critters (Mice)

i heard a noise in my kitchen the other eve. An investigation revealed mouse droppings. That same week, I had a service man working in my attic on the AC. He told me they were getting in the ducts by chewing through. He showed me a vent where you could see insulating material poking through.
I have set up traps throughout the kitchen, and plan on doing some in the attic.
Today, I was outside and getting ready to cut some climbing weeds off the side of my home. I noticed a hole in the side of the house, at ground level. Looks like it went into the foundation.
Are mice capable of chewing through concrete? I see no signs of termites, and I have never heard of them getting through concrete.
It was dusk, and I will go back tomorrow and reinspect. I want to repair the hole, with a concrete patch, and then take out the destroyed wood, and replace it.
I am at a loss as to what could have caused the damage. My initial surfing for termite info leads me to believe I should see them, or something that is out of place, such as mounds or signs of tunnels.
If it is the mice, then I assume I am going to have to go to a radical and agressive method of combating them.
Or, should I be looking for some other type if critter or pest.
Thanks,
Sarge

 

"Are mice capable of chewing through concrete?" No, but they can reportedly enter a hole as small as a dime. Inspect your home for all gaps, cracks, and holes and seal. Keep landscape clear of debris and tall weeds that would provide hiding places. Remove pet food bowls and eliminate birdfeeders or move far from the house. Rats can dig through concrete.

Identify droppings. Mice droppings look like black grains of rice. If you have larger, then you have rats.

Set lots of traps in areas where droppings have been seen. Mice usually travel along baseboards. Place there with trigger facing baseboard. Practice good sanitation indoors, keeping counters and floors free of crumbs and sealing all food in air tight containers. If you have rats, you will not catch them in a mouse trap.

Subterranean termites usually have visible mud tunnels up the interior walls of crawl space foundations. Of course, if you you have a basement or on a slab, entry into walls would not necessarily be visible. Termites do not bore through concrete.

 

I have seen rats chew on the outer edges of holes in concrete but have never seen them do it to gain entry

if you can stick your finger in a hole there is a good chance that a mouse can come through it

Inspect the exterior of you home any hole the size of a dime has to be sealed and don't forget about exterior doors

Glue boards will work well on mice and can usually catch more than one. When they stop catching switch to snaps, or vice versa

mice are curious when you set the traps move them about six inches or so every couple of days or so curiosity will make them go inspect

Rats are cautious once you set the traps do not disturb them.
You will catch the stupid rats the first day or so, the older wiser ones will take longer

The only time I have heard of termites coming through concrete was through a crack in the foundation

termites have to have moisture the only way they can move in a dry enviromnet is to encase themselves in mud tunnels.
At ground level in a wet environment it is possible for them to travel a short distance without the tunnels but not very likely

 

The droppings do resemble black rice.
Got a couple of traps set.
Found hole in rice bag and dog treat bags in cupboard. Will need to rememeber to keep the doors shut on them.
Think next day or so, kitchen is going to get good scrubbing.
Hole from outside in large enough to stick fist in, if I remember right, and wood looks like it has be torn away or chewed.
I will look more closely for sign of termites.
Sort of wonder if I got a double whammy going.
Thanks for response
Sarge

 

You should set more than two traps. The more the better. As indicated, move them around every couple of days, keeping them along baseboards.

Put rice, dog treats, and all foodstuffs into mouse proof containers. Clean and sanitize cupboards.

Seal all openings into the house and seal around where pipes and wires enter the structure, including around pipes under sinks.

If you have a crawl space, it is important to have someone make an inspection. A professional exterminator can make the inspection for you to look for mice, termites, and other problems. Termite inspections are free. Get at least three estimates and let them know you are shopping.

 

Got a good look at the hole a bit ago. It is a big hole.
I see no evidence of termites at all. There are a couple of chunks of the outside wall panels laying around. I looked at them, but saw nothing. There is no damage to the concrete as I thought. I looked for anything I thought might even resemble an insect. It does look like one of the 2x4 beams has some damage, I sort of suspect that hole has been there through the winter, and the weather has gotten to that beam.
However, since an inspection by an exterminator is free, I will have one look at the hole.
As a note, the house sits on a slab,
I am thinking the rodents chewed that hole. My dogs are going bonkers at that spot, which leads me to suspect mammals rather than insects. And, I wonder if they did not help the hole along by scratching and digging at it.
As for those critters, they are smart. The tripped the traps set in the kitchen, and picked the bait.
Sure hope I am right, and it ain't termites and they have not done any damage to speak of, I understand extermanating them can be expensive.
Again, thanks for you help.
Sarge

 

The hole, as best I can determine, was a gap or slight hole big enough for mice. The dogs figured out the critters were there and started scratching and pawing at the site, tearing off the pressed wood and leaving a good size hole.
What's a good temporary sealer that will also kep the critters out?
Sarge

 

If you seal and trap mice in, then you can have dead mice and odor problems. Eliminating mice is the first step. Plugging the hole is the next. What you plug it with depends on size of hole. Caulk works for smaller holes. They make concrete caulk and cement patch. A stainless steel pot scrubber is good for plugging holes. Spray foam insulation works for large holes. For now, I'd stuff the hole with newspaper and watch it. If the paper gets knocked out of the hole, you still have critters.

 

I still have them.
I was preparing to discard one trap and its contents when another critter made a b-line throught the dishwasher portal.
I reset two traps to see what happens.
This is a slick critter or so. I have had more than one trap picked.
It did seem to me that the outside hole is just an invitation for more of them to get in.
I thing they are coming inside through the wall behind the stove. Whoever had this house before I got it just punched a hole in the walll and ran the 220 stove wire throught the hole, and hot wired the stove. I put an electrica socket in there, but there is enough of a space for them to get through.
Will be patching that hole also.
Sarge

 

I wouldn't "fix" the hole until you stop catching mice or they will just find a new spot you won't know about. Dogs, cats, and pets are practically the welcome sign to mice and rats because of the food issue. Number one you have got to train your animals to eat all the food you give them as soon as you give it to them. Rats can even live off the nutrition left over in dog crap.

Next you need to take this battle to the enemy instead of only fighting it inside your home. You need a few of those multicatch traps like a tin cat. I'd just about bet money you have an outside building like a garage or metal shed for lawn tools and that will be the first place they infest and a constant resupply for the ones you catch in the house. You need to take the battle out there at the same time.

I really like the old timer's bucket trap with a little twist. I use a smaller 2 gallon paint bucket and a 16 ounce plastic soda bottle on a stick. Poke some little holes in the plastic so they are all around the bottle. Poke a piece of dog food in the hole so it stays tight in the hole and sticks through both sides. Now drill a hole in the bottom and poke the stick through the opening and out the hole you drilled in the bottom so it's like a bottle that spins on a fondue stick. Put 3 inches or so of water in the bottom of the bucket and the spining bottle with dog food stuck to it on top. Now set this next to a shelve or something in that out building. A shelve with mouse droppings on it is a prime location.

Now this trap is one that will catch half a dozen mice a day if they are in the area and it is always set. It doesn't draw ants like peanut butter on a snap trap and it will tell you when you have them cleaned out in the out building.

Once you get control of the problem in the house and fix all the holes you can leave this trap set outside all the time as an early warning signal when to start watching for problems. The only time you have trouble with this trap is when the water freezes. It stays baited for ever.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v521/JackPatrickRyan/Mouse%20Traps/?action=view&current=amousetrap61.jpg

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v521/JackPatrickRyan/Mouse%20Traps/?action=view&current=amousetrapdetail60.jpg

If I'm wrong and you have no out buildings and just flat ground you can still use this trap. Dig a hole so the bucket is just at ground level and cover it with something flat so they can crawl under and it won't prevent the bottle from spinning to knock them off and drown them. That flat thing on the ground near the hole will draw mice like a vacancy sign at a cheap motel if they are any where around and if they are, I guarantee they have learned to love dog food.

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v521/JackPatrickRyan/Mouse%20Traps/?action=view&current=17547a_trap_095.jpg

http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v521/JackPatrickRyan/Mouse%20Traps/?action=view&current=17547a_trap_093.jpg

The whole trick to using this trap is to get the edge of the bucket on the same level and next to an area they are already familiar with and visiting. They will not climb up a ramp or board to fall in it like you see in most places you find them advocating this type of old time trap. You have to get the edge of death on their level and then you will catch them all. Just empty it once a day. Until you stop catching and the take a look at least once a week or so until you are satisfied you have them all.