Installations & Replacements
Some openings cannot be sealed shut because they have a job to do: a door, a dryer vent, a chimney. Those get equipment that lets air or people through and keeps animals out. Other items, like bait stations and termite monitors, keep watch around the outside of the house.
What Can Be Installed or Replaced
| Item | Pest it guards against | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Door sweeps | Mice, crickets, spiders and ants crawling under the door | Bottom of exterior doors and the door from the garage |
| Vent covers and screens | Birds, squirrels, wasps and mice | Dryer, bath fan, soffit, gable and foundation vents |
| Chimney covers | Raccoons, squirrels, birds and bats | Top of the chimney flue |
| Bait stations | Mice and rats living outside | Along the foundation, in the garage, by sheds and decks |
| Exclusion mesh | Mice, rats, squirrels and skunks | Crawl space openings, deck and porch skirting, larger gaps |
| Termite monitoring stations | Subterranean termites in the soil | Set in the ground around the outside of the house |
Items Covered
- Door sweeps
- Vent and chimney covers
- Bait stations
- Exclusion mesh
- Termite monitoring stations
A door sweep is the cheapest piece of exclusion there is and one of the most overlooked. A gap of a quarter inch under an exterior door is enough for a young mouse. Brush sweeps suit uneven thresholds; solid rubber sweeps seal best on a flat sill.
Garage doors deserve the same check. The rubber seal along the bottom stiffens and splits after a few Pittsburgh winters, and the corners where it meets the jamb are the first place mice get in during fall.
Repair It or Replace It?
Repair-or-Replace Helper
Four quick answers about the item. The helper suggests whether a repair or a replacement makes more sense.
The suggestion shows here.
Choosing Equipment
How do I choose between a bait station and traps?
Bait stations work outside and in garages, where a locked, tamper-resistant box keeps the bait away from children, pets and wildlife. Traps work best inside the living space, where a dead mouse in a wall is the last thing anyone wants. Many houses use both: stations along the foundation, traps where activity shows up indoors.
Are vent and chimney covers worth fitting before there is a problem?
For an uncapped chimney or a vent with a missing or rusted screen, yes. Those are the openings squirrels, birds and raccoons use first, and a cover costs far less trouble than removing an animal and its nest later.
Every item on this page works best as part of a plan: the inspection finds where activity is, the repairs close what can be closed, and the equipment covers what has to stay open. A bait station by a foundation with an open vent above it is only half a job.
Need a sweep, a cover or stations around the house? Book the visit and say which.