Rodent Proofing & Pest Exclusion
in Clearbrook, BC

Clearbrook is one of the older residential communities in Abbotsford, developed as a distinct Mennonite farming settlement before being absorbed into the modern city. The residential areas of Clearbrook have housing stock from the 1950s through the 1970s on relatively flat terrain with heavy clay soils — conditions very similar to the older Fraser Valley communities we serve throughout the Lower Mainland. Crawlspace moisture and mold issues are common in this housing stock, which was built to the standards of its era.

Rodents find crawlspaces attractive for the same reasons moisture does well there: it's dark, protected, relatively warm, and — in homes without proper exclusion — easy to get into. Rats (particularly Norway rats, common throughout Surrey and the Fraser Valley) and house mice can squeeze through gaps as small as a quarter-inch. They enter through uncapped foundation vents, gaps around utility penetrations, deteriorated sill plate joints, and even through the condenser lines of HVAC systems if protective screens are missing or corroded.

Our rodent-proofing process starts with a perimeter audit: we walk the exterior of the foundation looking for every possible entry point, then we move inside the crawlspace to identify any gaps that weren't visible from outside. Foundation vents are fitted with heavy-gauge galvanized steel mesh or replaced with sealed covers. Gaps around plumbing and electrical penetrations are packed with stainless steel wool and sealed with caulk or foam. Damaged sill plates are repaired. If the foundation vent openings are large or irregularly shaped, we use pre-formed steel exclusion panels rather than flexible mesh, which rodents can push past over time.