Rodent Proofing & Pest Exclusion
in Ocean Park, BC

Ocean Park is a semi-rural residential community in South Surrey near the Strait of Georgia, with a character that feels distinct from the rest of Surrey. Many homes here are set on larger lots with mature landscaping, and the neighbourhood has a higher proportion of older, individually designed homes rather than the tract subdivisions common elsewhere. The coastal proximity brings elevated ambient humidity year-round, and the sandy soils near the shoreline provide reasonable drainage, but homes further from the water and on heavier soils deal with the same moisture challenges as other South Surrey areas.

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.