Exclusion—physically blocking the paths pests use to enter your home—is the most underrated tool in residential pest control. A single quarter-inch gap under a garage door lets mice, roaches, and scorpions walk right past the best perimeter treatment in the world. The good news: many exclusion tasks are weekend-friendly projects that any homeowner with basic tools can handle. Others are better left to your Romex technician.
Here's how to tell the difference—and where to start.
What You Can Do This Weekend
Replace Worn Door Sweeps
Exterior doors—especially the one from your garage into the house—lose their seal over time. If you can see daylight under the door, pests can get through. A new door sweep from any hardware store costs under $15 and installs with a screwdriver in ten minutes. Check all exterior doors, including the one to the laundry room if it faces outside.
Re-Caulk Window and Door Frames
Caulk shrinks and cracks over a few years, especially in the Texas and Oklahoma heat. Walk the exterior of your home and look for gaps where the frame meets the siding or brick. A tube of exterior silicone caulk and a caulk gun cost about $8 total. Focus on first-floor windows and any door frame where you can see separation.
Seal Pipe and Wire Penetrations
Every pipe, cable, and wire that enters your home creates a potential pest highway. Check around AC lines, plumbing penetrations, cable lines, and dryer vents. Fill gaps with expanding foam (for larger voids) or caulk (for hairline cracks). For rodent-prone areas, stuff steel wool into the gap before sealing—mice can't chew through it.
Install Screen Covers on Foundation Vents
If your home has a crawl space with open foundation vents, hardware-cloth screens keep out rodents, snakes, and larger insects while maintaining airflow. Cut to size and secure with screws or clips.
Where Romex Steps In
Weep Hole Screens
Brick homes across Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana have weep holes—small gaps in the mortar line near the foundation that let moisture escape. They also let scorpions, spiders, roaches, and even snakes inside. Romex installs professional weep hole screens that block pests while preserving the drainage function the builder intended. This isn't a DIY job—improper screening can trap moisture and cause structural issues.
Garage Door Sealant
A full garage door sealant service goes beyond replacing the rubber sweep at the bottom. Romex seals the side tracks, top rail, and any gaps where the garage door frame meets the wall. This is the most common entry point for rodents and scorpions in DFW-area homes.
Complex Foundation Gaps
Slab cracks, expansion joint separations, and gaps where the slab meets the brick veneer need professional attention. These are common in North Texas clay soils where homes shift seasonally, and in Mississippi and Louisiana where moisture causes foundation movement.
The Partnership Principle
You handle the accessible, lower-risk tasks. Romex handles the technical work that requires commercial materials and structural knowledge. Together, that combination closes far more entry points than either approach alone.
Not sure where your home's weak spots are? Schedule a home assessment and your technician will walk the property with you, pointing out exactly what to seal yourself and what we'll handle on the service plan.