The solutions are many because they aren’t asked to meet any specific criteria.  As the homeowner and do-it yourselfer, the solution you will choose is most likely based on a combination of things such as permanence and effectiveness, ease of installation, aesthetics and cost.  Of course each situation will differ, but overall, a product that can meet each of these criteria effectively, certainly is the best overall choice.  Take a look at how each of the hole plugging solutions offered by the “experts” meets the criteria you most certainly need for your personal pest prevention solution.

If you don’t have time to do it right then when will you have time to do it over?  This is a question you really need to ask yourself when trying to find a permanent means to keep pests from entering your home.  Mice, rats, and squirrels are all rodents, called so because the latin word rodentia means to gnaw, and these little buggers have a single pair of growing incisors that they keep short by gnawing.  They can, and will, chew through almost anything.  Using products like newspaper, towels, foam, duct tape, plastic, insulation, cardboard and caulk are all quick and handy but will be extremely temporary fixes.  In a very short time, perhaps even a day, rodents can chew through all of these and you will be back on the internet looking for another solution.  Steel wool, copper mesh, SOS pads and Xcluder are all products that can provide a permanent gnaw resistant, and therefore effective, solution for filling holes.

Regarding the criteria of aesthetically pleasing, often times the holes or gaps that you are trying to fill are not in the line of sight, or they are located behind something, or in a remote corner of the house or basement.  Therefore you may not be extremely concerned with how the hole/gap looks once it’s plugged.  However, some of the more effective fill products can react to moisture and then rust, leaving a very unsightly streak down the wall or around the area.  Also unsightly is a hole filled with a brightly colored plug that doesn’t blend well with the surrounding surfaces.   Xcluder does not rust or react to moisture, and it fits snugly into the hole or gap so it can do the job without drawing attention to the hole.

When it comes to cost and ease of installation, many of the products listed above would be best because they are practically free and require little effort to install.  But of course you want a cost effective solution, and as previously mentioned, these products don’t offer a solution, they offer a temporary fix at best, to your pest problem.  So of all the products discussed it now comes down to Xcluder and copper mesh as the best solutions.  Here is a short video which compares these two on both cost and ease of installation.

After reviewing all of the criteria it is now certainly clear that the most effective, eco-friendly, permanent, and easy to install method for your money is Xcluder Rodent and Pest Control.  To learn more about Xcluder or to purchase it for yourself go to buyxcluder.com.

The post Which Products are Best to Plug Holes Where Pests are Entering Your Home? appeared first on Xcluder.

Here are a few spring maintenance issues to look for and some helpful Xcluder tips to pest proof your home’s exterior.

1. Shutters – It is common for some bats to roost behind shutters. Just Google “bats behind shutters” and you’ll not only see how common it is but you will see the mess it can cause! We recently had an inquiry as to how Xcluder can be used to eliminate this activity.The answer is simple, just cut strips of Xcluder and tuck them into any of the gaps between the shutters and the house. The Xcluder will expand to fill the gap and the synthetic fibers in Xcluder give it an extra spring back that permanently holds it in place. And since Xcluder is made with rust-proof fibers you won’t find unsightly streaks running down the side of your home like you can get from using steel wool or copper fibers.
2. Holes or cracks in siding – Bees and other stinging insects nest in varied locations. A little hole or crack in your siding can allow them to get between the siding and your house and before you know it, you will have a flurry of bee activity in and out. Although bees are docile in their own right, they can pose a threat to you and your family if you try to disturb their nest. Filling those holes with small pieces of Xcluder before they arrive will force them to search for another nesting location.
3. Gaps between siding and cracks in soffit/fascia – House sparrows can be considered major pests in spring. They’ll make their nests just about anywhere and since they are such a small bird, even an opening as small as ¾ of an inch can become an entryway to their new nesting home. So you want to make sure that you check for gaps in your siding or cracks in your soffit or fascia. We are not suggesting that Xcluder is a permanent fix for these issues, but tucking small strips of Xcluder into these cracks, gaps and holes can certainly be a great pest deterrent until you are able to permanently replace or restore these problems.
4. Electrical boxes, light fixtures and anywhere that cables enter your home (such as gas, air conditioning, cable, electric) – Lots of birds, including those pesky sparrows we already discussed, enjoy making their nests on or around these areas. The constant flurry of nesting activity can break, loosen, or fray electrical wiring. When you combine that with the dried grasses, twigs, straw, paper, trash, and other plant life they use to build their nests it can become a fire hazard. Installing Xcluder is safe around fully sealed electrical conduit coming out of a wall, but if you believe pests have already caused some wire damage it is not recommended to use Xcluder around any open electrical sources or unbundled wires.

Bat Image: flickr/Zeusandhera
Cable Image:  flickr/John “Pathfinder” Lester

The post It’s Spring – Tips to Xclude Your Home from Pests appeared first on Xcluder.

“At just the time when the neighborhood kids are beginning to regularly gather outside to enjoy the warmer weather I was reminded that I had some preventative maintenance to conduct.  For the past several years our basketball hoop has been taken over by large colonies of paper wasps and as you can imagine, they are not happy when their home is bothered by the constant pounding of the basketball against the backboard.   So every time the children would begin playing, the wasps would come out and protest, and every time the wasps would protest the children would come inside and protest to me.  My suggestions to “swish” and throw “nothing but net” did not provide the adequate solution.

Since I’m not a wasp whisperer, each year I have been forced to try to eliminate the problem using aerosol pesticides and/or foaming sprays.  This has never been a real solution for me though.  There are several tubes and hollowed areas for the wasps to nest, and I have never been able to quite get the sprays into all of the nooks and crannies where they reside.   Perhaps it’s partly due to the fact that I am not willing to get close enough to offer myself as a human sacrifice, or perhaps it’s because I’m a little hesitant to completely soak one of my son’s favorite toys with a poisonous and toxic spray.   My mother’s intuition tells me that just can’t be a good thing.

So last fall I swore I was going to eliminate this problem in the spring before it ever starts.  And to remind myself I used one of my favorite tools, my cell phone.  I set an alarm to go off in March to remind me to “Xclude the Basketball Bugs.”   Benjamin Franklin said, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” and in this case I’m bound and determined to prove him right.

As you can see from the photo (above), my basketball goal is fairly typical as far as portable, adjustable backboard systems go.   There are several tubes in the back that allow you to adjust the height of the backboard, but perhaps in the hopes of cutting costs, the ends of the tubes are left raw, with no end caps.  The wasps really enjoy these tiny little areas.  If you look at the photo (at right), and look beyond the bolt you can see the little paper combs built up in the tube.

The other area that needed attention was the plastic casing that protects fingers from getting pinched in the rim spring.  Here is a picture of how the wasps took over that little bit of real estate.   Once I cleaned out that casing and all 8 tube openings I had quite the paper trail!

The DIY eXclusion part of this project took only a few minutes.  I took the roll that was included in my Xcluder Starter Kit and cut 8 one inch pieces.  The roll is four inches wide so I had eight 1”x4” pieces.  Since there are bolts running through the tubes, I simply tucked half the strip of Xcluder up one side of the bolt and then folded and tucked the other half around the other side.  Xcluder has a springy and flexible texture, so it fills in the emptiness and stays nice and secure.  It took me less than 10 minutes to complete the entire process.

The last part of my project was the plastic casing covering the spring.  For this area I cut several larger pieces of Xcluder and used double sided tape to adhere them to the casing. Then after snapping the casing into place I filled the gaps with Xcluder so there were no openings to be found.

So that’s it, a very simple eXclusion solution.  My son can now practice his basketball skills without being bothered and he shouldn’t come across any more “flying stingy things” until he encounters the New Orleans Hornets in his much anticipated NBA career.”

The post Consumer Tip: An Ounce of Prevention (aka Xcluder) Can Be The Cure to Stop a Wasp Invasion appeared first on Xcluder.

Did you know that an attached garage is a revolving door for energy if it’s not sealed properly? In the wintertime, cold air is coming in and your expensive warm air is flowing out. And of course in the summertime it’s just the opposite. With the rapidly rising cost of energy, effectively sealing door openings is more important than ever. Most people assume that weather stripping around the door frame is really all they can do, however much of the energy lost is at the base and corners of the door and therefore an effective door sweep is of high importance. A reinforced door sweep, like the Xcluder Door Sweep will provide a very durable weather seal. The reinforced neoprene rubber conforms to the ground, therefore filling gaps that may occur due to shifting, or cracks on the threshold and/or on the garage floor. But any doorway entering the house is a potential source of energy inefficiency, so don’t stop at the large garage door. All doors entering into your home should have Xcluder sweeps installed. The sweeps will eliminate the drafts and subsequently turn into cost savings for you.

I hate to be the one to break it to you, but energy may not be the only thing passing through your doors unbeknownst to you. A gap, crack, hole or opening of ¼ inch or larger can appear to be a welcome mat for mice, rats and insects to enter your home. Damaged or missing door sweeps are a very common entry point for rodents and pests. And once they arrive, like all unwanted house guests, it’s difficult to get them to leave. So prevention is the key and once again, an Xcluder Pest Control Door Sweep would be the right solution. The reinforced neoprene rubber that provides the tight seal for your energy savings is filled with an Xcluder’s patented rodent-proof fill fabric. This fill has sharp, coarse stainless steel wool fibers which are virtually impenetrable to rats, mice and insects so they are not able to gnaw through it like they can with a standard rubber sweep

So if you are interested in saving money and only want invited house guests then installing Xcluder Door Sweeps is the right project for you. They are available in a variety of lengths common to most door sizes and types. They feature a sturdy aluminum retainer and include stainless steel mounting screws and slotted screw holes for easy installation and easy adjustment. So with a few quick turns of a screw you can close the door on wasted energy and unwanted visitors. You can order Xcluder pest control door sweeps by visiting buyxluder.com.

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The post Mouse Proof your Home, Business, & RV appeared first on Xcluder.

The first step to successfully mouse proofing of your RV is to understand how the critters get in. While they will occasionally sneak through an open door, the most common entry point is through the access holes made to accommodate pipes (water, sewer, gas) and power lines. Mice can squeeze through incredibly small spaces and a gap of even 1/4″ (about the size of a pencil eraser) is big enough to allow them entry.

Maintaining a mouse free RV means finding those openings and making sure they are sealed securely with something that the rodents can’t chew through, like Xcluder’s rodent proof fill fabric. Xcluder is a tough mesh of stainless steel wool and poly fibers.  Because it is made of stainless steel it won’t rust like regular steel wool and the coarse fibers are impervious to gnawing rodents.

If your RV is currently mouse free and you want to make sure it stays that way your task is fairly easy. Simply locate any area where pipes or power lines pass from the inside of your RV to the outside and fill any gap 1/4″ or larger with Xcluder. Don’t forget to check the basement of your RV or motor home for access points as well. As always, use caution around electrical wiring and repair any damaged wires prior to installing Xcluder.

If mice have already invaded your motor home or RV you’ll need to get rid of them in addition to sealing off their access points. For this you can use a variety of baits or traps. You may find traps preferable to poisons as they pose little risk to kids and pets and  reduce the possibility of a mouse dying in an inaccessible location in your RV.  Also, if you’re not excited about disposing of dead mice there are effective live capture mousetraps available. These allow mice to be captured alive and unharmed and relocated to a more suitable environment.

Following these simple steps will ensure that your RV remains mouse free for seasons to come.

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Weep holes or “weeper holes” are small openings left in the outer wall of masonry construction as an outlet for water inside a building to move outside the wall and evaporate. If you live in a brick house or have a brick facade on your house you almost certainly have weep holes.

Weep holes are essential for the good health of your building. Because brick is not waterproof and is actually quite porous it behaves much like a sponge. As a result, when it gets wet a  masonry wall can absorb and store  tremendous amount of water. The weep hole is designed to ensure that that stored can escape and allow for air to enter behind the wall to helping to dry the structure. Unfortunately, this opening is also a convenient entry point for unwanted pests such as mice, roaches, snakes, spiders and other unwanted critters.

Fortunately keeping pests out while still allowing your weep holes to function as they are intended is easy and inexpensive. Whatever you do just don’t fill the weep holes with mortar or caulk as that will not allow air to circulate or water to drain which could cause mold, rot or deterioration of your bricks.

For years the most common solution is simply to stuff a little steel wool in the opening. The steel wool keeps pests out but still allows air and water to pass ensuring the weep holes function as intended. Unfortunately, steel wool rusts quickly and needs to be replaced annually.

For a more permanent solution use some Xcluder fill fabric to permanently pest proof your weep holes. Because Xcluder is made of stainless steel wool and poly fibers it won’t rust and deteriorate, is impervious to pests, and its mesh design allows air and water to pass easily.

Installation is easy too. Simply cut an appropriately sized strip of Xcluder and press firmly into each weep hole. If you have any left over material you can use that to fill any other openings that pests may use to enter your house such as openings for HVAC lines.

The post Weep Hole Pest Prevention appeared first on Xcluder.

Fortunately solving your mouse problem permanently and humanely is much easier than you’d think. Follow this three step guide to humanely getting rid of mice and you’ll have a mouse free house in no time. Best of all,  you don’t need any special skills or fancy equipment and won’t have to worry about exposing kids or pets to any poisons.

Step One: Take Down the Welcome Sign

Remove any food sources from around the house. Seal pet food and bird food in tightly closed containers and make sure that garbage cans are tightly sealed. Next, take a walk around the outside of your house looking for inviting mouse habitat. Remove any weeds, brush, or other debris from the perimeter of the building.

Step Two: Humanely get rid of the mice that are already in the house. 

To do this you are going to have to catch the mice as repellents are not effective. There are a number of live capture mousetraps readily available on the market. There are even plenty of instructions on the web for how to make your own out of a 5 gallon bucket and some bricks or wood. If that sounds like a lot of work then look at one of the commercially available humane mousetraps. Our personal favorite is the Kness Tip-Trap. It’s easy to use, inexpensive and very effective and you’ll never have to touch a mouse. Bait one of these with peanut butter and place it along the wall where the mice travel and you’ll be catching mice in no time.

Step Three: Prevent Their Return

Find an seal all potential rodent entry points. This step is essential if you are to solve your mouse problem permanently.

Thoroughly inspect your home from top to bottom looking for gaps 1/4″ or larger. If a pencil eraser can fit through it so can a mouse. Look high and low. Mice can jump 12″ vertically and can climb straight up any rough surface such as bricks and siding. Pay attention to the following areas:

• Sill – the area where the walls meet the foundation.
• Pipes – gaps often exist around pipes (air conditioning, gas, water, etc.) which enter the building.
• Eaves – gaps occur at the soffit level. Remember, mice can climb!
• Doors – be sure that the gap between a door and the floor is filled with stiff brush or other gap filling product.

Fill gaps and openings with a rodent proof material. Naturally, our preferred product is Xcluder Fill Fabric it’s easy to install permanent and has been USDA tested and proven effective against mice and rats. Alternative solutions include steel wool and copper mesh. If you use steel wool in outdoor areas, be sure get stainless steel wool as the regular stuff will rust and deteriorate quickly.

Follow these three steps and you’ll have a mouse free house and won’t have deal with poisons or dead mice.

Check out the Xcluder(tm) Humane Mouse Elimination Kit, it contains everything you need to solve your mouse problem.

The post How to Get Rid of Mice Humanely appeared first on Xcluder.

It is understandable why these types of solutions are so appealing. They promise that all you need to do is place the product in the space where you have the problem and the intruders will simply leave – there’s no killing, no poison and dead mouse or rat disposal and cleanup issues are avoided.  Sounds great, but are they effective?

The short answer is no. Despite the frequency with which these solutions are suggested on the internet there is little scientific evidence to support their efficacy.

In fact, the Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management, a university based organization whose mission is to “consolidate existing and future information on integrated pest management (IPM) in wildlife damage management,”  has conducted extensive research on the topic of mouse repellents and states that there are “No effective ones known, including sonic devices.” This includes, Peppermint Oil, Moth Balls, Dryer Sheets, ultrasonic devices and other heavily promoted herbal type pouches and remedies.

The only recognized, effective solution for preventing and controlling a mouse or rat infestation is a three step process consisting of:

1. Exclusion: Thoroughly inspect your home from top to bottom looking for gaps 1/4″ or larger. If a pencil eraser can fit through it so can a mouse. Fill any openings with Xcluder rodent proof fill fabric. Look high and low. Mice can jump 12″ vertically and can climb straight up any rough surface such as bricks and siding. Pay attention to the following areas:
• Sill – the area where the walls meet the foundation.
• Weep Holes
• Pipes – gaps often exist around pipes (air conditioning, gas, water, etc.) which enter the building.
• Eaves – gaps occur at the soffit level. Remember, mice can climb!
• Doors – be sure that the gap between a door and the floor is filled with stiff brush or other gap filling product.
2. Sanitation: This includes good housekeeping practices and proper storage and handling of food materials, feed, and garbage. Bulk food should be stored in rodent proof containers and the perimeter of buildings and other structures should be clean of weeds and debris (including stacked lumber, firewood, and other stored materials) to discourage rodent activity.
3.  Population Reduction: If an infestation already exists, some form of population reduction is almost always necessary. This can be accomplished with traps or baits.

Xcluder™ is a patented and USDA tested and proven effective method to seal holes and  gaps to prevent intrusion of mice and other pests into your home, business or RV.

Shop Now:

Xcluder Rodent Control Fill Fabric – Small DIY Kit

Xcluder Rodent Control Fill Fabric – Large DIY Kit

Xcluder Humane Mouse Elimination Kit - Includes two live capture mouse traps

 Xcluder Mouse Elimination Kit - Includes two mousetraps

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