Rodent Control for Rats and Mice
Don't Let Rodents Invade Your Home or Business
Scratching in the walls? Droppings in the pantry? Missing pet food? If you are noticing these telltale signs, chances are some unwanted furry guests have made themselves at home. Rodents may be small, but they cause big problems: chewing through wires, contaminating food, and opening entry points that invite other pests. Whether you are dealing with sneaky mice, burrowing rats, or an ongoing infestation, we have the tools and expertise to remove them, and a prevention plan built to keep them from coming back.
Contact our amazing team today and reclaim your space.
How do I get rid of rodents?
Getting rid of rats and mice takes more than a few traps. It is a multi-step process: a detailed inspection, traps set along the routes rodents already travel, sealing the gaps they use to get in, and tamper-resistant exterior bait stations that keep the outdoor population down. Mice fit through a gap the size of a dime, rats a quarter, so sealing matters as much as trapping. A follow-up in 5 to 10 days assesses rodent activity and reviews the status of any recommended exclusion work. Rodents adapt to almost any environment, so each step works to remove the current population and keep the next one out:
Step 1 of 5 shown
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Detailed site inspection
Your technician maps the activity and nesting sites, the entry points in use, and what is feeding the problem, from food to harborage.
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Strategic trap placement
Rats stay wary of anything new, so traps go where they already travel, crawlspaces, attics, and basements, with escape routes closed so they run toward the traps, not around.
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Sealing gaps and entry points
We seal the minor gaps and openings rodents use with hardware cloth, steel wool, and other durable materials, so the ones we remove are not simply replaced.
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Exterior rodent control
Tamper-resistant, weatherproof bait stations along the exterior knock down the outdoor population that keeps probing for a way in.
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Follow-up and monitoring
A follow-up in 5 to 10 days assesses rodent activity and reviews the status of any recommended exclusion work. After that, recurring service uses tamper-resistant exterior bait stations, inspections, and interior rodent devices to keep pressure down year-round.
What damage do rodents cause?
More than most people expect. Rats and mice chew constantly, and in Northwest buildings the bill usually lands in the crawlspace: shredded insulation, torn vapor barriers, and gnawed HVAC and wiring. In kitchens and pantries, droppings and urine contaminate food and prep surfaces wherever rodents travel, and with deer mice that contamination can carry Hantavirus. Pressure peaks from September through winter, when rats and mice move indoors for warmth, so a small fall problem becomes a big winter one.
Protection plans that cover rodents
Two of A&A's recurring bundles cover rats and mice, on quarterly or bi-monthly schedules:
Prefer to talk it through?
Call Oregon (503) 567-1188
or
Washington (360) 209-1793.
- Get a Free Estimate for the Rodent Bundle
Rodent Bundle
Monthly subscription prices starting at
$40 / month
- Target pests: rats and mice
- Exterior perimeter inspection for potential entry points, nesting areas, or food sources
- Sealing of minor identified entry points
- Service of tamper-resistant exterior bait stations and interior rodent devices
- Interior services as needed
- Get a Free Estimate for the Bug & Rodent Bundle
Bug & Rodent Bundle
Monthly subscription prices starting at
$45 / month
- Target pests: rats, mice, ants, spiders, and other crawling insects
- Exterior perimeter inspection and application for crawling insect control
- Removal of accessible wasp nests
- Sweeping of spider webs, followed by an overhead application for spider control
- Service of tamper-resistant exterior bait stations and inspection for potential entry points
- Interior services as needed
Best Value
Get Rid Of Those Pesky Pests
Want to know what A&A Pest Control can do for your home or business? Fill out the contact form and our office team follows up with pricing, service timelines, and scheduling. Contact us by noon and we will have a technician onsite the next business day. Prefer to talk it through? Give us a call.
Thank You For Being Awesome
Your request is in, and it's with our office team. We'll follow up by phone, text, or email during business hours to confirm the details and get you scheduled. In a hurry? Call (503) 567-1188 in Oregon or (360) 209-1793 in Washington before noon, and we'll have a technician onsite the next business day.
Which rodents are common in Oregon and Washington?
The four most common species are roof rats, Norway rats, house mice, and deer mice. Each behaves and nests differently, so proper identification matters.
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Roof rats
Also black or tree rats, they are the climbers. Nearly as agile as squirrels, they follow power lines and rooflines into attics and rafters. Look for a slim body, pointed snout, large ears, and a scaly tail longer than the body, dark brown to black.
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Norway rats
Also brown or sewer rats, they are the burrowers. They nest at ground level or below: under foundations, in crawlspaces, along exterior walls. Stocky and blunt-snouted, with small ears and a tail shorter than the body, brownish-gray, up to 18 inches and about a pound. They gnaw through wood, plastic, even soft metal, and stay wary of anything new, so trap strategy matters.
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House mice
The most common indoor invader. They fit through a dime-sized gap and nest in walls, attics, and storage. Small, 2.5 to 4 inches, with a pointed snout, large round ears, and a thin, nearly hairless tail. A female can have 5 to 6 pups every 19 to 22 days, so a small problem becomes an infestation fast.
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Deer mice
The rural species now turning up in the suburbs. They favor garages, sheds, barns, and outbuildings, and stand out by two-tone coloring: white feet and belly, brown-gray back, two-tone tail. They are the main carriers of Hantavirus, which spreads through droppings, urine, and saliva, so an active infestation is one to leave to a professional.
Rodent prevention tips
These five steps make homes and businesses less attractive to rodents:
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Maintain proper sanitation
Keep garbage covered and clean up fallen fruit and vegetables.
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Eliminate clutter and hiding spots
Keep storage areas tidy and move wood, cardboard, and debris away from the building.
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Control food sources
Store pet food and dry goods in airtight containers, remove uneaten pet food overnight, and keep bird feeders away from the building.
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Maintain landscaping and foliage
Trim bushes and branches at least 1 foot from the structure, keep grass short, and thin dense ground cover.
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Inspect and seal entry points regularly
Check around doors, vents, and pipes, then seal gaps with durable materials. Mice need only a dime-sized opening and rats a quarter.
FAQs
How do rats and mice get into a house?
Mice can fit through a gap the size of a dime, and rats only need a quarter. Common entry points include gaps around doors, vents, and pipes, unsealed crawlspace openings, and burrows along the foundation. Roof rats take the high road, following power lines and tree branches onto the roofline and into the attic, while Norway rats dig in at ground level.
How do I know if I have rats or mice?
Droppings are the most reliable sign, followed by gnaw marks, scratching sounds in walls or ceilings at night, and pet food that keeps disappearing. Dogs and cats often notice rodents before people do, so watch for a pet fixated on one wall or appliance. If you find droppings, note where; it helps us map activity during the inspection.
Can you seal my home to keep rodents out?
Yes. A&A performs minor rodent exclusion, closing the gaps and entry points rodents use with durable materials like hardware cloth and steel wool. Vent repair and broader exclusion work are quoted separately from the recurring pest bundles. We coordinate exclusion with trapping so rodents already inside can be removed while new rodents are kept out.
How fast can a technician get here?
Next business day: contact us by noon, and we will schedule a technician to be onsite the next business day. Rodent problems rarely improve on their own, and a single female mouse can produce a new litter about every three weeks, so early treatment keeps the job smaller.
How much does rodent control cost?
Initial and recurring rodent services are quoted per property based on home size, exclusion needs, pest activity, and anticipated follow-up visits. Residential customers receive free phone estimates or complimentary on-site inspections. Multi-family and commercial properties qualify for complimentary inspections when requesting recurring service proposals.
Will the rodents come back after treatment?
Outdoor rodent populations exist year-round in every neighborhood, so prevention is the long game. Treatment removes the rodents inside and seals minor entry points, and a follow-up in 5 to 10 days assesses rodent activity and reviews the status of any recommended exclusion work. For lasting protection, we recommend a recurring rodent program, since rodents keep probing for new openings as buildings shift and wear over time.
Prefer to talk it through?
Call Oregon (503) 567-1188 or Washington (360) 209-1793, or contact our amazing team today. Contact us by noon and we will have a technician onsite the next business day.
