It's obvious that small pests such as cockroaches and spiders can crawl through weep holes, but vertebrate pests such as lizards, snakes and even mice can also squeeze through a normal weep hole.
Use Stainless Steel Wool: Stuff the weep holes with stainless steel wool. Mice find it difficult to chew through, and it can be a temporary solution.
In fact, mice can fit through vents as small as a dime, making it surprisingly easy for them to infiltrate your ventilation system. Mice in vents can cause a number of problems, including foul odors, damage to the vent system, and even the risk of fire if they chew through electrical wires.
First, you can use stainless steel wool to plug the holes. This will allow the holes to breath, but keep pests from entering. You will definitely want to change them out a few times per year to avoid any build up or blockage that would prevent breathing. Another option is to use a product called Delta Dust.
Brick constructed homes contain weep holes which are the most common method for mice, rats, snakes, scorpions and lizards etc. to enter the home. Weep holes in brick walls are best described as easy access points to gain entry to the inner wall and potentially the living space of the house.
Blocking your window weep holes predisposes the window structure to water damage, rust, and corrosion ultimately reducing your window's lifespan.
Seal any holes you find to stop rodents from entering. Fill small holes with steel wool. Put caulk around the steel wool to keep it in place or use spray foam. Use lath screen or metal, cement, hardware cloth, or metal sheeting to fix larger holes.
While they can provide an entry point for pests, covering weep holes in brick walls is a definite no-no due to the damage this can cause to a building's structure. Instead, high quality screens and covers can be used to keep vermin out whilst maintaining the utility of these very important openings.
Mousemesh has been around for quite a few years now and does an excellent job at preventing mice from entering your premises via damaged air bricks or, in some cases, when very small mice can in fact enter an undamaged air brick. Mousemesh is formed from good quality plastic for the frame and stainless steel mesh.
Problems With Weepholes
If weep holes are left unprotected in brick walls they provide access to the wall cavity for rodents and insects. Swarming bees and European Wasps love creating nests in cavities.
The strong scent of peppermint is overwhelming to mice. Similarly, essential oils such as eucalyptus oil, bergamot oil, clove oil, and cinnamon oil are potent in keeping mice at bay. One study noted that eucalyptus oil applied once a day was more effective as a rat repellant than once a week.
Mice need a place to nest and nearby food in order to survive and multiply. In a context where you abruptly remove the food, the environment would suddenly not be able to sustain such a large number of mice; therefore, mice would look for more favourable environments and many, if not all, would leave.
Mice have a very strong sense of smell and are often repelled by very strong odors like cinnamon, vinegar, dryer sheets, clove oil, peppermint, tea bags, and cayenne pepper. I decided to try diluting peppermint oil in a spray bottle and misting it around my feed room and tack room.
Completely sealing them is not a wise solution as it can lead to fungal growths that can cause major structural damage and potential health issues. The best solution is to use premium cover products that prevent pests while maintaining the utility of your weep holes.
You can keep rodents and bugs out of your home through duct sealing. Some of the things needed for effective duct sealing include screwdrivers (for opening vent entries), safety gloves, traps, baits, fine wire mesh, torch, soap and plastic bags for disposing off the dead rodents/ bugs.
Peppermint oil, cayenne pepper, and cloves – Soak some cotton balls in any of these essential oils. Then place the cotton balls around your house in common hiding spots for mice and rats. Apple cider vinegar and water – Mix these ingredients up in a spray bottle and spritz it around the outside of your house.
This can cause floorboards and joists to rot. It is important that the holes in air bricks are not deliberately blocked or allowed to be blocked by leaves or soil. It is not unknown for people to block air bricks because they cause a draught to come up through gaps in the floorboards!
Here are the most common triggers for a sudden mouse infestation: – Seasonal changes: Mice are more likely to seek shelter in your home during colder months. In winter, they look for warmth, while in the warmer months, open windows and doors provide easy access.
Weep holes serve an important role in your home's drainage and ventilation, but they can also provide pests such as mice and cockroaches an easy access point into your home.
Furthermore, if you block your weep holes in an attempt to solve that problem then you will prevent the drainage of that water and the airflow needed to completely dry the cavity. This will likely cause catastrophic problems.
That being said, exterior mouse holes should be sealed with steel wool and caulk immediately upon discovering them.
The best sealant to keep rodents out is silicone sealant, such as silicone caulk. Silicone sealant is strong enough to combat mice teeth. But it's important to note that silicone caulk is dangerous to kids and pets if ingested. So, you'll want to keep kids and pets away when sealing your home from mice.