Mice and rats
Mice and rats in a Baltimore row house
These are the signs people call about. None of them proves what you have; the walkthrough does.
Scratching in a wall or ceiling
Usually at night, and usually along a wall that touches the neighbor's.
Droppings behind appliances
Along baseboards, under sinks, or in the back of a cabinet.
Chewed packaging
In a pantry or a lower cupboard, and sometimes the corner of a box in the cellar.
A smell you can't place
In a cellar or behind a wall, stronger on warm days.
Rub marks along a baseboard
A dark smear where something runs the same path.
Disturbed insulation
In a crawlspace, flattened or pulled apart near a vent or a pipe.
Mice or rats
How the two differ, roughly
Most calls are mice. The difference changes where we look and how large a gap we expect.
| What we look at | Rats | Mice |
|---|---|---|
| Gap they use | RatsCloser to the width of a quarter | MiceAbout as wide as a pencil |
| Where we look first | RatsUnder porches, along the foundation, the cellar | MiceVents, pipes, the cabinet and wall voids |
| Season it shows up | RatsAll year, more often in warm months | MiceMostly when it turns cold |
| What we do first | RatsSeal, then trap if needed; the gaps are bigger | MiceSeal, then trap if needed |
Your part
Before and after the visit
Before we come
A few things make the walkthrough quicker.
Clear a path to the crawlspace door
Tell us where you've heard or seen something
Put pets in a room we won't need
Have someone 18 or older at the house
After we leave
A short list, and the written scope has the rest.
Keep the path to the vents clear
Store pantry food in lidded containers
Tell us if you hear anything new
Expect a check-back on the day we told you
Questions
Mice and rats, answered
How many visits does it take?
Usually a walkthrough, the sealing, and a check-back. A house with a lot of gaps or a rear addition can take more. The written scope says how many.
Will you use poison?
Sealing uses steel, not product. If a house needs traps or a product, a licensed applicator follows the label, we tell you where each one is, and you can ask for our product list.
Can I do some of it myself?
Small gaps, yes, with steel wool or mesh and not foam alone. The ones under the house are what we are for.
Call us
Heard it in the wall?
Call or send the form. We'll book the walkthrough.
Phones are answered Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., and Saturday, 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.