rs and My husband cant smell it . That is my mouse rant. But I am going to look under the siding outside . These little f ****rs are not dying . Any advice I will gladly take. I want to replace our stove as I feel like they have taken residence around the stove and now it smells like MOIUSE !! I want ti buy a new stove but I dont want to until these sermon are gone !!!!!
Good points, thank you. I would never want to trap an animal like that, not even a rat or a mouse! This is the exact reason we waited til late June to seal up all our holes. In Arizona at 112F+ temps mice were not coming in even at night in June was 100F. Here our mice start looking for a home end of September, so we got 'em months before that.
I trapped mice for 2.5 yrs in a house I bought and inherited the problem with. I checked for entry points using bright lights shining on the interior walls and searched at night to locate a couple of small openings. No change. I removed the old wooden deck to replace it with paver stones and found the final entry point they were using. Being mouse free is awesome.
I did my investigation too. I found out that they can squeeze through small cracks. I didn't believe it till I saw a video. That explains how they got in. I taped those small cracks with duct tape only as a TEMP solution till I find something permanent.
An alternative is Rodo Trak. UV powder in bait boxes. Mouse takes bait, and gets UV power on itself. Powder Trail is visible with UV Flashlight. You can find the entry points by UV Powder Trail! So cool.
One thing I would recommend is shoving steel wool up in the hole before you squirt the foam. This will prevent the mice from chewing the foam and recreating an entrance.
One tricky thing for mice entry, you could have tree/object overhang and they are scurrying from that onto a deck or non-ground approach. Something to consider for folks who come up empty on their initial camera hunt
@@MegaCynar You haven't actually seen just how many things roof rats can climb then. They can shimmy up a corner edge of your house, they can travel from house to house by way of powerlines, I've seen these things climb things nothing else can climb up. There's only one way to get rid of roof rats and that's kill them.
Pro exterminator… mice do not climb trees, ever. Only the roof rats climb trees because that’s where they live. Mice live in burrows and are usually dug by other animals and abandon and then move will takeover that home.
@@wrzl1675 Noted, excellent point, but a distinction among experts doesn't dispute that rodents (roof rats, squirrels, other?) access houses beyond the terrain
I was watching TV in my lounge one night and there was a mouse peering at me on the venetian blind it had come across the top of a raised gate attached to the side of the house and got in the open window...I lowered the top of the gate and no more issue with that access...You definitely have a very valid point for people to consider.
This TH-camr covers so many topics it's hard to believe. I'm an engineer and a super skeptic about almost everything (don't believe anything I hear and only half of what I see LOL) , and this TH-camr really nails things from tech to lawns to whatever. What a really great channel.
I've had great mouse proofing results by using strips of 1/4" galvanized wire cloth screen to plug long, wide gaps along the foundation where the siding overlaps. Cut some strips and fold lengthwise to make them tent shaped. Use a wide scraper or putty knife to push the folded strips deep into the gap. The wire cloth will lock into position. Follow up with foam injection to keeps bugs and drafts out.
I agree, I believe the mice will eventually just chew their way through the spray foam and make sure you use low expansion foam, high expansion foam can possibly warp what ever you're spraying it under (siding for instance) but using the wire mesh first pretty much guarantees the mice aren't getting through.
I went around my house with my phone camera in reverse and looked up under where my siding meets my cement foundation. I had found raccoon poop In my yard and just thought I’d was maybe the garden and a little water feature. Then I found them. Two dead mice. Looks like they been there a bit. The I found a hole. Looked like the size of a knot hole. So I filled it with that rodent deterrent spray foam. Well that didn’t work. I’m thinking they may be under the house and pushed the foam out of the way to get out. I’m grossed out. I put out some Tom Cat and there is no way I’m going under the house. I will try what you say about the screen. I have screen on everything else. I’m afraid if I secure the hole and they are under the house they will try another wAy to get out. 😳 ever had a mouse in the house in all the 10 years I have lived here . And don’t want them. Maybe call an exterminator?
@@shericreatesDon’t call an exterminator. You can do this, Sheri! Buy the 1/4-28 gauge hardware cloth (it’s like chicken wire but not exactly). I bought a 3 foot by 10 foot roll from Lowes this evening. It’s roughly the same cost of the roll from Home Depot, but 1 foot wider and a whole 5 feet longer at $19.99. So more for your money. Also buy some inexpensive stuff called closed-cell backer rod (available for more at a cheaper price at Lowes too). Stick the hardware cloth in the gaps between the siding and concrete as was mentioned in this post. Leave some room for the backer rod which you’ll put in next. And finally leave room for caulking last. This is a full proof method. Mice (and their bigger brothers, rats) and even Raccoons cant chew through the hardware cloth. You’ll be all set.
Lol great video! I actually did the same thing with an outdoor camera. Started sealing the entire house and haven’t had a rodent problem for 7 years so far. You are doing the right thing!
You have an uncanny ability to post helpful videos within weeks of my running into these types of problems. This is without a doubt the best channel on TH-cam for people who want to do DIY projects. Thanks as always. Will report back on how this works on our mouse issue!
I wish it was deliberate, its really just a matter of us all having the same problems at the same time. I really appreciate the kind words too thank you
Ha, me too. I was filling cracks with great stuff yesterday to try and seal up cracks where mice were getting in. I have some Arlo cameras, going to give this a try
@@Tetragramix Yep! I needed to do a few passes of filling and monitoring but the cameras help me find the real entrance. Just like this video, I could see them on trying to get into the same spot I filled a few nights in a row then they gave up.
We had same problem on a house built in 1994 when I moved in 2000. Did not use camera, lucky to have a dog that was a mouse hunter and she was chewing on outside corners of siding. This is a Vinyl sided house and all the outside corners are like a mouse turnpike to my attic where they were soring acorns like preppers. Foamed all outside and inside corners of siding and no more mice. Thanks to Mika the dog. RIP Mika.
Corner boards are notorious for letting mice in. Other areas to watch out for are around the sides of your garage doors, and those metal bulkhead doors which do nothing to keep mice out. I always recommend to my customers that they have a finish door that seals of the opening at the bottom of the bulkhead steps. Great video!
Fantastic video and spot on. Had similar issues about 5 years after my home was built. In one place the mice found a seam in the plywood sheathing above my porch and in another a little crevice created when the masons had reinforced the top of the form for the foundation. 2 additions. 1 I like to add some stainless steel scouring pad to the hole if it’s larger, that creates a second barrier besides the foam and it won’t rust. 2 some folks may need to install a 1 way pest door if the nest is in a wall etc. otherwise you are trapping the mice in the house, they will aggressively try to find a way out if trapped and stink if they die.
Honestly, don’t waste your money buying all these cameras. You know you’ve got rodent infestations eg rodent droppings and the stench is unmistakable. Set up a variety of kill traps! They’ll keep coming because previous generation rats have left invisible trails ( rat urines etc) like bread crumbs for new rats like road signs. Cameras are good for TH-cam but won’t kill rodents.
I was catching mice both inside my garage and inside my house. I looked all around the house perimeter but couldn't find how they were getting inside. I finally found their access hole by accident. It had snowed during the night and I went outside early the next morning to get something from my car in the driveway. The snow was pristine except for mouse tracks leading directly to the corner of my garage door. I waited until the snow melted, got down on my hands and knees and found the hole the mice were coming through. I blocked the hole and my mice problem disappeared.
Great info ! I have used a product called "stuff it" It is a copper mesh that you stuff into the holes, rodents do not like to chew on copper then then spray the foam to keep it in place and seal it. I found this product on "Do My Own".
I really enjoy your videos and how professionally you approach each activity. Watching the transformation of your new place has me applauding. Keep it up.
I had the exact same problem where my natural gas pipe was not caulked and let mice in my basement. I bought the exact same spray foam and insulated the hole. I then had to set up traps in our basement to kill any remaining mice. Great video!! 👍
When you seal a hole, add copper mesh to the sealant. I use the mesh from copper pot scrubbers. Simply snip the pieces holding them together and it becomes a roll of mesh, and they're very cheap to purchase. I also go one step further, and then add a heavy gauge wire netting along the inside. You can double this up using a 2d piece so the bars cover the spaces of each square, because many people are still amazed at the space a small mouse can squeeze through. The more work/time it takes, the less effort they will exert, and quickly move in to somewhere else... Unless they have babies inside.
I don’t know what your motivation is to keep helping us but it’s wonderful. You have helped me solve so many problems around the house. I don’t know how to ever thank you. Please keep posting, we need your help. And the products you support saves me hours of research too.
Yes! This is exactly what I did. I have Arlo cameras all over the property so I just pulled one from its fixed location and mounted it to a tripod and systematically moved around the house. I bought that great stuff sealant from Home Depot. Works great!
This is one of the best DIY channels. This video solidifies my motto "do things the hard way, it's easier". Meaning, there are no shortcuts to good results.
Brilliant For those in old homes that might not have 'real' foundations going 4 feet deep, or even basement depth, or have dirt crawl spaces and basements, it's way too easy for mice to find a way under the foundation, through a crack in it, and with a bit of digging come up under your house. I've also been adding foam, gravel, pavers in a band around the house flashed to the building with adhesive backed metals, to keep them from easily accessing holes under ground (and to keep ground warm in winter, it's made floors lots warmer). I covered the entire foundation with foam and metal flashing right up under siding where I sealed it to the sill plate and wow, that was horrible on my stomach, back, using cameras.... to make sure there were no gaps left. Then I had people go under house to crawlspace and 'caulk' 1/4 inch wire mesh 4 feet wide to foundation, then weight it down with PT 2x6's with foam sprayed under them, at foundation wall, half way, and at edge, to again encourage vermin that tunneled in to give up. HUGE difference in mice.
Works with rats, too! Found several areas around an old, attached garage that had rotted wood. Removed / patched the wood and then filled in the rat paths with spray foam. Have not had a problem since!
When my house was new, we had mice in the attic within the first couple years. I have vinyl siding and noticed that the outside corners are where they climb up. It's like an elevator to the attic. I stuffed steel wool in there and also added expanding foam. Problem solved!
Nice thinking with the camera. Mice get in where you would never think. Always heard that they can get in very small openings so I had to find out how small. After I caught one in a trap, I was actually able to fit it into a beer bottle, smaller size then a normal plastic water bottle. I would have never thought they can fit into a opening that small, that’s why the camera is a great idea.
My neighbor used to be a pest control expert, he said that an adult mouse can get in a hole in the size of a dime. So use that as your guide. And remember not all mice are adults ,so adjust accordingly.
Great information by all. I'd like to share some as well. This idea is extremely useful. But lacking a step. Some have mentioned trapping mice/rats inside. Also some mentioned what they can chew through. What mice won't crew on is steal wool. It hurts them too much. However. Before plugging any holes, we need them out. Go onto your attic and if you can drop cayenne pepper down between your walls. In tough spots where they are nesting remove the base board. Drill small holes and with a straw blow cayenne pepper in. Plug the holes with steal wool and remount your base boards. The cayenne pepper will drive them out. However, for large areas like your garage cayenne pepper is too weak. Take an old rag/towel and soak it in ammonia. Put on the floor near the doors. Also in the corners and along walls. This won't take long and you will have driven them out. Plug your holes! Note: the horrible ammonia soaked rags will only last a short while. A day or two before it looses its kick. Just make sure you are not using it between your walls. Once upon a time I had issues with mice. With the mice came snakes. I had mice living in my walls and snakes living under my home. We even found baby snakes in the house. Today I'm sure I have mice running around outside, but I'm pretty sure they are not getting in. (Knocking on wood!) If you have this problem I wish you the best of luck! Mice make horrible company.
I tried ammonia and actually thought it was working. I placed a few small bowls of ammonia along the baseboards. I was watching TV one night and heard a noise, looked over and to my surprise, there was a mouse on its hind legs drinking the ammonia! I usually scream if I see a mouse but I watched and it drank for a few seconds. You'd think if anything it would taste it and run, but didn't seem to affect it
@@nicolemccormack4926 there are exceptions to every rule. Not sure why a mouse/rat would drink ammonia? That's obviously an exceptional mouse. The problem is the amount of square footage. Open air volume. Mice use their noses to lead them. They will create a path then follow that path by leaving urine. The trick is to offend their sense of smell. Try going to Walmart and purchase some eucalyptus oil. You'll find it where they sell candles. Get a paper bowl (or any bowl) and fill it with several cotton balls. Then pour the eucalyptus oil on your cotton balls. Make sure to heavily soak them. Put the bowl near the center hub of their activity. This works pretty fast and smells better than ammonia.
What has worked for us now going on 4 years is using Irish Spring Original soap bars. We chop the bars into quarter size chunks and spread them all over the perimeter of rooms inside the house, focusing under bathroom/kitchen sinks and other highly probably routes they may take. I don't think this eradicates an infestation, this is mainly a deterrent for any mice wanting to come inside the home. Something about the smell of the soap that they find highly irritant.
Another helpful video. One other common entry point is at the ends of a garage door where the door gasket, the ground and the garage frame meet. I solved the problem by screwing an "L" shaped piece of metal to the frame where I found the mice had chewed the end of the door gasket to an opening the size of a nickel.
I upgraded my garage door bottom weather stripping to products from Xcluder. They have a full line of great products. I used their side seal reinforcement strips (just metal that adheres to the inside of the side weather strips) for the spot you’re referring to. I have no affiliation with the company.
We had this issue last fall. Exterminator came and put out some traps and poison but that did little to slow them down. I eventually went around and plugged every hole and crevice I could find and that stopped them cold.
Foam alone will not stop mice/rats. You need to add some copper mesh or steel wool. The pest block alone would work on insects though. Good for stopping roaches around pipe exits.
Great video! In New England we've had warmer than normal winters which has made the the mouse population explode. Last winter we started seeing them in our house and it took me a while to figure out that they were getting in through the holes in the house where the the piping for our ductless A/C(3 units) comes through. I had put steel wool in those areas a couple of years earlier and didn't realize that it breaks down. It had decayed down to mush so the problem with steel wool is that it's a short term solution.
We had a heck of a mouse problem and I found from another YT video that mice don't like FlexSeal. I then bought Chore Boy Copper Scrubbers and plugged holes with smeared on FlexSeal to the scrubber and stuffed the holes with that and worked great. Wear gloves, it will be very messy.
This channel provides simple, concise, common sense, but thorough tips for so many things. The backlog of videos is like a textbook right on a shelf next to our computers......
That is a really nice comment, than you. This video in particular means a lot to me since my mouse nightmare ended and now almost a year later remains mouse free. Very glad this could help others.
Oh, one last note: The house I moved into had mice under the sink also (video showed this also). I actually removed all the toe kick boards below the cabinets and found at least 2 pounds of old dog food! I vacuumed it all out, plugged the holes and put up new cabinet boards and we are like new!
First, thanks for doing these DIY videos on TH-cam. I watched the Fanttik tire inflator video but didn't listen to your warning about knock offs. Had to return 2 units from another vendor and then purchased the Fanttik. I now own 3 inflators and later bought their jump starter. So far, I have been very happy with their products. I have been dealing with mice getting into an area of my house for years. Finally went with a pro who advised they don't try to find the entry points but just set out bait stations. That's OK for the interior of my garage as I don't want mice invading my vehicles. So I followed your method and purchased a Blink camera. I had 2 first generation Arlo wireless cameras that I set up on the side of the house along with the Blink. The Arlo cameras caught cats migrating along the side of the yard. Last night, the Blink caught a mouse on video along the side of the house which is where I have suspected they enter. Unfortunately, I had the camera settings at stop recording with no motion. The Arlo cameras did not record any activity. I went to the last point of the video clip and noted some foam backing rod I had installed prior to seal the siding gaps dislodged. It also appeared that a cat did its spray on that area of the siding. With my mirror I found a gap or probable entry point. Sealed it up as best i could with the expanding foam. A bit messy. Will continue to monitor the area. Your idea was genius in my opinion. Why didn't i think of that I ask myself ??? One thing that i feel has reduced mice ingress in the past was spraying a peppermint solution below the siding on the foundation and a few feet out from the perimeter. I believe it is effective but the smell diminishes with time.
I'm glad they have been helpful I really stick to the idea when I get products that if they overall are bad or something I would not buy, I refuse to show them at all. Fanttiks screwdriver, jumps starter and compressors were all really good. I am SO happy the blinks are working for you and you are getting some info on the mice. Thanks for the nice feedback and be sure to share the link to the video with anyone that you think can benefit. Thanks again
When I moved into my last house we could see that it had a problem with mice as it was located next to a field and we found old droppings all over. I noticed a shrub growing next to the house and a hole in the sofit right above it. I cut down the shrub and the mouse problem got better but not 100% fixed, there were still a few that woipd get in. I was left scratching my head not know how else they were getting in. Fast forward a year and a half I had the garage door replaced with a new insulated one and the mouse problem went away. Turns out they were getting in by sqeezing between the old garage door and the weather strip on the side. I got lucky, but that camera would have gave me the answer of how they were getting in.
As I understand it mice are permanently urine incontinent so could you use a black light to show urine trails (uv caused rodent pee to Fluoresce) and hence track ‘runs’ that mice use. Just a thought, might make an interesting video.
We have a 1930s cabin and have spent 3 years systematically plugging holes with steel wool and foam. Don't ignore the smallest gaps and pay special attention to cabinetry as there can be holes in the wall behind them.
One thing to touch on is mice nests have a hierarchy. Only a couple mice, some times one are leaving the nest to get food and water to bring that back to the nest (the nest in most cases is within the house and not just outside) to a certain extent you are now trapping mice in the house (which has plenty of food and water) and with out using mechanical stations or baiting (baiting is the most efficient way) you are still going to have a mouse issue in the home. They should done in conjunction of each other, Mice do not move out when it get hot and only come in when it gets cold. Great information about exclusion but just thought it should be mention exclusion alone is not going to get ride of the issue of the mice inside.
Definitely, years ago this was impossible to figure out. Battery powered motion cameras like this and a little know how can solve this. I wouldn't be surprised if an exterminator company started offering a service to do this.
I just soaked cotton balls in peppermint and black pepper extract and left them near where they were getting in - worked like a charm. I couldn't plug up the dryer exhaust vent with foam, but the smell of those extracts, especially when warmed by the dryer, overloads their sense of smell - they hate it.
This is how I'm solving my problem it's interesting that you come to the same understanding. You can use long narrow sections of wire screen and cram it up under there and they will have a very difficult time trying to remove that. You can coat it with liquid nails and glue the wire screen up underneath those areas. There was a test done here on TH-cam where they took various materials to see if mice would chew through it and they chewed through insulation foam.
Since the atmospheric rivers rolling off the Pacific have been slamming SoCal, the mice activity in my house has been crazy. I'm here to get some tips. The camera is a great idea. Thanks for sharing
Tried your "candid camera" technique last week...and was stunned to see how many of the little varmints seemed eager to "watch the birdie!" But even more surprising, the morning after that first photo session I went out to check on the area and was startled to find a tiny note left nearby requesting I "please leave two 8 x 10 photos (suitable for framing), along with a dozen wallet-sized pix!" photos.
this is the best advice ever , once you block entry holes your problem will stop qiucker than you think, we lost 10s of thousands in stock followed by pest controll programs at massive cost & no fix. Once you find & block entry holes it's just a matter of time
I've had mice chew right through that foam. But I've never had mice chew through steel wool. I've mixed the two together a few times and as far as I know it worked.
Another common entry point is via roof vents, either at the eaves or attic vents. This is especially true for rats, who are often too large to get into smaller openings like in the video.
I work in Pest Control and I have been doing as you suggested for years. Some Pest Control Techs and Home Owners will try and argue with me, lol. Even in the my industry I am the Lone Ranger I do get a lot of referrals. Thank you for posting
Quick question, what about the mice already inside the house? Do you recommend just settings traps after plugging the entry points? If the entry points are blocked then I assume some mice will be stuck inside.
Set traps. Ive used Peanut Butter when i see them. Theres stuff you can buy that attracts them, which i like better b/c it doesnt go bad. I have to keep traps in one spot of my old house. After seeing this video though, im gonna try some things. Theres some good tips in these comments.
@@salutations5749 Hi, marshmallow fluff worked great for me. Another exterminator recommended it on video I saw on here. It's very sticky, so the mice can't just lick it off. The mice can't resist it
Mix quick set plaster/joint compound with oatmeal 50/50. The flavored stuff like maple attracts the rodents best. place in foil cupcake cups and put everywhere rodents are seen. they eat it, saliva & digestive juices activate the plaster. They can't eat, can't poop & they die. If they drink water, it makes it worse. The lime in the plaster reduces the smell of the dead rodents.
My solution was to use live traps, then deliberately let the mouse go and just watch it go back into the house. I could see precisely where they went. Such traps are reusable and mice are stupid, so within the same day I could just re-capture the mouse. I found 4 holes this way.
Another tip and it works…. Check your main sewer pipe that goes through the concrete in your basement if you have one. Usually their is a space between the pipe and concrete. Mice use that as a highway. Try filling it with broken glass like the glass used in those fancy fire pits. It took 30 pounds of it to fill mine. No mice since I did that.
Did this to our shed where hundreds of mice were living about 3 weeks ago. There are now dozens of HUGE holes in our yard. Some are 4-5 inches in diameter. The shed is pristine.
I was lucky - my mouse entry point was relatively simple to find. The seal strip under my garage door was torn and I could see light coming in under the door. I replaced it. Let’s see what happens next winter. Your idea is great for more than just mice, though. Deer! Rabbits! The bane of gardeners everywhere. You gave me the idea to see where they’re wandering around. Thanks.
We bought a new home 2 yrs ago which has been a nightmare with fleas, and a huge mouse problem. This is a great idea but would like to add we found in our research and other project learning….spray foam degrades in about 5 years where the mice may start chewing through again. Best method the exterminator said was use copper mesh that’s treated with a chemical, mice wont chew through copper and the added chemical guarantees they won’t. You can pinch it to fit in any small hole. Great videos, thank you!
I live in NH too and years ago I lived in a house in the woods with a mouse problem. I found where they were coming in through the wire holes in the garage leading into the house. So I took some spray insulation like you used to plug up the holes. Well. Little did I know that the mice were actually living in my house (in the ceilings) and going outside every night. So come dusk time I was in my kitchen and heard a blood curdling screech. The mice figured out they couldn't escape and they all came into my living space. Needless to say it was a very stressful night. Thankfully my previous cat was able to handle most of them. It was awful, so something to think about too before you plug up holes LOL.
that foam melts with water exposure, that foam disintegrates when wet down from rain, snow, fog, high humidity. you can also melt this foam off with acetone. he had a mouse problem to begin with because that house was built with fiberboard which is a fancy word for splintered wood so fine you put it in a tub of watered down glue, spread it out into a sheet and slap it down with a simple roller press and then run it into a drier and then you cut it to 4x8 sheets and band it up and send it to the HomeRepot so you can do it, and they can help. rodents can chew thru fiberboard like it's kleenex because that's all it really is is a box of kleenex pressed and glued together. mice can chew thru sheetrock/drywall/plasterboard. they can even chew thru particle board and chipboard. over a hundred generations they can even chew threw 2Xlumber mice don't live long so 100 generations is easily 10 years. his house is 30 years old. that's 300 generations of mice, easily. the tortoise maybe slow, but eventually slow and steady will get you there...eventually. former residential construction worker for lundgren brothers, wayzata, minnesota.
My 2 cents. Mice may eventually chew through the foam. Stuff copper before or after the foam. You can buy lengths of copper scrub that can then be cut into sizes you need. Amazon probably.
Problem is, mice can slip through holes that are so small you will never see it, especially in older homes. I've watched a mouse run along a baseboard and disappear under it where there is no visible hole. Also, how do you seal up, yet maintain access to crawl spaces? Even a small crack in the cement back behind pipes where there is limited, if any, access could allow them in. Not saying impossible, but not as easy as you make it sound, especially as I said in older homes.
As someone who used the foam in that exact same space under the house, I can tell you that they chewed through it multiple times. I did have success with getting a bunch of copper wool and stuffing it in the holes, then putting Dap Concrete Patch in there. Then to further make sure they would not come in any other areas, I got Kwikmesh Utility Screen Roll at my local Home Depot, and screwed it in all along the border underneath where the rats/mice would potentially come in, then I just cut off all the extra.
Hi. I want to thank you for bringing this camera system to my attention. They look decent and affordable. If I may ask a few questions, please. I Was wondering, do you still like the wireless camera? Would you still highly recommend it? It’s high quality or junk? Does the battery life last long? Is the picture quality sharp in daytime? Seems like it works fairly well in the dark. (PS if you went with a better quality camera, please tell me which model.) Thank You.
I use spray foam with a pot scrubber from the dollar store. Fulff up the pot scrubber and stick the spray foam nozzle into the pot scrubber. If anything tries to chew the foam, they are met with a stiff, stainless steel strip and cannot chew through it. Forget steel wool. Something was chewing it's way into my shed. I did this and haven's seen anything for years.
1 year of trying to figure entry out. No one came close to what you just showed me. My siding is vinyl, ordered last weekbthe tool that unclips the siding. My intention is to remove the lower piece all around the house, seal and repair anything i find. Thank you for showing me i am on the right track. My 1st view of your video, i subscribed, Thanks a million :)
Great video I like that way you caught those mice going into to your home 🏡. I called an exterminator that delt with homes in country, I told him my house is all brick. He came over walked around the entire house and said the mice are coming in from these locations, the weep holes for the water we installed the stainless steel screens. Have not seen any more inside.
Good try but I have had mice just chew thru the foam insulation. They just take the foam as an inconvenience. You need to add some steel or aluminum blocker as well.
Sounds terrific. Many thanks. I just ordered a 4th gen Blink camera with module for 79.99 from wal-mart. Planning on attaching the camera mount to my plastic sawhorse with screws or velcro tape. Will post my results.
Good advice I used the Blink 3’s too. Had one in my car-haul trailer, where my tractor was. Once I saw the activity, I used the ramp into a 5 gallon bucket. There was 3 in the trailer. I foamed and steel wooled every crevice. Mint it up periodically on the exterior. House got the same treatment. They chewed thru pipe foam, which caused a freeze up two winters ago. Frustrating mess. $$$$ too.
This is a good idea, but takes some dedication. There is some kind of powder you can buy that glows under UV light. You put it around some bait and the mouse will walk through it, tracking it back to his entry point. I think Shawn Woods featured it on his awesome mousetrap channel.
I battled mice for years. Some nights would take up to 10 mice out. I bought 5 Wyze OG cameras with sd cards and set them up a few nights about 5-10 feet apart all around the perimeter of my house. You must be patient. It took me about 4 weeks to find 4 jackpots where they were coming in!! The $150 for the cameras was well worth it vs paying for an exterminator. Only u have the time and patience to figure out where they are getting in. The best is the video seeing them try to get in where u just locked them out of !! Great feeling to solve that problem. Great video and great tip!! You should also bleach the path/run into and around the hole bc they leave trails and grease to let other mice know the way in.
0:35 I have more of a turkey problem than a mouse problem. The turkeys will jump on my vehicles and do a happy dance on the hood and peck at the windshield because to them, it's a mirror, and they see what they think is their "mating partner". Excellent tip on using the hose for spraying the foam up behind the siding.
I'm not sure if there has been in the foam but a few years ago when I was doing this same thing I noticed that there is no difference between the Pestblock foam and the regular foam in composition at least on the labels. But they do charge more than $1.50 extra for the "Pestblock" but it doesn't claim to have any pesticicde or anything else. Just use regular foam.
They’ll get inside by many other means. You leave a door or window open. They’ll climb into boxes or bags that you might carry inside. Even firewood, or grocery deliveries… My experience in a northern country, is when the weather gets cold some of them will find a way.
Good video and it may help you with pest in your home but sadly I will have to stick to my contact blox and bait boxes. Mice have done damage to my cars, snow blower, log splitter etc. My coworker had 20 thousand dollars of damage to his Toyota Highlander hybrid. Since the Contact Blox nothing. Shawn Woods has a pest control channel and has shown mice can and will eat through the spray foam. He suggest calk or special steel or copper wool. I think your camera idea is great idea but if you live in a rural area it’s truly a war with mice. Anything they can ruin they will. I spent well over a decade fighting the battle and losing until my friend who is a professional exterminator turned me on to Contact Blox. He would also tell you to seal up your home. The camera is a great idea, thanks. Also thanks for putting in the setting. Take care
How long will the spray in expanding foam last, I think they'll just chew right through it. Maybe if you capped it off with a piece of galvanized tin cut to shape. Mice and rats chew through wood what makes to think the foam will work on its own? At least that's what I'd do. The mice will probably use the chewed up foam for material for their nest.
I've effectively found mouse entry holes with a boroscope: a camera at the end of a wire, usually used for looking into car engines or sewage pipes. You can get reasonably good ones for not-so-much.
@SilverCymbal Thanks so much for your video, I am going through a similar case right now. Few years ago, I got xcluder around the house, but then 1 year later they started popping up again. Does it matter Gen3 vs Gen4 ? My house is 60 feet deep, do you recommend 2 tripods or 1 would be enough for that length? Thanks so much!
Excellent. Thank you! Everyone else's technological solution has to do with ultrasonic sound or some slick way of killing them. Your way is to find the openings and close them. You're using the mice themselves to tell you where the holes are. Brilliant! A lot of people use the stainless steel-wool and I always wondered if it works. To be honest, we don't know if it wasn't installed well enough, or the mice moved it out of the way. Regardless, your way sent a strong message. Access denied!
Thanks for watching! *Camera* amzn.to/3zZ36vn *Tripod* amzn.to/3JUQrhn *Foam* amzn.to/3Ak0idq *Mirror* amzn.to/3zWYw0m
What? Mice are known to operate during the daytime. Rats operate at night.
This way they don't compete.
@@Bozemanjustin "Mice are nocturnal, meaning they like to sleep during the day. This is why pet mice or house mice can be heard playing or foraging during the night. Most wild mice are timid toward humans and other animals, but they are very social with other mice."
Story time. I have adhd so hang with me.
I’ve been in my home for 10 years. Never a single mouse until last year. I stored some rice in my garage temporarily while I organized the food closet and I missed a box of it…
I set an arlo camera in the garage and caught the video of getting the mouse. Mission accomplished….or so I thought.
Fast forward from last year to last Wednesday (8/10/22). My son was in the garage and said he saw a mouse. I got around to dealing with it on Thursday.
So there I was…in my garage doing what men do….Organizing, planning, etc. plotting the execution of this problematic mouse…
I was at my red craftsman tool box (six foot high, but not too wide). I reached for my drill bit kit to put my gate back on my new fence post I had just set a few days prior.
As I move to the drill set, my eye caught movement on top of my tool box. Eye level. It was a foot from my face. Maybe closer. I jumped back. Screamed like a inner city metrosexual. There it was…with the same mission as I….24 inches of silent slithering death. I immediately retreated in defeat almost crapping myself and having a heart attack to boot.
Side note…for added affect…I am a USMC infantry vet with two tours to Fallujah and a Purple Heart. I would rather fight the Taliban again than deal with any snake of any size.
Before I could take it prisoner..it was gone. It had snuck in the crawl space near my ac unit drain line. Bastard found a weak spot in my defenses.
Nonetheless I had to get the mouse…and now a snake. At least one of each. I was outnumbered but…they were inside enemy lines. My castle…my rules of engagement. (Plus my wife was not letting me rest until I could prove victory).
So, I set the mouse traps all around their infiltration point. All I had to do was figure out the snake.
The next morning, Friday, I had to take my wife to an early appt. When we left through the garage..MISSION SUCCESS. Marine one. Mouse zero.
I left it as my wife and I needed to be on time for her appt. (She had to have an ultrasound due to serious abdomen pain -thankfully she’s just full of gas. Ha..)
As we were driving home I mentioned I need to clean the trap, but maybe leave it to try to get the snake. To my surprise when we opened the garage door…the snake had already fallen victim to my two extra lane mines - er, mouse traps - it had tried to swallow the dead mouse and got caught in two other traps.
I quickly put it out of its misery, just as it would do to me, probably. Marine two, mouse and snake negative one.
To be proactive I set three more traps. Got two more mice…no more snakes but the neighbor recorded a 4 footer in my cucumber patch.
To be continued….
This is called wildlife exclusion work. It’s highly specialized and you will not get most “pest”
companies to do it (at least not correctly). My father has made his career off this in PA/MD/VA for the last 25 years. It goes far beyond mice.. squirrels, bats, birds etc. especially on the commercial side.
I have done the same in the past with my garden. For the camera, I used a "game/trail" camera. Often, these are on sale for $50 on Amazon. Then, set live animal trap, with bait, in pathway. Next morning, relocate critter miles away. Rinse, repeat, til critters gone.
I actually do this for a living, and here are a few thoughts....
Good job first off.....but keep in mind that sometimes mice/rats will be within the structure when you seal up the hole. If you only use the foam, they can/will chew through it (especially if they get trapped inside). Rats teeth never stop growing and they are experts at chewing through things like foam, aluminum, paper........so forth. I suggest using steel or copper whenever sealing up a mouse/rat hole. For your situation....you could fold a piece of 1/8 or 1/4 inch meshing and stuff it up there, spray with rubber coating like flex seal......and it's a done deal without messy foam.
Also.....because you may trap them within the structure, it is a good idea to set traps in the attic and sub area to make sure you get any trapped inside. If you want to be sure they are gone after sealing, put some nuts or dried fruit in there overnight and see if it goes missing.
Again.....thanks for the video.......rats and mice are very tricky and intelligent (trust me lol)
That foam absorbs water does it not?
Was going to say the same thing. Had mouse getting in around a drain pipe and used foam to plug it. Within a month or so they ate right through it. Used packed wire mesh instead.
Closed cell foam. Does not absorb water
This is our problem. And I am about to lose my mind. Its been 7 months !!!! We had a guy come out and seal up a hole by our AC unit. He said that is the only opening in our house. He laid bait boxes all over our house with poison . We checked and the poisin had been eaten . We saw a lot less activity . But 90% solution is not 100% . I also caught 3 mice in humane traps . glue traps , old fashion snap their head traps . I thought ....maybe .... we were near the end of this insanity Nope. The mice are within the structure/ house!!!!!
We share a wall with our neighbor and they are in the walls. Two weeks ago. A mouse chewed through the crown molding in my daughters bedroom!!!! I talked to our neighbors and they said they did have a problem but haven't seen any mice in while. SO my question is how the hell do you end the madness if they live ini the walls. Do I have to seal up every nook and cranny within the house? It seems they are living behind the appliances and obv the poisin isn't killing them anymore, Its like they are immune to it. My plan this weekend is t take all of our pots and pans out of our lower cabinets and pull away all appliances and seal up any holes in our kitchen with the spray cement solution . The worst part is the urine smells DISGUSTING . We have not used our pantry since last april . We keep all food in cabinets now but we have a small kitchen so its a total pain. . and I love to cook and the smell is unbearable. They love being behind the oven. Our oven is broken now and I balme these little f****rs and My husband cant smell it . That is my mouse rant. But I am going to look under the siding outside . These little f ****rs are not dying . Any advice I will gladly take. I want to replace our stove as I feel like they have taken residence around the stove and now it smells like MOIUSE !! I want ti buy a new stove but I dont want to until these sermon are gone !!!!!
Good points, thank you. I would never want to trap an animal like that, not even a rat or a mouse! This is the exact reason we waited til late June to seal up all our holes. In Arizona at 112F+ temps mice were not coming in even at night in June was 100F. Here our mice start looking for a home end of September, so we got 'em months before that.
I trapped mice for 2.5 yrs in a house I bought and inherited the problem with. I checked for entry points using bright lights shining on the interior walls and searched at night to locate a couple of small openings. No change. I removed the old wooden deck to replace it with paver stones and found the final entry point they were using. Being mouse free is awesome.
I did my investigation too. I found out that they can squeeze through small cracks. I didn't believe it till I saw a video. That explains how they got in. I taped those small cracks with duct tape only as a TEMP solution till I find something permanent.
Damn. I have a wooden deck that may have a few gaps.
An alternative is Rodo Trak. UV powder in bait boxes. Mouse takes bait, and gets UV power on itself. Powder Trail is visible with UV Flashlight. You can find the entry points by UV Powder Trail! So cool.
Where do i buy the tools
Please man
One thing I would recommend is shoving steel wool up in the hole before you squirt the foam. This will prevent the mice from chewing the foam and recreating an entrance.
agreed thanks
Exterminator here this is exactly what you have to do!
Use copper-coated steel wool. It will last longer.
Brass wool ,stainless steel wool.
Because steel wool rusts in like a week.
@@markm8188 yep get some chor-boy.
If you can't find any on the store shelf,hit up a crackhead.
One tricky thing for mice entry, you could have tree/object overhang and they are scurrying from that onto a deck or non-ground approach. Something to consider for folks who come up empty on their initial camera hunt
I had this happen with a roof rat. Got rid of the small tree, no more rat.
@@MegaCynar You haven't actually seen just how many things roof rats can climb then. They can shimmy up a corner edge of your house, they can travel from house to house by way of powerlines, I've seen these things climb things nothing else can climb up. There's only one way to get rid of roof rats and that's kill them.
Pro exterminator… mice do not climb trees, ever. Only the roof rats climb trees because that’s where they live. Mice live in burrows and are usually dug by other animals and abandon and then move will takeover that home.
@@wrzl1675 Noted, excellent point, but a distinction among experts doesn't dispute that rodents (roof rats, squirrels, other?) access houses beyond the terrain
I was watching TV in my lounge one night and there was a mouse peering at me on the venetian blind it had come across the top of a raised gate attached to the side of the house and got in the open window...I lowered the top of the gate and no more issue with that access...You definitely have a very valid point for people to consider.
This TH-camr covers so many topics it's hard to believe. I'm an engineer and a super skeptic about almost everything (don't believe anything I hear and only half of what I see LOL) , and this TH-camr really nails things from tech to lawns to whatever. What a really great channel.
I've had great mouse proofing results by using strips of 1/4" galvanized wire cloth screen to plug long, wide gaps along the foundation where the siding overlaps. Cut some strips and fold lengthwise to make them tent shaped. Use a wide scraper or putty knife to push the folded strips deep into the gap. The wire cloth will lock into position. Follow up with foam injection to keeps bugs and drafts out.
Do you have a link to this stuff?
@@3CandiesInTX Home Depot in roofing department.
I agree, I believe the mice will eventually just chew their way through the spray foam and make sure you use low expansion foam, high expansion foam can possibly warp what ever you're spraying it under (siding for instance) but using the wire mesh first pretty much guarantees the mice aren't getting through.
I went around my house with my phone camera in reverse and looked up under where my siding meets my cement foundation. I had found raccoon poop In my yard and just thought I’d was maybe the garden and a little water feature. Then I found them. Two dead mice. Looks like they been there a bit. The I found a hole. Looked like the size of a knot hole. So I filled it with that rodent deterrent spray foam. Well that didn’t work. I’m thinking they may be under the house and pushed the foam out of the way to get out. I’m grossed out. I put out some Tom Cat and there is no way I’m going under the house. I will try what you say about the screen. I have screen on everything else. I’m afraid if I secure the hole and they are under the house they will try another wAy to get out. 😳 ever had a mouse in the house in all the 10 years I have lived here . And don’t want them. Maybe call an exterminator?
@@shericreatesDon’t call an exterminator. You can do this, Sheri! Buy the 1/4-28 gauge hardware cloth (it’s like chicken wire but not exactly). I bought a 3 foot by 10 foot roll from Lowes this evening. It’s roughly the same cost of the roll from Home Depot, but 1 foot wider and a whole 5 feet longer at $19.99. So more for your money. Also buy some inexpensive stuff called closed-cell backer rod (available for more at a cheaper price at Lowes too). Stick the hardware cloth in the gaps between the siding and concrete as was mentioned in this post. Leave some room for the backer rod which you’ll put in next. And finally leave room for caulking last. This is a full proof method. Mice (and their bigger brothers, rats) and even Raccoons cant chew through the hardware cloth. You’ll be all set.
Lol great video! I actually did the same thing with an outdoor camera. Started sealing the entire house and haven’t had a rodent problem for 7 years so far. You are doing the right thing!
You have an uncanny ability to post helpful videos within weeks of my running into these types of problems. This is without a doubt the best channel on TH-cam for people who want to do DIY projects. Thanks as always. Will report back on how this works on our mouse issue!
I wish it was deliberate, its really just a matter of us all having the same problems at the same time. I really appreciate the kind words too thank you
Ha, me too. I was filling cracks with great stuff yesterday to try and seal up cracks where mice were getting in. I have some Arlo cameras, going to give this a try
Did it work?
@@Tetragramix Yep! I needed to do a few passes of filling and monitoring but the cameras help me find the real entrance. Just like this video, I could see them on trying to get into the same spot I filled a few nights in a row then they gave up.
Well?
We had same problem on a house built in 1994 when I moved in 2000. Did not use camera, lucky to have a dog that was a mouse hunter and she was chewing on outside corners of siding. This is a Vinyl sided house and all the outside corners are like a mouse turnpike to my attic where they were soring acorns like preppers. Foamed all outside and inside corners of siding and no more mice. Thanks to Mika the dog. RIP Mika.
Corner boards are notorious for letting mice in. Other areas to watch out for are around the sides of your garage doors, and those metal bulkhead doors which do nothing to keep mice out. I always recommend to my customers that they have a finish door that seals of the opening at the bottom of the bulkhead steps. Great video!
Do you have an example of that type of door so I can start looking for my garage door please? Thanks
Fantastic video and spot on. Had similar issues about 5 years after my home was built. In one place the mice found a seam in the plywood sheathing above my porch and in another a little crevice created when the masons had reinforced the top of the form for the foundation. 2 additions. 1 I like to add some stainless steel scouring pad to the hole if it’s larger, that creates a second barrier besides the foam and it won’t rust. 2 some folks may need to install a 1 way pest door if the nest is in a wall etc. otherwise you are trapping the mice in the house, they will aggressively try to find a way out if trapped and stink if they die.
Honestly, don’t waste your money buying all these cameras. You know you’ve got rodent infestations eg rodent droppings and the stench is unmistakable. Set up a variety of kill traps! They’ll keep coming because previous generation rats have left invisible trails ( rat urines etc) like bread crumbs for new rats like road signs. Cameras are good for TH-cam but won’t kill rodents.
I was catching mice both inside my garage and inside my house. I looked all around the house perimeter but couldn't find how they were getting inside. I finally found their access hole by accident. It had snowed during the night and I went outside early the next morning to get something from my car in the driveway. The snow was pristine except for mouse tracks leading directly to the corner of my garage door. I waited until the snow melted, got down on my hands and knees and found the hole the mice were coming through. I blocked the hole and my mice problem disappeared.
Great info ! I have used a product called "stuff it" It is a copper mesh that you stuff into the holes, rodents do not like to chew on copper then then spray the foam to keep it in place and seal it.
I found this product on "Do My Own".
They sell it on Amazon also. I have some.
I really enjoy your videos and how professionally you approach each activity. Watching the transformation of your new place has me applauding. Keep it up.
I had the exact same problem where my natural gas pipe was not caulked and let mice in my basement. I bought the exact same spray foam and insulated the hole. I then had to set up traps in our basement to kill any remaining mice. Great video!! 👍
When you seal a hole, add copper mesh to the sealant.
I use the mesh from copper pot scrubbers. Simply snip the pieces holding them together and it becomes a roll of mesh, and they're very cheap to purchase.
I also go one step further, and then add a heavy gauge wire netting along the inside. You can double this up using a 2d piece so the bars cover the spaces of each square, because many people are still amazed at the space a small mouse can squeeze through.
The more work/time it takes, the less effort they will exert, and quickly move in to somewhere else... Unless they have babies inside.
I don’t know what your motivation is to keep helping us but it’s wonderful. You have helped me solve so many problems around the house. I don’t know how to ever thank you. Please keep posting, we need your help. And the products you support saves me hours of research too.
Yes! This is exactly what I did. I have Arlo cameras all over the property so I just pulled one from its fixed location and mounted it to a tripod and systematically moved around the house. I bought that great stuff sealant from Home Depot. Works great!
This is one of the best DIY channels. This video solidifies my motto "do things the hard way, it's easier". Meaning, there are no shortcuts to good results.
Great advice as usual. These pests have been getting into my place for years. Hopefully this will finally stop them
Brilliant For those in old homes that might not have 'real' foundations going 4 feet deep, or even basement depth, or have dirt crawl spaces and basements, it's way too easy for mice to find a way under the foundation, through a crack in it, and with a bit of digging come up under your house. I've also been adding foam, gravel, pavers in a band around the house flashed to the building with adhesive backed metals, to keep them from easily accessing holes under ground (and to keep ground warm in winter, it's made floors lots warmer). I covered the entire foundation with foam and metal flashing right up under siding where I sealed it to the sill plate and wow, that was horrible on my stomach, back, using cameras.... to make sure there were no gaps left. Then I had people go under house to crawlspace and 'caulk' 1/4 inch wire mesh 4 feet wide to foundation, then weight it down with PT 2x6's with foam sprayed under them, at foundation wall, half way, and at edge, to again encourage vermin that tunneled in to give up. HUGE difference in mice.
Works with rats, too! Found several areas around an old, attached garage that had rotted wood. Removed / patched the wood and then filled in the rat paths with spray foam. Have not had a problem since!
Love your new place. In the woods, no one bothering you, looks awesome!
When my house was new, we had mice in the attic within the first couple years. I have vinyl siding and noticed that the outside corners are where they climb up. It's like an elevator to the attic. I stuffed steel wool in there and also added expanding foam. Problem solved!
Nice thinking with the camera. Mice get in where you would never think. Always heard that they can get in very small openings so I had to find out how small. After I caught one in a trap, I was actually able to fit it into a beer bottle, smaller size then a normal plastic water bottle. I would have never thought they can fit into a opening that small, that’s why the camera is a great idea.
Anything you can fit a pencil in apparently ..
@@bobfal I always heard the diameter of a nickel
@@thezfunk let's just block all the holes to be sure lol
@@bobfal An adult mouse can fit through the opening the size of a dime. If its head can fit the rest of it can as well
My neighbor used to be a pest control expert, he said that an adult mouse can get in a hole in the size of a dime.
So use that as your guide.
And remember not all mice are adults ,so adjust accordingly.
Great information by all. I'd like to share some as well. This idea is extremely useful. But lacking a step. Some have mentioned trapping mice/rats inside. Also some mentioned what they can chew through.
What mice won't crew on is steal wool. It hurts them too much. However. Before plugging any holes, we need them out.
Go onto your attic and if you can drop cayenne pepper down between your walls. In tough spots where they are nesting remove the base board. Drill small holes and with a straw blow cayenne pepper in. Plug the holes with steal wool and remount your base boards. The cayenne pepper will drive them out.
However, for large areas like your garage cayenne pepper is too weak. Take an old rag/towel and soak it in ammonia. Put on the floor near the doors. Also in the corners and along walls.
This won't take long and you will have driven them out. Plug your holes!
Note: the horrible ammonia soaked rags will only last a short while. A day or two before it looses its kick. Just make sure you are not using it between your walls.
Once upon a time I had issues with mice. With the mice came snakes. I had mice living in my walls and snakes living under my home. We even found baby snakes in the house.
Today I'm sure I have mice running around outside, but I'm pretty sure they are not getting in. (Knocking on wood!)
If you have this problem I wish you the best of luck! Mice make horrible company.
yes they are!
I used Jeyes fluid at the entry point, they soon disappeared !
I tried ammonia and actually thought it was working. I placed a few small bowls of ammonia along the baseboards. I was watching TV one night and heard a noise, looked over and to my surprise, there was a mouse on its hind legs drinking the ammonia! I usually scream if I see a mouse but I watched and it drank for a few seconds. You'd think if anything it would taste it and run, but didn't seem to affect it
@@nicolemccormack4926 there are exceptions to every rule. Not sure why a mouse/rat would drink ammonia? That's obviously an exceptional mouse.
The problem is the amount of square footage. Open air volume. Mice use their noses to lead them. They will create a path then follow that path by leaving urine.
The trick is to offend their sense of smell. Try going to Walmart and purchase some eucalyptus oil. You'll find it where they sell candles.
Get a paper bowl (or any bowl) and fill it with several cotton balls. Then pour the eucalyptus oil on your cotton balls. Make sure to heavily soak them. Put the bowl near the center hub of their activity. This works pretty fast and smells better than ammonia.
Glad you mentioned the tube trick since I was going to use the spray foam but I hadn't considered how the can has to be positioned to be used
What has worked for us now going on 4 years is using Irish Spring Original soap bars. We chop the bars into quarter size chunks and spread them all over the perimeter of rooms inside the house, focusing under bathroom/kitchen sinks and other highly probably routes they may take. I don't think this eradicates an infestation, this is mainly a deterrent for any mice wanting to come inside the home. Something about the smell of the soap that they find highly irritant.
Our Irish Spring has bite marks in it. I think the mice are mocking us.
@@Eyes0penNoFear Haha, well then that's what I call being a good host! 😉
You are my absolute favorite youtube channel as a new homeowner. Keep up the great work!
Another helpful video. One other common entry point is at the ends of a garage door where the door gasket, the ground and the garage frame meet. I solved the problem by screwing an "L" shaped piece of metal to the frame where I found the mice had chewed the end of the door gasket to an opening the size of a nickel.
I was just wondering what to do about that. Thanks for the tip!
I upgraded my garage door bottom weather stripping to products from Xcluder. They have a full line of great products. I used their side seal reinforcement strips (just metal that adheres to the inside of the side weather strips) for the spot you’re referring to. I have no affiliation with the company.
Your videos are literally some of the best, short, concise, and super informative. I appreciate it.
We had this issue last fall. Exterminator came and put out some traps and poison but that did little to slow them down. I eventually went around and plugged every hole and crevice I could find and that stopped them cold.
Foam alone will not stop mice/rats. You need to add some copper mesh or steel wool. The pest block alone would work on insects though. Good for stopping roaches around pipe exits.
Such a great idea! Also, it's great to see you more on camera!
Love this. Thank you for putting this together. Way better than constantly loading traps
Great video! In New England we've had warmer than normal winters which has made the the mouse population explode. Last winter we started seeing them in our house and it took me a while to figure out that they were getting in through the holes in the house where the the piping for our ductless A/C(3 units) comes through. I had put steel wool in those areas a couple of years earlier and didn't realize that it breaks down. It had decayed down to mush so the problem with steel wool is that it's a short term solution.
Brass or stainless steel based kitchen scrubber. Dollar shop may sell these.
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We had a heck of a mouse problem and I found from another YT video that mice don't like FlexSeal. I then bought Chore Boy Copper Scrubbers and plugged holes with smeared on FlexSeal to the scrubber and stuffed the holes with that and worked great. Wear gloves, it will be very messy.
This channel provides simple, concise, common sense, but thorough tips for so many things. The backlog of videos is like a textbook right on a shelf next to our computers......
That is a really nice comment, than you. This video in particular means a lot to me since my mouse nightmare ended and now almost a year later remains mouse free. Very glad this could help others.
@@SilverCymbal Careful. The manufacturers of mouse traps and other deterrents might use Bots to spam your channel with negativity........
Oh, one last note: The house I moved into had mice under the sink also (video showed this also). I actually removed all the toe kick boards below the cabinets and found at least 2 pounds of old dog food! I vacuumed it all out, plugged the holes and put up new cabinet boards and we are like new!
How did you plug up the holes around the plumbing under the sink?
First, thanks for doing these DIY videos on TH-cam. I watched the Fanttik tire inflator video but didn't listen to your warning about knock offs. Had to return 2 units from another vendor and then purchased the Fanttik. I now own 3 inflators and later bought their jump starter. So far, I have been very happy with their products.
I have been dealing with mice getting into an area of my house for years. Finally went with a pro who advised they don't try to find the entry points but just set out bait stations. That's OK for the interior of my garage as I don't want mice invading my vehicles. So I followed your method and purchased a Blink camera. I had 2 first generation Arlo wireless cameras that I set up on the side of the house along with the Blink. The Arlo cameras caught cats migrating along the side of the yard. Last night, the Blink caught a mouse on video along the side of the house which is where I have suspected they enter. Unfortunately, I had the camera settings at stop recording with no motion. The Arlo cameras did not record any activity. I went to the last point of the video clip and noted some foam backing rod I had installed prior to seal the siding gaps dislodged. It also appeared that a cat did its spray on that area of the siding. With my mirror I found a gap or probable entry point. Sealed it up as best i could with the expanding foam. A bit messy. Will continue to monitor the area. Your idea was genius in my opinion. Why didn't i think of that I ask myself ???
One thing that i feel has reduced mice ingress in the past was spraying a peppermint solution below the siding on the foundation and a few feet out from the perimeter. I believe it is effective but the smell diminishes with time.
I'm glad they have been helpful I really stick to the idea when I get products that if they overall are bad or something I would not buy, I refuse to show them at all. Fanttiks screwdriver, jumps starter and compressors were all really good. I am SO happy the blinks are working for you and you are getting some info on the mice. Thanks for the nice feedback and be sure to share the link to the video with anyone that you think can benefit. Thanks again
When I moved into my last house we could see that it had a problem with mice as it was located next to a field and we found old droppings all over. I noticed a shrub growing next to the house and a hole in the sofit right above it. I cut down the shrub and the mouse problem got better but not 100% fixed, there were still a few that woipd get in. I was left scratching my head not know how else they were getting in. Fast forward a year and a half I had the garage door replaced with a new insulated one and the mouse problem went away. Turns out they were getting in by sqeezing between the old garage door and the weather strip on the side. I got lucky, but that camera would have gave me the answer of how they were getting in.
This man showed me the way to having the best lawn in my neighborhood, now he’s teaching me how to get rid of mice…awesome.
As I understand it mice are permanently urine incontinent so could you use a black light to show urine trails (uv caused rodent pee to Fluoresce) and hence track ‘runs’ that mice use. Just a thought, might make an interesting video.
Interesting I will have to try that, at least I have a test spot to start with
We have a 1930s cabin and have spent 3 years systematically plugging holes with steel wool and foam. Don't ignore the smallest gaps and pay special attention to cabinetry as there can be holes in the wall behind them.
One thing to touch on is mice nests have a hierarchy. Only a couple mice, some times one are leaving the nest to get food and water to bring that back to the nest (the nest in most cases is within the house and not just outside) to a certain extent you are now trapping mice in the house (which has plenty of food and water) and with out using mechanical stations or baiting (baiting is the most efficient way) you are still going to have a mouse issue in the home. They should done in conjunction of each other, Mice do not move out when it get hot and only come in when it gets cold. Great information about exclusion but just thought it should be mention exclusion alone is not going to get ride of the issue of the mice inside.
They'll end up starving to death! The mice don't live long without food
@@RevolutionRoad Yes they can only survive a few days with out food but weeks without water
@@Jmacfann Ya....??
@@RevolutionRoad locking them in a house doesn't mean they don't have food? Not arguing just stating facts.
@Jmacfann I never said they won't have food, but don't you think the food will eventually run out?
Great video - you're smarter than the mice and that's not always easy!
Thanks for the tip on Finding the entry holes. Now I know what to do to keep them out for good.
Definitely, years ago this was impossible to figure out. Battery powered motion cameras like this and a little know how can solve this. I wouldn't be surprised if an exterminator company started offering a service to do this.
I just soaked cotton balls in peppermint and black pepper extract and left them near where they were getting in - worked like a charm. I couldn't plug up the dryer exhaust vent with foam, but the smell of those extracts, especially when warmed by the dryer, overloads their sense of smell - they hate it.
The new camera setup looks amazing 👌
Excellent video. I actually had a mouse eat right through my drywall and into my living room. Couldn’t believe my eyes when I ran into it at 2am.
This is how I'm solving my problem it's interesting that you come to the same understanding. You can use long narrow sections of wire screen and cram it up under there and they will have a very difficult time trying to remove that. You can coat it with liquid nails and glue the wire screen up underneath those areas. There was a test done here on TH-cam where they took various materials to see if mice would chew through it and they chewed through insulation foam.
Since the atmospheric rivers rolling off the Pacific have been slamming SoCal, the mice activity in my house has been crazy. I'm here to get some tips. The camera is a great idea. Thanks for sharing
Tried your "candid camera" technique last week...and was stunned to see how many of the little varmints seemed eager to "watch the birdie!" But even more surprising, the morning after that first photo session I went out to check on the area and was startled to find a tiny note left nearby requesting I "please leave two 8 x 10 photos (suitable for framing), along with a dozen wallet-sized pix!" photos.
this is the best advice ever , once you block entry holes your problem will stop qiucker than you think, we lost 10s of thousands in stock followed by pest controll programs at massive cost & no fix. Once you find & block entry holes it's just a matter of time
I have been watching your videos for a long time and this one takes the cake, or in this case the cheese. Great info and much needed. Thank you.
Much appreciated, you have been with me a very long time!
I've had mice chew right through that foam. But I've never had mice chew through steel wool. I've mixed the two together a few times and as far as I know it worked.
I love your videos! You have excellent solutions to problems. I have mice and I will use this solution!
Great video. 👍👍
Is the motion camera waterproof?
Being an exterminator for years, you're right on the money! You can use excluder six inch wide rolls of very tough metal mesh made for this!!!
Another common entry point is via roof vents, either at the eaves or attic vents. This is especially true for rats, who are often too large to get into smaller openings like in the video.
Your videos rock - thank you!
I work in Pest Control and I have been doing as you suggested for years.
Some Pest Control Techs and Home Owners will try and argue with me, lol.
Even in the my industry I am the Lone Ranger
I do get a lot of referrals.
Thank you for posting
Quick question, what about the mice already inside the house? Do you recommend just settings traps after plugging the entry points? If the entry points are blocked then I assume some mice will be stuck inside.
Set traps. Ive used Peanut Butter when i see them. Theres stuff you can buy that attracts them, which i like better b/c it doesnt go bad. I have to keep traps in one spot of my old house. After seeing this video though, im gonna try some things. Theres some good tips in these comments.
I don't like them but glue traps work best. I've had an entire family to catch and the younger mice are often too small to trigger kill traps.
@@salutations5749 Hi, marshmallow fluff worked great for me. Another exterminator recommended it on video I saw on here. It's very sticky, so the mice can't just lick it off. The mice can't resist it
Mix quick set plaster/joint compound with oatmeal 50/50. The flavored stuff like maple attracts the rodents best. place in foil cupcake cups and put everywhere rodents are seen. they eat it, saliva & digestive juices activate the plaster. They can't eat, can't poop & they die. If they drink water, it makes it worse. The lime in the plaster reduces the smell of the dead rodents.
love the new style of this video man. You guys have a beautiful property!
My solution was to use live traps, then deliberately let the mouse go and just watch it go back into the house. I could see precisely where they went. Such traps are reusable and mice are stupid, so within the same day I could just re-capture the mouse. I found 4 holes this way.
Another tip and it works…. Check your main sewer pipe that goes through the concrete in your basement if you have one. Usually their is a space between the pipe and concrete. Mice use that as a highway. Try filling it with broken glass like the glass used in those fancy fire pits. It took 30 pounds of it to fill mine. No mice since I did that.
Great content as usual SC...hose on the foam can is brilliant
Great video - thank you. We have has mice form day one. Hired the exterminator and they came each month to take the dead mice away. This is fantastic!
Did this to our shed where hundreds of mice were living about 3 weeks ago. There are now dozens of HUGE holes in our yard. Some are 4-5 inches in diameter. The shed is pristine.
I was lucky - my mouse entry point was relatively simple to find. The seal strip under my garage door was torn and I could see light coming in under the door. I replaced it. Let’s see what happens next winter.
Your idea is great for more than just mice, though. Deer! Rabbits! The bane of gardeners everywhere. You gave me the idea to see where they’re wandering around. Thanks.
We bought a new home 2 yrs ago which has been a nightmare with fleas, and a huge mouse problem. This is a great idea but would like to add we found in our research and other project learning….spray foam degrades in about 5 years where the mice may start chewing through again. Best method the exterminator said was use copper mesh that’s treated with a chemical, mice wont chew through copper and the added chemical guarantees they won’t. You can pinch it to fit in any small hole. Great videos, thank you!
I live in NH too and years ago I lived in a house in the woods with a mouse problem. I found where they were coming in through the wire holes in the garage leading into the house. So I took some spray insulation like you used to plug up the holes. Well. Little did I know that the mice were actually living in my house (in the ceilings) and going outside every night. So come dusk time I was in my kitchen and heard a blood curdling screech. The mice figured out they couldn't escape and they all came into my living space. Needless to say it was a very stressful night. Thankfully my previous cat was able to handle most of them. It was awful, so something to think about too before you plug up holes LOL.
that foam melts with water exposure, that foam disintegrates when wet down from rain, snow, fog, high humidity. you can also melt this foam off with acetone.
he had a mouse problem to begin with because that house was built with fiberboard which is a fancy word for splintered wood so fine you put it in a tub of watered down glue, spread it out into a sheet and slap it down with a simple roller press and then run it into a drier and then you cut it to 4x8 sheets and band it up and send it to the HomeRepot so you can do it, and they can help.
rodents can chew thru fiberboard like it's kleenex because that's all it really is is a box of kleenex pressed and glued together.
mice can chew thru sheetrock/drywall/plasterboard. they can even chew thru particle board and chipboard. over a hundred generations they can even chew threw 2Xlumber mice don't live long so 100 generations is easily 10 years. his house is 30 years old. that's 300 generations of mice, easily. the tortoise maybe slow, but eventually slow and steady will get you there...eventually.
former residential construction worker for lundgren brothers, wayzata, minnesota.
I have to try this. Heard crunching sounds coming from the ceiling last night. Had mice up there previously and thought we solved the problem.
My 2 cents. Mice may eventually chew through the foam. Stuff copper before or after the foam. You can buy lengths of copper scrub that can then be cut into sizes you need. Amazon probably.
Problem is, mice can slip through holes that are so small you will never see it, especially in older homes. I've watched a mouse run along a baseboard and disappear under it where there is no visible hole. Also, how do you seal up, yet maintain access to crawl spaces? Even a small crack in the cement back behind pipes where there is limited, if any, access could allow them in. Not saying impossible, but not as easy as you make it sound, especially as I said in older homes.
So, so true
If you seal the bigger cracks you should be alright combined with a few traps though
As someone who used the foam in that exact same space under the house, I can tell you that they chewed through it multiple times.
I did have success with getting a bunch of copper wool and stuffing it in the holes, then putting Dap Concrete Patch in there.
Then to further make sure they would not come in any other areas, I got Kwikmesh Utility Screen Roll at my local Home Depot, and screwed it in all along the border underneath where the rats/mice would potentially come in, then I just cut off all the extra.
Hi. I want to thank you for bringing this camera system to my attention. They look decent and affordable. If I may ask a few questions, please. I Was wondering, do you still like the wireless camera? Would you still highly recommend it? It’s high quality or junk? Does the battery life last long? Is the picture quality sharp in daytime? Seems like it works fairly well in the dark.
(PS if you went with a better quality camera, please tell me which model.)
Thank You.
I use spray foam with a pot scrubber from the dollar store. Fulff up the pot scrubber and stick the spray foam nozzle into the pot scrubber. If anything tries to chew the foam, they are met with a stiff, stainless steel strip and cannot chew through it. Forget steel wool. Something was chewing it's way into my shed. I did this and haven's seen anything for years.
Very informative and concise. I never thought about trying to record the mice. That is a great way to find their access holes. Good job!
Thank you, a year later this mice are gone. It really works, can take a bit of time to do but can you give peace forever.
1 year of trying to figure entry out. No one came close to what you just showed me. My siding is vinyl, ordered last weekbthe tool that unclips the siding. My intention is to remove the lower piece all around the house, seal and repair anything i find. Thank you for showing me i am on the right track. My 1st view of your video, i subscribed, Thanks a million :)
Again great advice, I truly admire your tenacity and yr videos are simple and easy to understand.
Well done my friend! From Malaysia.
Some of the other brands of spray foam can be sprayed with can pointing up. So might be easier than tubing.
Great video I like that way you caught those mice going into to your home 🏡. I called an exterminator that delt with homes in country, I told him my house is all brick. He came over walked around the entire house and said the mice are coming in from these locations, the weep holes for the water we installed the stainless steel screens. Have not seen any more inside.
Weep holes are also entry points for wild bees. The bees can build huge hives inside such walls.
Good try but I have had mice just chew thru the foam insulation. They just take the foam as an inconvenience. You need to add some steel or aluminum blocker as well.
Sounds terrific. Many thanks. I just ordered a 4th gen Blink camera with module for 79.99 from wal-mart. Planning on attaching the camera mount to my plastic sawhorse with screws or velcro tape. Will post my results.
Good advice
I used the Blink 3’s too. Had one in my car-haul trailer, where my tractor was. Once I saw the activity, I used the ramp into a 5 gallon bucket. There was 3 in the trailer. I foamed and steel wooled every crevice. Mint it up periodically on the exterior.
House got the same treatment. They chewed thru pipe foam, which caused a freeze up two winters ago. Frustrating mess. $$$$ too.
This is a good idea, but takes some dedication. There is some kind of powder you can buy that glows under UV light. You put it around some bait and the mouse will walk through it, tracking it back to his entry point. I think Shawn Woods featured it on his awesome mousetrap channel.
I battled mice for years. Some nights would take up to 10 mice out. I bought 5 Wyze OG cameras with sd cards and set them up a few nights about 5-10 feet apart all around the perimeter of my house. You must be patient. It took me about 4 weeks to find 4 jackpots where they were coming in!! The $150 for the cameras was well worth it vs paying for an exterminator. Only u have the time and patience to figure out where they are getting in. The best is the video seeing them try to get in where u just locked them out of !! Great feeling to solve that problem. Great video and great tip!! You should also bleach the path/run into and around the hole bc they leave trails and grease to let other mice know the way in.
0:35 I have more of a turkey problem than a mouse problem. The turkeys will jump on my vehicles and do a happy dance on the hood and peck at the windshield because to them, it's a mirror, and they see what they think is their "mating partner". Excellent tip on using the hose for spraying the foam up behind the siding.
I'm not sure if there has been in the foam but a few years ago when I was doing this same thing I noticed that there is no difference between the Pestblock foam and the regular foam in composition at least on the labels. But they do charge more than $1.50 extra for the "Pestblock" but it doesn't claim to have any pesticicde or anything else. Just use regular foam.
I love your videos! Always look forward to getting notifications for your channel.
Much appreciated thank you
They’ll get inside by many other means. You leave a door or window open. They’ll climb into boxes or bags that you might carry inside. Even firewood, or grocery deliveries…
My experience in a northern country, is when the weather gets cold some of them will find a way.
Good video and it may help you with pest in your home but sadly I will have to stick to my contact blox and bait boxes. Mice have done damage to my cars, snow blower, log splitter etc. My coworker had 20 thousand dollars of damage to his Toyota Highlander hybrid. Since the Contact Blox nothing. Shawn Woods has a pest control channel and has shown mice can and will eat through the spray foam. He suggest calk or special steel or copper wool. I think your camera idea is great idea but if you live in a rural area it’s truly a war with mice. Anything they can ruin they will. I spent well over a decade fighting the battle and losing until my friend who is a professional exterminator turned me on to Contact Blox. He would also tell you to seal up your home. The camera is a great idea, thanks. Also thanks for putting in the setting. Take care
How long will the spray in expanding foam last, I think they'll just chew right through it. Maybe if you capped it off with a piece of galvanized tin cut to shape. Mice and rats chew through wood what makes to think the foam will work on its own? At least that's what I'd do. The mice will probably use the chewed up foam for material for their nest.
your videos are amazing! Did you leave lights on when filming? Or the cameras were that good?
Thank you kindly, No that was complete darkness. The illuminator in these cameras is unbelievable.
I've effectively found mouse entry holes with a boroscope: a camera at the end of a wire, usually used for looking into car engines or sewage pipes. You can get reasonably good ones for not-so-much.
@SilverCymbal Thanks so much for your video, I am going through a similar case right now. Few years ago, I got xcluder around the house, but then 1 year later they started popping up again. Does it matter Gen3 vs Gen4 ? My house is 60 feet deep, do you recommend 2 tripods or 1 would be enough for that length? Thanks so much!
Excellent. Thank you!
Everyone else's technological solution has to do with ultrasonic sound or some slick way of killing them.
Your way is to find the openings and close them. You're using the mice themselves to tell you where the holes are. Brilliant!
A lot of people use the stainless steel-wool and I always wondered if it works. To be honest, we don't know if it wasn't installed well enough, or the mice moved it out of the way. Regardless, your way sent a strong message. Access denied!