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PETALUMA — When it comes to keeping your home pest-free, prevention is always the best strategy. One preventative step we recommend is to walk around your home on a regular basis and identify any openings that could allow rodents to enter. Use your finger to gauge the size of each opening; if you find any that are the size of your index or pinky finger, a small rat or mouse can probably enter. Be sure to use a good flashlight during your walkaround—this will reveal all those little openings you may have otherwise missed.
When sealing openings in your home exterior, don’t just fill them with steel wool—cover them with 1/4-inch galvanized hardware cloth. This will be more effective at keeping rodents out, as they won’t be able to chew or poke through it.
As you walk around your home, you should also inspect your crawl space screen vents. When these vents are damaged, it can create an easy access point for rodents to enter. Replace any damaged screen vents with new ones (these can be purchased at your local hardware store).