One trick I use on almost every rodent inspection is checking under the siding where it meets the foundation.
Most homeowners never look here because the gap is hidden by the siding lip. But this area is one of the most common entry points for mice and rats.
To inspect it properly, I’ll walk the entire lower perimeter of the structure using a small inspection mirror. The mirror lets me look up underneath the siding edge to see gaps that aren’t visible from a normal angle.
You’d be surprised how many open voids and construction gaps show up this way.
If you don’t have a mirror, there’s another easy trick:
📱 Use your phone’s front-facing (selfie) camera.
Turn the camera on and slowly slide your phone under the siding while watching the screen. This lets you see hidden gaps where siding meets the concrete foundation.
These are the exact areas rodents use to get into:
• wall cavities
• crawlspaces
• insulation areas
One of the biggest mistakes homeowners make is sealing interior holes inside the house. That usually turns into an endless goose chase because rodents are already inside the structure.
The real solution is stopping them before they ever get into the house.
That means finding and sealing the exterior entry points first.
This is the same process I use on professional rodent exclusion jobs.
More inspection tricks and exclusion methods coming soon inside Backcountry Pest Academy. 🛠🐭