Rodent Exclusion & Sealing
We seal the entry points mice and rats use to get in — the exclusion step that turns a temporary fix into a permanent one.
If you trap mice every fall and they keep coming back, the problem isn't the traps — it's the open entry points. Rodent exclusion is the sealing work that turns a temporary fix into a permanent one, closing the gaps mice and rats use to get into your home.
We systematically find and seal every entry point with rodent-proof materials, from the foundation sill to the roofline. It's offered as its own service because for many older Central New York homes, sealing — not trapping — is what actually ends the problem.
Sealing is what makes rodent control last
Most people who call about mice have already tried traps, and the traps worked — for a while. Then the following fall, the mice were back. That cycle is the single most common rodent story in Central New York, and it has one cause: the entry points were never sealed. Trapping clears the population that's inside today; exclusion sealing closes the doors so the next wave can't replace them when cold weather pushes rodents toward the warmth.
A house mouse can pass through a gap about a quarter-inch wide, and our older homes are full of them: the seam where wood framing meets a stone or block foundation, the holes drilled for water, gas, electric, and cable, worn door sweeps, unscreened crawlspace and gable vents, and the rooflines where dormers and additions meet the original structure. Effective exclusion is a systematic hunt for every one of these, sealed with materials rodents can't chew through — hardware cloth, sealed metal, and appropriate sealants.
There's a bonus most homeowners don't expect: the same gaps that let mice in let heated air out. A thorough exclusion job measurably tightens the house, which is why we treat it as core infrastructure rather than an upsell. It's the difference between paying for mouse control once and paying for it every single fall.
Signs you need exclusion, not just traps
- Mice return every fall no matter how many you trap.
- You have an older home with a stone or block foundation and visible gaps at the sill.
- You can see or feel drafts around utility penetrations, vents, or the garage.
- Droppings appear in new areas even after trapping knocks the numbers down.
- You back up to fields, woods, or outbuildings that constantly resupply rodents.
How we treat it
- 1
Full exclusion inspection
We inspect the entire building envelope — foundation, sill, penetrations, doors, vents, and roofline — and map every potential entry point.
- 2
Population clearing
We trap and remove the rodents currently inside so we're not sealing them in.
- 3
Sealing
We seal each entry with rodent-proof materials — hardware cloth, sealed metal, and durable sealants — installed to withstand gnawing and weather.
- 4
Verification
We confirm activity has stopped and the seals are holding, and note any areas to monitor.
- 5
Optional monitoring
For high-pressure rural and lake properties, we can fold ongoing monitoring into a preventative plan.
What to expect
- Exclusion is often scheduled after an initial trapping visit so the interior population is cleared first.
- We'll show you the entry points we find and seal, so you can see exactly what you're paying for.
- A thorough job also tightens the home against drafts — a real energy side benefit.
- Done properly, it ends the annual fall reinfestation rather than just pausing it.
Seasonality in Central NY
- Late summer to early fall: the best time to seal, before the cold pushes rodents indoors.
- Fall (Sep–Nov): peak rodent entry — sealing now prevents the winter problem.
- Any season: exclusion is effective year-round, but doing it before winter delivers the most immediate relief.
What it costs
Exclusion is priced by the size of the home and the number and difficulty of entry points — an older house with a fieldstone foundation and many penetrations is a larger job than a tight modern build.
We'll tell you honestly whether trapping alone will hold or whether sealing is needed to actually end the problem. We don't sell exclusion you don't need.
How to prevent it
- Seal utility penetrations, dryer vents, and foundation gaps before fall.
- Install and maintain tight door sweeps on entry and garage doors.
- Screen crawlspace, gable, and chimney vents.
- Keep firewood, brush, and bird seed away from the foundation.
Finding the gaps mice and rats actually use
Effective exclusion starts with reading the evidence rodents leave at their entry points. Greasy, dark rub marks along a foundation edge, sill, or pipe show a route used repeatedly; fresh gnaw marks around a gap indicate active enlargement; and droppings concentrated near a specific opening flag it as a travel route. Following these clues around the perimeter — rather than guessing — is how the real entry points get found.
The gaps themselves are often smaller than people expect. A house mouse can pass through an opening about the size of a dime (roughly a quarter inch), and a rat through a gap the size of a quarter. The usual suspects on a Central New York home are utility penetrations (where pipes, wires, and cables enter), gaps around the sill plate, worn or missing door sweeps, unscreened vents and weep holes, and the seams where a garage, porch, or addition meets the original structure. Older fieldstone and block foundations add plenty of their own cracks.
Why exclusion is the key step in this region
Central New York's housing stock makes exclusion the single most valuable rodent service. A century of freeze-thaw winters has opened gaps in stone and block foundations, settled sills, and separated additions, and the region's rural and semi-rural setting means there's a constant outdoor rodent population pressing in every fall. Trapping alone, against that backdrop, becomes a permanent chore — you catch this week's mice while the open gaps admit next week's.
Sealing changes the equation from managing rodents to keeping them out. It's the difference between a home that needs traps reset every winter and one that simply stops letting mice in. That's why we treat exclusion not as an add-on but as the core of lasting rodent control — knock down the current population, then close the building so it stays closed.
What sealing protects you from
Closing entry points addresses the whole downstream cost of rodents at the source. Mice and rats contaminate food-storage and prep areas with droppings and urine, and deer mice in our rural areas are associated with hantavirus, so keeping them out of the home is a genuine health measure, not just a comfort one. Sealing also stops the property damage rodents cause once inside — chewed wiring (a documented fire risk insurers care about), shredded insulation, and gnawed stored belongings.
There's a compounding benefit, too: many of the same gaps rodents use are also entry points for insects, drafts, and moisture. A thorough exclusion pass often improves the home's pest resistance and even its energy performance as a side effect, because you're closing the building envelope rodents exploit.
Why professional sealing lasts
The reason DIY sealing so often fails is a mix of the wrong materials and missed gaps. Rodents chew straight through foam, caulk, and steel wool alone, so durable exclusion uses the right materials for each gap — hardware cloth, copper mesh, sheet metal, and proper sealants — installed where they'll actually hold. And because a house has far more potential entry points than are obvious, the ones that get missed are exactly the ones the next mouse finds. Thoroughness is the whole job.
A professional exclusion service combines a systematic inspection that reads the rub marks and droppings to find the real routes, correct sealing of every accessible gap with materials rodents can't chew through, and follow-up to confirm the building is holding and knock down any population still inside. Done right, it converts a recurring seasonal rodent problem into a solved one — which is why it's the step that turns a temporary fix permanent.
Frequently asked questions
Why do the mice keep coming back every year?
Because the entry points are still open. Trapping clears the current mice, but each fall the cold pushes a new group toward the warmth, and if the gaps remain, they simply move in. Sealing breaks that cycle.
How small a gap can a mouse use?
About a quarter inch — roughly the width of a pencil. In older CNY homes that means the foundation sill, utility-line holes, worn door sweeps, and roofline gaps. We find and seal each one.
Is exclusion better than an ongoing bait plan?
For a lasting fix, yes. Baiting manages numbers but doesn't stop entry; exclusion physically closes the doors. Many homes do best with exclusion as the foundation and light monitoring on top.
Do you clear the mice first or just seal?
We clear the interior population first, then seal — so we're never trapping rodents inside the walls. Sealing an occupied home without removal can cause odor and die-off problems.
Will sealing really help with drafts and heating?
Often noticeably. The same gaps rodents use let conditioned air escape, so thorough exclusion tightens the envelope. It's a genuine side benefit of doing the job well.
What materials do you use?
Rodent-proof materials that stand up to gnawing and weather — hardware cloth, sealed metal flashing, and appropriate sealants — rather than steel wool or foam alone, which rodents can defeat.
Can you exclude an attached garage or crawlspace?
Yes. Garages, crawlspaces, and additions are common entry routes and are included in a full exclusion inspection and sealing.
How long does exclusion last?
Properly installed seals last for years. On high-pressure rural and lake properties we recommend occasional monitoring to catch any new gaps from settling or weather, which the guarantee supports.
How is exclusion different from just having you set traps?
Traps and bait reduce the rodents already inside; exclusion closes the gaps that let them in, so new ones can't keep replacing them. We do both — knock down the current population, then seal the building — but sealing is what ends the cycle instead of managing it every winter.
How small a gap can a mouse get through?
About a quarter inch — roughly the size of a dime. Rats need a gap about the size of a quarter. That's why thorough exclusion matters so much: the small, easy-to-miss openings around pipes, sills, door sweeps, and vents are exactly the ones rodents exploit.
Won't they just chew a new hole?
Rodents gnaw, which is why materials matter. Foam and caulk alone don't stop them, but properly installed hardware cloth, metal, and mesh do. We seal with materials rodents can't chew through, placed where they'll hold — that's what makes exclusion durable rather than temporary.
Does sealing help with anything besides rodents?
Often, yes. Many of the same gaps also let in insects, drafts, and moisture, so a thorough exclusion pass tends to improve your home's overall pest resistance and can even help with energy loss — you're closing the parts of the building envelope that rodents and other pests exploit.
Our guarantee
Covered by our defined-term service guarantee: if covered pests return during the service period, we re-treat at no additional charge. See Our Guarantee for terms and exclusions.
Read our guarantee terms →Rodent Exclusion & Sealing across Central New York
Based in Ithaca, NY, we provide rodent exclusion & sealing throughout the Finger Lakes and Central New York — five counties and the towns within them:
Tompkins County
Ithaca · Lansing · Dryden · Trumansburg · Newfield · Groton · Freeville · Cayuga Heights · Danby · Enfield
Schuyler County
Watkins Glen · Montour Falls · Odessa · Burdett · Tyrone · Beaver Dams
Chemung County
Elmira · Horseheads · Big Flats
Cortland County
Cortland · Homer · McGraw
Tioga County
Owego · Waverly · Candor · Spencer
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