Mice come indoors on a predictable schedule in Delaware. The gaps they use are equally predictable - and most of them are sealable in an afternoon.
The October pattern
Delaware rodent calls climb sharply once overnight temperatures drop into the 40s. House mice that spent the summer in field edges, woodpiles and landscaping start probing foundations for warmth and food.
A house mouse fits through a gap the width of a pencil, and a young rat through a quarter-sized hole.
Where they actually get in
Garage door corners with worn weather seal, dryer and bathroom vent covers, gaps around AC line sets and hose bibs, sill plate gaps behind siding, crawlspace vents with damaged screen, and unsealed pipe chases under kitchen sinks.
Older Wilmington and Newark homes add basement window wells and shared party walls to that list.
Why trapping alone fails
Removing mice from a house that still has open entry points just makes room for the next ones. Exclusion - sealing with materials rodents can't chew, then trapping the population already inside - is what ends the cycle.
Do it in September and the winter is quiet. Do it in January and you're trapping until spring.
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(302) 602-9239More Delaware pest guides
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