Can Mice Really Chew Through Brick? What Homeowners Need to Know

If you’re seeing chew marks near a brick wall or hearing scratching along a foundation, it’s natural to wonder if mice can actually chew straight through brick. The short answer: healthy, solid brick is usually safe. But the gaps, mortar joints, and utility penetrations around that brick are not—and that’s where mice win. In those spots, tools like indoor rat traps and a well-placed mouse house trap matter just as much as caulk and steel wool. When I’m helping homeowners figure out the best way to catch mice in your house, we always start with understanding how they’re getting past the “brick” in the first place.

This article explains what mice can really chew, the signs they’re working around your brick, and step-by-step actions to seal entry points and remove the rodents already inside.

Can Mice Really Chew Through Brick?

Mice have strong teeth, but even they have limits. Fired brick is a lot tougher than wood or plastic. In most homes, mice are not chewing straight through a solid brick block the way they would a cereal box.

What they usually attack instead are the weak spots around the brick:

• Crumbling or missing mortar between bricks
• Old repairs made with soft patching compounds or foam
• Gaps where pipes, cables, or dryer vents pass through the wall
• Rotting wood trim that sits next to a brick façade

Over time, weather and age can turn a hairline gap into a mouse-sized hole. Once that happens, the brick wall is only as strong as its softest joint.

Brick vs. Mortar: Why Gaps Matter More Than Walls

From a mouse’s point of view, your exterior wall is a combination of hard and soft layers.

• The brick itself is hard and slow to chew
• Mortar lines may crack and crumble with age
• Caulk, foam, and wood are much easier to gnaw

That’s why you’ll often see:

• Tiny half-moon gnaw marks along the edge of a mortar joint
• Chips missing from an older patch where a pipe exits the wall
• Frayed insulation or weatherstripping next to bricks

Mice will work at the softer material until the hole is large enough to squeeze through. Once they’re inside the wall cavity, they can follow plumbing and electrical runs into kitchens, laundry rooms, and basements.

If you want a deeper breakdown of common entry spots, you can also read our walk through on How to Seal Common Mouse Entry Points and apply the same logic to any brick exterior.

Signs Mice Are Working Around Your Brick Walls

You don’t have to see a mouse to know they’re testing your home’s edges. Look and listen for these clues around brick foundations, steps, and basement walls.

Visual signs:

• Fresh droppings along the interior side of a brick wall or sill plate

• Rub marks (dark, greasy streaks) at low mortar joints or pipe cutouts

• Fine debris under a gap in mortar where mice have been chewing

• Insulation pulled out of a hole where a line passes through brick

Sound and smell:

• Scratching or light gnawing noises at night along exterior walls

• A slight ammonia-like odor in a basement corner or utility room

When you see these patterns along brick, don’t assume the wall itself has failed. It’s usually the seam or opening next to it.

Step 1: Inspect and Mark Every Gap

Before you bring in any devices, take one slow lap around your home’s exterior and the matching interior walls.

Outside:

• Use a flashlight to examine the joint where brick meets the foundation

• Look closely around hose bibs, gas lines, A/C lines, and dryer vents

• Check stairs, porch columns, and any place brick meets wood or siding

Inside:

• Scan along baseboards that back up to brick walls

• Check around utility rooms, water heaters, furnaces, and laundry hookups

• Look at the rim joist area near any exposed brick in basements or crawl spaces

Mark suspect spots with painter’s tape or a marker so you can come back to seal them. If you’re unsure whether mice are still active, a simple 24–48 hour test (flour lines, tape over holes, or test devices) can help confirm whether to move on to trapping.

Step 2: Seal Entry Points Mice Actually Use

Once you have a list of gaps, move quickly to close them. That’s what keeps new mice from walking in behind the ones you’re trying to remove.

Good sealing practices around brick include:

• Stuffing small gaps (¼ inch or larger) with steel wool or copper mesh, then sealing with mortar or exterior-grade sealant

• Repointing crumbling mortar joints, especially low to the ground

• Adding proper wall sleeves for pipes and then sealing the edges

• Replacing broken dryer vent covers and torn vent screens

Think of this as reinforcing the “shell” of the house so any mouse house trap or other device you use inside isn’t constantly dealing with new arrivals.

Step 3: Use Indoor Traps as a Second Line of Defense

Sealing deals with the future; traps deal with the present. Even after repairs, any mice already inside will stay until you remove them.

In basements, crawl spaces, and finished rooms that back up to brick, indoor rat traps can be very effective when placed along known travel routes:

• Flush to baseboards where the wall changes material (brick to drywall)

• Near utility penetrations that connect to exterior brick

• Along sill plates or ledges where droppings and rub marks are visible

In living spaces, many homeowners like an enclosed mouse house trap design for safety and cleanliness. These low-profile traps help you target mice along walls next to brick without leaving exposed mechanisms where kids or pets might reach.

For tight, dry areas like behind appliances, under built-in cabinets, or along a brick foundation ledge, thin adhesive devices can help too. Products like WowCatch Super Strong Mouse Glue Traps are designed as non-poison, device-based options that slide into narrow spaces along walls. Used correctly—out of reach of children and pets and checked daily—they can support your broader control plan.

Step 4: The Best Way to Catch Mice in Your House Near Brick Walls

Many people ask about the best way to catch mice in your house when most of the activity seems to be near a brick chimney or foundation. The method is less about the wall type and more about how mice move.

A simple, proven pattern:

1. Place devices 1–2 inches off the wall, not in the center of the room

2. Aim the trigger side of snap-style traps toward the wall

3. Use small bait portions (pea-sized peanut butter or nut spread)

4. Start with multiple devices every 2–3 feet in a known “hot zone”

5. Check daily and adjust based on where you get hits

In areas where heavy rodent pressure is coming from outside, pairing this tactic with strong exterior sanitation (trash control, stored items off the ground, trimmed vegetation away from brick walls) gives you the best long-term results.

Step 5: Long-Term Prevention Around Brick and Block

Once things quiet down, keep your brick and masonry from becoming an easy target again.

Simple prevention habits:

• Re-inspect low mortar joints and utility entries at least twice a year

• Keep mulch and soil pulled back from brick so you can see new gaps

• Store firewood, building materials, and clutter away from the foundation

• Keep grass trimmed and vegetation from growing directly up brick walls

If you’re also using glue boards indoors as part of your monitoring plan, learn how to clean up afterwards safely with our guide on How to Dispose of Used Mouse Trap Glue Boards.

FAQs

Can mice chew through solid brick?

In a typical home, mice are not chewing directly through solid, intact brick. They focus on weaker spots such as crumbling mortar, foam patches, or gaps around pipes and vents next to the brick.

Why do I see chew marks on my brick wall?

Those marks are often on mortar, sealant, or trim right next to the bricks, not on the brick itself. Mice may nibble at the edge of a gap to widen it just enough to squeeze through.

Where should I put traps near a brick foundation?

Place traps or enclosed devices along interior baseboards that back up to the brick, near utility penetrations, and at corners where droppings or rub marks are visible. Devices that qualify as indoor rat traps are usually best along these edges.

Are glue traps safe to use along brick walls?

Glue devices can be useful in dry, enclosed, low-traffic areas if local rules allow them, but they should never be left where kids, pets, or non-target animals could reach them. Always check boards daily and follow label directions for use and disposal.

Do I need a professional if mice keep coming back?

If you’ve sealed obvious gaps, used traps correctly, and still see new activity, it can help to bring in a licensed pest control company. They can inspect hidden areas, identify construction issues, and set up a longer-term plan.

Final Thoughts

Mice are not tunneling straight through solid brick, but they are experts at finding and enlarging the weak spots around it. Cracked mortar, loose vents, and unsealed utility holes give them all the access they need.

By inspecting and sealing those openings, then using well-placed devices inside—whether that’s an enclosed mouse house trap in a family room or carefully located indoor rat traps in a utility area—you can cut off both the entry and the population. Add in non-poison options like WowCatch Super Strong Mouse Glue Traps in tight, enclosed spots, and you have a safe, practical system that protects your home’s structure and your family at the same time.