Rodent Control

Rodent calls spike every fall in Central Indiana when the first cold nights push mice out of the fields and into garages, crawl spaces, and attics. The fix is not more traps. It is finding how they got in, closing it, and then removing the ones already inside.

Rodents We Deal With

House Mice

Small, gray-brown, and the most common indoor rodent by far. They nest in wall voids, behind appliances, in stored boxes, and inside insulation. A female can have a litter every three weeks, so a couple of mice in October is a full population by January.

Deer Mice and Field Mice

Two-toned, white underneath, and more common in rural properties, outbuildings, and homes backing up to fields or woods. Deer mice are a hantavirus concern, which changes how their droppings and nests should be cleaned up.

Norway Rats

Large, heavy, burrowing rats found in older urban neighborhoods, near restaurants and dumpsters, and along creeks and storm drains. They gnaw through wood, plastic, and soft metal and will undermine slabs and foundations with their burrows.

Signs of Rodent Activity

• Droppings along walls, in drawers, under sinks, in the garage, or on top of the water heater
• Gnaw marks on food packaging, pet food bags, wiring, or the corners of doors
• Scratching or scurrying in walls and ceilings, usually right after dark
• Grease rub marks along baseboards and around holes where fur repeatedly contacts the surface
• Shredded insulation, paper, or fabric gathered into a nest
• A pet that stares at the same spot on a wall or under the stove every night

How We Treat Rodents

1. Full inspection. Inside and out: foundation, garage door seals, utility penetrations, roofline, soffit vents, crawl space vents, and the sill plate. We find the entry points, not just the evidence.
2. Exclusion. We seal the gaps rodents are using with materials they cannot chew through: copper mesh, hardware cloth, and sealants rated for the job. This is the step DIY trapping skips and the reason the problem comes back.
3. Trapping and baiting. Snap traps indoors where children and pets cannot reach them, and tamper-resistant bait stations along the exterior where rodents travel. Placement matters more than quantity.
4. Follow-up and removal. We come back to check traps, confirm activity has stopped, and adjust. For Norway rats we also address burrows and outdoor harborage.
5. Cleanup guidance. Droppings and nests should be wetted with disinfectant before removal, never swept or vacuumed dry. We will tell you what is safe to handle and what is not.

What You Can Do Before We Arrive

• Get pet food and bird seed into sealed containers. An open bag in the garage is the reason they stay.
• Note where you hear or see activity and at what time of night. It points us to the nest.
• Pull stored boxes away from garage and basement walls so we can inspect the perimeter.
• Do not put out poison yourself. Rodents that die in wall voids create an odor problem that is much harder to solve than the original mice.

Keeping Rodents Out

Rodent control is part of the Comprehensive plan: exterior bait stations are checked and serviced on every quarterly visit, and the inspection catches new entry points before the fall migration. Keep firewood and debris off the foundation, trim branches away from the roof, install door sweeps on garage and exterior doors, and keep dumpsters and outdoor trash closed. For commercial kitchens and multi-unit properties, a monitored rodent program is standard in our Integrated Pest Management plans.

Rodent Control Questions