The cheapest pest is the one that never gets in. This category is about structural proofing: materials to seal gaps, ventilation openings, roof edges and ledges, so that mice, rats, birds and insects no longer find a way in or a place to land. Here you will find, among others, Avipoint deterrent spikes, stainless steel pigeon spikes, solar panel bird spikes with clips, VentiStrip bird comb and ventilation strip, VentiBrush proofing brushes, GevelFix and RenoFix stainless steel grilles, Mouse & Rat Stop steel wool, Raxit sealing and the Skipper roller door seal.
Find the weak spots first
Walk calmly around the building, preferably also in the dark with a torch. Look for open weep joints and cavity openings, gaps under doors and roller doors, pipe and cable entries, openings under corrugated sheets and the junction between roof and wall. Gnawing marks, droppings and grease smears along the wall show the routes rodents take. Mice fit through surprisingly small openings, so a gap that seems negligible to you often is not for a mouse.
Choosing material per opening
- Ventilation and cavity openings: stainless steel grilles and insect mesh keep animals out and let air through. Never seal ventilation completely.
- Entries and irregular holes: stuff with stainless steel wool or a stainless steel sponge, possibly finished with sealant. Rodents find it harder to gnaw through steel than through foam or plastic.
- Doors and roller doors: Raxit Door Seal or the Skipper roller door seal close the gap at the bottom.
- Eaves and corrugated sheets: ventilation strip, bird comb or a perforated corrugated sheet profile closes the space under the tiles or sheets.
- Ledges, beams and solar panels: deterrent spikes or bird spikes with clips, fixed with Avipoint Avifix or Avisil.
Where proofing falls short
Proofing only works if it is sealed all round: one forgotten opening makes the rest less worthwhile. If the animals are already inside, do not seal everything at once, but catch them first, otherwise you shut them in. Spikes prevent landing, but not birds sitting right next to them; sometimes a combination with scare devices is needed.
Supplementing with control
For traps and bait stations, go to rat and mouse control, for kites and scare balloons to bird deterrents. If it is ants, cockroaches or silverfish, see crawling insects; for flies and mosquitoes, flying insects. The full overview is under pest control.
Frequently asked questions
Why stainless steel and not plastic mesh?
Mice and rats gnaw through soft materials such as foam and plastic. Stainless steel is much harder for them and does not rust, which matters outdoors and in damp stables.
Which deterrent spikes should I choose for gulls?
Gulls are larger than pigeons and call for spikes made for them, such as the Avipoint Meeuw G20. For pigeons there are the Avipoint Duif versions and stainless steel pigeon spikes.
Can I seal ventilation openings against mice?
No, close them with a grille or insect mesh, so the airflow remains. A completely sealed cavity or crawl space can cause damp problems.