Rodent Exterminator
Near YouMice · Rats · Entry Point Sealing · Attic Treatment · Monitoring Plans

Mice can enter through holes as small as a dime (1/4 inch). Common entry points: gaps around plumbing under sinks, cracks where the foundation meets the sill plate, loose garage door seals, gaps in dryer vent connections, and holes where cables enter the home. They typically enter in fall as temperatures drop. A professional entry point inspection identifies and permanently seals every gap.

A single female mouse produces 5-10 litters per year with 5-7 pups each. Pups reach reproductive age in 4-6 weeks. One pregnant mouse entering your home in October can lead to 50-200 mice by spring. This is why early intervention is critical — the problem compounds exponentially when delayed.

Professional-grade rodent bait is placed inside tamper-resistant lockable stations that children and pets cannot open. Still, if a child or pet ingests rodenticide, contact Poison Control immediately: 1-800-222-1222. Snap traps placed out of reach are often the safest option in homes with young children. Your exterminator advises on the safest approach for your household.

Yes — this is a genuine health concern. Mice and rats carry hantavirus (via droppings and urine), salmonellosis, leptospirosis, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis (LCMV). Rodent droppings should be cleaned with disinfectant while wearing gloves and a mask — never dry sweep, as this aerosolizes hantavirus. A kitchen with visible rodent droppings is a public health issue requiring immediate professional response.

Rodents are primarily nocturnal — most active between midnight and 4am. They travel inside wall voids and ceiling cavities you cannot see. The scratching and scurrying you hear is real. Roof rats in the attic are the most common cause of nighttime ceiling sounds. A professional inspection with a flashlight in the attic and crawl space will find them.

Both have appropriate uses. Snap traps: immediate kill, you know if they worked, no risk of the rodent dying inside a wall. Best for smaller infestations. Poison bait: works on rodents you cannot reach with traps, reduces population faster for large infestations. Downside: rodents can die inside walls causing odor for 1-3 weeks. Professional exterminators typically use both strategically — bait stations outside, snap traps inside.

The trapping phase typically takes 1-3 weeks to significantly reduce the population. Entry point sealing is done in one visit. Complete elimination of mice from a typical home takes 2-4 weeks of active trapping plus permanent sealing. Rat infestations take longer — 4-6 weeks is common. Monitoring confirms elimination and ensures no new rodents have entered.

A decomposing rodent has a distinctive, nauseating sweet-sour odor. It typically peaks 1-2 weeks after death and fades over 1-3 weeks. This is the most common complaint after DIY poison use — rodents that ingest bait often die in inaccessible wall voids. Professional exterminators minimize this risk by using bait stations outside and snap traps inside. If the smell is unbearable, the wall section can sometimes be opened to retrieve the carcass.