Silver Bullet Pest ControlSquirrels in the attic, mice in the walls, a raccoon on the roof or bats at the vents? Getting the animal out is only half the job. We find every gap it used, make sure nothing is left inside, and seal the house with materials animals can’t chew or pull apart.
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Don’t seal a hole you think an animal is using until you know it’s empty. Text us a photo of the gap and we’ll tell you what we see.
Animal entry point sealing (also called exclusion or animal proofing) means finding every gap a squirrel, raccoon, bat, bird, mouse or rat uses to get into a building and closing it with materials the animal can’t chew through or pull open, after making sure no animals are still inside. Silver Bullet Pest Control does this work across North Jersey from our base in Garfield (NJ License 90568B, licensed by the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife). We inspect from the foundation to the roofline, remove or exclude the animals first, then seal the openings so the problem doesn’t come back. Call 973-510-2585 for a free quote. Hablamos español.
Traps, bait and repellents deal with the animals that are inside today. They don’t do anything about the next squirrel, mouse or raccoon that finds the same opening. Animals leave scent trails, and a gap that worked once tends to get used again, often by the next generation born nearby. That is why a house can have mice every fall or squirrels every spring for years.
Sealing changes that. Once the openings are closed with the right materials, the building stops being an option. That is the difference between extermination, which removes the animals you have, and exclusion, which keeps new ones from getting in. Most lasting jobs need both: remove or exclude the animals first, then seal.
Across Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties, many homes are older two-family houses, colonials and Cape Cods with aging rooflines, settled foundations and decades of pipe, cable and dryer-vent holes. Each repair, addition and new utility line can leave a gap. A careful inspection usually finds more openings than the homeowner expected, and the small ones matter as much as the big ones.
These are general sizes. Young animals fit through smaller gaps, and squirrels and rats can chew a small gap bigger.
| Animal | Gap it can use | Where we usually find it |
|---|---|---|
| House mouse | About 1/4 inch, roughly the width of a pencil | Foundation cracks, pipe and cable holes, garage door corners, door sweeps |
| Norway rat | About 1/2 inch | Foundation and slab gaps, sewer and drain lines, crawl spaces, sheds |
| Bat | About 3/8 inch | Ridge and gable vents, chimney flashing, soffit and fascia gaps |
| Squirrel | About 1.5 inches, and they chew to enlarge | Roof edges, soffits, roof returns, gable vents, under solar panels |
| Raccoon | Gaps they can tear open, often 4 inches or more | Chimneys, roof vents, soffits, under decks and porches |
| Birds (pigeons, starlings, sparrows) | Small openings in vents and eaves | Dryer and bath vents, gutters, eaves, signs and ledges |
Not sure what’s using a gap? Rub marks, droppings, chew marks and nesting material tell us. Text a photo to 973-510-2585.
We check the whole building, but these are the three areas where most entry points turn up.
Squirrels, raccoons, bats and birds mostly come in high. We check roof returns, soffits, fascia, ridge and gable vents and the gaps where a roof meets a wall or chimney.
Mice and rats come in low. We look at every penetration through the foundation, basement windows, sill gaps, air conditioner lines and the bottom of doors.
Uncapped chimneys draw raccoons and birds, open decks and porches shelter skunks and groundhogs, and the space under solar panels is a favorite nesting spot for squirrels and pigeons.
Caulk and spray foam alone don’t stop animals that chew. We match the material to the animal and the spot.
| Material | Where it’s used | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy-gauge galvanized mesh | Vents, soffit gaps, under decks and porches | Lets air through but stands up to chewing and pulling |
| Sheet metal and flashing | Roof edges, roof returns, chewed fascia corners | Covers areas squirrels keep chewing |
| Copper or steel mesh packed into gaps | Pipe and cable holes, small foundation gaps | Mice and rats can’t chew through it |
| Sealants over mesh | Small cracks and finished edges | Weather-tight finish over a chew-proof base |
| Chimney caps and vent covers | Chimneys, roof vents, dryer and bath vents | Keeps raccoons, birds and squirrels out while the vent still works |
| Door sweeps and garage door seals | Doors and garage doors | Closes the gaps mice use at floor level |
The goal is a seal that lasts and looks neat on the house, not a patch the next animal pulls out.
We go over the foundation, walls, roofline and attic and mark every opening, used or not.
Droppings, tracks, rub marks and damage tell us what is getting in, so the plan fits that animal.
Animals inside are removed or excluded with one-way doors or devices so they can leave but not return.
We make sure nothing is still inside, including young, before the last openings are closed.
Openings are closed with chew-proof materials suited to each spot.
We check the work and point out anything else that invites animals, like branches over the roof.
It’s tempting to stuff a hole the moment you find it. If an animal is still inside, that can make things much worse:
The safe order is always: confirm what’s inside, get it out, then seal.
Install door sweeps, keep garbage and bird seed sealed, trim branches back from the roof, and keep firewood and clutter away from the foundation.
Note where you hear noises and when, and photograph gaps and droppings. It makes the inspection faster.
Roofline and chimney work, anything on a ladder, active animals in the attic or walls, bats, and openings you can’t see from inside.
Spray foam by itself, steel wool that rusts outdoors, and sealing any hole before you know nothing is inside.
Squirrels and raccoons are having young, so we confirm nothing is nesting before we seal. A good time to fix winter damage on the roofline.
Bat pups may be in roosts in early to mid summer, so bat exclusion waits. Birds nest in vents and under solar panels.
The busiest season: mice and rats move indoors as nights get cold, and squirrels look for a winter den. The best time to seal the foundation.
Rodents already inside are most active indoors. Roofline sealing can still be done on dry days.
Every house is different, so we don’t post a single price. We give a free quote and tell you the price before any work starts. What affects it:
Coverage depends on the service: our mice and rodent service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls in that time, and bat exclusion comes with a 5-year warranty. See general pest control prices in NJ.
Tell us what you’re hearing or seeing and where. A photo of the gap helps. We usually get back to you the same business day.
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
It means finding every gap animals use to get into a building and closing it with chew-proof materials, after making sure no animals are still inside. It’s also called exclusion or animal proofing.
They do different jobs. Extermination removes the animals you have now; exclusion keeps new ones out. Most lasting results need both: remove first, then seal.
About 1/4 inch, roughly the width of a pencil. Rats need about 1/2 inch, bats about 3/8 inch and squirrels about 1.5 inches.
Not by itself. Mice and rats chew through foam, and plain steel wool rusts outdoors. We use mesh, metal and sealants matched to each spot.
No. A trapped animal will chew or tear a new way out, and young left inside die and cause odor. Confirm it’s empty or use a one-way door first.
Yes, with one-way exclusion devices first, then sealing once the bats are out. Full bat exclusion is not done while flightless pups may be in the roost in early to mid summer.
Fall is the most important time for mice and rats. For squirrels and raccoons, any time once you know no young are inside. Bat exclusion is mainly late summer and fall.
Yes. We install mesh around solar panels to keep squirrels and pigeons from nesting underneath.
It depends on the service. Bat exclusion comes with a 5-year warranty, and our mice and rodent service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls.
It depends on how many openings there are, where they are, which animal, whether animals are inside now and any repairs. We give a free quote and the price before work starts.
Sí. Encontramos y sellamos los huecos por donde entran ardillas, mapaches, murciélagos, ratones y ratas. Llame o mande texto al 973-510-2585.
Based in Garfield, we seal homes and businesses in these towns and across Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated October 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B
