10 Common Ways Pests Get Into Houses in Berkshire

Berkshire's mix of older period properties, terraced housing and newer developments all offer pests plenty of opportunity to find a way indoors, particularly as the weather cools and outdoor food sources become scarcer. Most entry points are small, easily overlooked, and only noticed once a pest has already made itself at home. Here are ten of the most common routes in.

1. Gaps under external doors

A worn or poorly fitted door threshold is one of the easiest ways for mice, and even larger insects, to slip inside. It's also one of the simplest gaps to overlook, since it's rarely at eye level.

2. Air bricks and vents without covers

Air bricks are essential for ventilating a property, but without a proper mesh cover they're an open invitation to rodents and insects. Damaged or missing covers are common on older Berkshire homes where the original fittings have degraded over time.

3. Gaps around pipes and cables

Wherever a pipe, cable or vent passes through an external wall, there's a risk of a gap being left unsealed, either from when the property was built or after later plumbing or electrical work. These gaps are often just wide enough for a mouse to squeeze through.

4. Damaged brickwork or render

Cracks, crumbling mortar and gaps around old brickwork give pests, and particularly rodents and some insects, a route into wall cavities, from where they can travel further into the property.

5. Loft and roof gaps

Slipped or missing roof tiles, gaps around soffits and fascias, and damaged loft vents are a common way for rats and mice to access a loft space undetected, sometimes for months before any noise or damage is spotted.

6. Overhanging trees and shrubs

Branches or dense shrubs touching the roofline give rodents a direct route up and onto a property, bypassing ground-level barriers entirely. This is a common issue in gardens across Reading and the wider Berkshire countryside.

7. Open windows and damaged screens

Wasps, flies and other flying insects often get in simply because a window was left open on a warm day, particularly in late summer when wasp activity is at its highest.

8. Second-hand furniture and clothing

Bed bugs and carpet moths don't need a structural gap at all. They're commonly brought into a home on second-hand furniture, clothing or luggage, making this one of the least obvious entry routes on this list.

9. Garages, sheds and outbuildings

Detached structures are often less well sealed than the main house and can act as a staging point for pests, particularly rodents, before they find their way into the home itself via connecting doors or shared walls.

10. Drains and guttering

Damaged or poorly maintained drains and downpipes can provide rats in particular with a route toward a property, especially where guttering has come loose or a drain cover is missing or broken.

Keeping an eye on your own property

Most of these entry points are easy to miss during a normal walk around the house, simply because they're not somewhere you'd usually think to look. A periodic check around the exterior, particularly before autumn when pests start seeking shelter, can catch small gaps before they become an established route indoors. If you're finding signs of pests and aren't sure where they're getting in, Pest Services Berkshire can inspect your property and identify the entry point as part of a full treatment plan.