Every pest problem starts the same way: a gap. Mice need a dime-sized hole, rats a quarter, bats less than half an inch, and insects need almost nothing at all. Here's the audit list pros use — the twelve places Chattanooga homes let pests in.
Start high, because climbers start there. Roof returns — the corner where the roofline meets the wall — are the number-one rodent and squirrel entry on Tennessee homes. Gable vents without screening behind the louvers are open windows to bats and squirrels, and ridge vents with pulled-up ends invite everything.
Check the fascia and soffit joints next: warped boards open seams that bats use, and a loose soffit panel is a raccoon door. Any vent up high needs pest-rated screening that preserves airflow.
Utility penetrations are the classic failure: the holes where AC lines, cable, and gas enter the wall, sealed at build with foam that's now confetti. Weep holes in brick need ventilation but admit scorpions and mice — purpose-made covers solve both.
Windows and doors fail quietly: dried caulk lines, flattened weatherstripping, and door sweeps with daylight under them. If you can see light, a scorpion sees an entrance. Garage door corners are mouse-sized by design — rubber corner seals close the gap.
Down low, look for cracks at the slab edge, gaps around hose bibs, and crawlspace vents with damaged screens. Expansive soils shift Chattanooga foundations a little every year, and every shift opens seams.
Landscaping finishes the invitation: mulch against the foundation holds moisture for termites, dense ground cover harbors scorpions, and tree branches within six feet of the roof are squirrel highways. The house is sealed; the yard is managed. Both matter.
Material choice is the whole game. Foam alone is a snack for rodents — it works only as backing for copper mesh or metal. Hardware cloth stops mice; a raccoon requires flashing. Door sweeps need to actually touch the threshold.
A professional exclusion audit finds the gaps you'd walk past — most homes need a dozen or more points sealed — and warranties the work. It's the one pest-control service that never needs repeating when it's done right.
