6 Things in and Around Your Home That Attract Mice in Fall—and How to Make Your House Less Appealing Before Winter

Key Points

• Mice are especially attracted to warm, sheltered homes as colder weather approaches.

• Easy access to food and water can make your home more appealing to them.

• They also look for nesting material in yards and cluttered spaces indoors.

When fall temperatures begin to fall, mice and other outdoor pests often head toward the heat and shelter of human homes.

The best way to reduce the risk of an infestation is to identify what is drawing them in and take steps to block those temptations. These are six common things that can make your home more attractive to mice during the colder season.

Openings They Can Slip Through

Mice need very little space to get inside. They can squeeze through cracks as small as 1/4 inch wide, and if you can see daylight through a gap, a mouse may be able to fit through it.

To keep them out, seal cracks and openings around doors, windows, the foundation, and pipes. Use sturdy materials such as sheet metal, heavy-gauge hardware cloth, or concrete mortar, since mice can chew through many weaker materials.

Steel wool paired with caulk or foam can also work well, because mice cannot chew through metal.

Accessible Food

With less food available outdoors, mice are quick to notice any easy meal near your home.

Inside, they may be drawn to flour, sugar, and other dry goods stored in paper packaging or plastic bags, as well as pet food that is not sealed. Outside, bird feeders close to the house can also attract them.

If you use bird feeders, place them as far from the house as you can. Store pantry items and pet food in sealed, airtight containers that pests cannot reach.

Garbage That Is Easy to Reach

Uncovered or easily accessible trash can also bring mice in, since it may offer shelter along with scraps of pet or outdoor food.

Use tight-fitting, sealed lids on outdoor bins and empty them often. If possible, raise them on platforms or secure them with bungee cords to make access more difficult.

Material for Nesting

Cluttered areas give mice plenty of places to build nests as winter approaches. In the fall, it helps to sort through extra trash, books, and boxes, and remove what you no longer need.

Pay special attention to quiet, dark spaces such as attics, closets, and basements, where mice are especially likely to settle.

Debris in the Yard

Leftover outdoor debris such as junk piles, wood, or straw bales should be moved or disposed of, ideally as far from the house as possible. Birds may use this material for winter shelter, but mice can be drawn to it as well.

Vegetable gardens can also attract mice because they provide food and nesting material. A garden fence or winter cover can help discourage them from making themselves at home.

Water Sources

Although mice get most of their moisture from the food they eat, they will still be drawn to direct water sources.

Before winter arrives, repair leaky faucets and avoid overwatering houseplants. Outside, fix damaged or leaking pipes and garden hoses, and bring pet water bowls indoors.