We Need to Talk About Mice

We need to have an uncomfortable conversation about mice. Not the "oh look, a cute little field mouse" conversation. The "it's getting cold outside and rodents are actively planning their invasion of your home right now" conversation.

Last November—actually, early October, I remember because I was still in denial that fall was here—a frantic call came through. "I just saw a mouse. In my kitchen. On my counter. WHERE I MAKE FOOD."

And here's the thing: by the time you see one mouse, you probably have several. Mice don't travel solo. They're not lone wolves. They're more like "where there's one, there's at least five" situations.

So we need to talk about prevention. Not what to do after you already have mice—that's a whole other nightmare—but what to do NOW, before the temperature drops and every mouse in a five-mile radius decides your house looks warm and inviting.

The Winter Mouse Reality Check

Here's what nobody tells you until it's too late: mice start looking for winter housing in early fall. Not when it's already freezing. When it first starts getting chilly at night. Like, September and October. When you're still thinking "it's basically still summer" and mice are thinking "time to find a cozy spot for the next six months."

"By the time I got around to 'dealing with it,' they were already inside. Multiple mice. Nesting in my insulation. Living their best rodent life while I slept twenty feet away."

It was horrifying. And completely preventable if action had been taken earlier.

Why Mice Want Your House So Badly

Mice need three things: food, water, and warmth. Your house has all three in abundance.

The Dime Test

Mice can squeeze through a gap the size of a dime. If you can fit a pencil through a gap, a mouse can fit through it. That quarter-inch space around a pipe? That's a mouse motorway.

The "Foolproof" Method

Look, I hate to break it to you, but there's no truly foolproof method to keep mice out. If a mouse is determined enough and your house has an entry point, they'll find it.

BUT—and this is important—you can make your house unappealing enough and sealed up enough that mice will choose literally any other house before yours.

Think of it like home security. You can't make your house impossible to break into, but you can make it enough of a hassle that burglars will go bother your neighbour instead. Same concept with mice.

The Three-Part Strategy

  • Part One: Exclusion — keep them out physically
  • Part Two: Elimination — remove what attracts them
  • Part Three: Monitoring — catch problems early

Most people only do one or two of these. You need all three. Jennifer only did elimination—kept her house clean, stored food properly. Still got mice because her house had gaps. Amanda only did exclusion—sealed up holes. Still got mice because she left food accessible.

You need to do everything. Sorry. I wish there was a shortcut. There isn't.

Three-part mouse prevention strategy
A comprehensive approach combines sealing, cleaning, and monitoring

Part One: Exclusion

This is the most labor-intensive part, but also the most important. You're basically doing a forensic examination of your entire house, looking for any gap, crack, or hole that a mouse could possibly use to get inside.

The Exterior Inspection

Start outside. Walk around your entire house and look for:

Sealing Materials You'll Need

  • Steel wool (mice can't chew through it)
  • Copper mesh (lasts longer than steel wool)
  • Expanding foam sealant
  • Caulk for smaller gaps
  • Hardware cloth for larger openings
  • Door sweeps
  • Weather stripping

The Interior Inspection

Now do the same thing inside. Check:

Part Two: Elimination

Even if mice can get into your house, you want to make sure there's nothing waiting for them when they arrive. No food, no water, no comfortable nesting materials.

Food Storage

Mice can chew through cardboard, thin plastic, and paper. They cannot chew through glass, thick plastic, or metal.

Water Sources

Nesting Materials

Mice love paper, fabric, and insulation for nesting. Keep things tidy:

Part Three: Monitoring

Even with perfect exclusion and elimination, you need to monitor for mouse activity. Early detection is everything.

Set Up Monitoring Stations

Place snap traps or bait stations in strategic locations:

A Note on Traps

Even if you don't have mice, keep a few traps set as an early warning system. If you catch something, you know you have a breach somewhere and can address it before the problem escalates.

Signs to Watch For

Effective mouse prevention and monitoring techniques
Regular monitoring catches problems before they become infestations

The Real Talk About Mouse Prevention

Here's the uncomfortable truth: you can do everything right and still end up with a mouse. Houses settle. New gaps appear. A mouse gets creative. Life happens.

The goal isn't perfection. The goal is making your house the least attractive option in the neighbourhood, catching any incursions early, and dealing with them quickly before they become infestations.

Do the work in early fall before mice start looking for winter housing. Seal the gaps. Store food properly. Set up monitoring. Check your work regularly.

Final Thought

There's no truly foolproof way to keep mice out forever, but thorough exclusion, food elimination, and regular monitoring will make your house the least attractive option on the block. Your future self will thank you.