Expert: Stephen Vantassel - 10/3/2006

Question
We recently had a mouse in the basement of our new house (only 14 months old).  We captured him in a trap on the top of our 9-foot high concrete foundation.  My husband insists that the mouse either came down the steps that go from the garage to the basement when he left the door open, or the mouse was in a box that had been in the garage that he brought downstairs.  I insist that a mouse could NOT climb 9-foot smooth concrete wall.  I think he came in through a hole or something between the foundation and the sillplate or around the basement window.  Please tell me -- could a mouse climb a concrete wall?

Answer
Yes, a mouse can climb concrete including wires. It isn't uncommmon at all for new homes to have mice. Contractors generally worry about water not holes.  If you take our free animal damage inspection course, you will see how easy it is for mice to enter a building.  http://icwdm.org

Chances are the mouse came in along a sill plate, gap around a pipe. Open door? sure that is possible. I would suggest however, that you inspect your home and set more traps just to make sure this mouse was a fluke.