Mice & Rats treatment in Chicago
Trapping, removal and — the part that matters — sealing the ways back in.
Chicago has a serious rat population and an even more widespread mouse population. Both find their way into homes and businesses through gaps most people would not think twice about.
A house mouse fits through a gap the width of a pencil, roughly a quarter of an inch. A rat needs about half an inch. Utility penetrations, gaps under garage doors, unsealed vents, damaged soffits and the space around a dryer vent are all standard entry points.
Trapping alone is a treadmill. If the entry points stay open, you remove this month's rodents and next month's move in. Exclusion — physically sealing the gaps with materials rodents cannot chew through — is what ends it.
Alongside that, keep the exterior unattractive: bins closed and sealed, no pet food left out, bird feeders managed, vegetation trimmed back off the building, and no standing water. Rodents are looking for food, water and shelter, and removing any one of the three helps.
Signs you have mice & rats
- Droppings along walls, in cabinets, under sinks or behind appliances
- Gnaw marks on packaging, wiring, baseboards or door edges
- Scratching or scurrying in walls and ceilings at night
- Greasy rub marks along established runways
- Shredded paper, insulation or fabric used as nesting material
How we treat them
- Interior and exterior inspection to map entry points and runways
- Strategic trapping placed on actual travel routes
- Exclusion work — sealing gaps with rodent-proof materials
- Sanitation and exterior housekeeping recommendations
- Follow-up to confirm activity has stopped
Common questions
How small a gap can a mouse use?
About a quarter of an inch — roughly the width of a pencil. Rats need about half an inch. This is why sealing has to be thorough to be worth doing.
Why not just put down traps myself?
You can, and you will catch rodents. But unless the entry points are sealed, you are removing the current occupants and leaving the door open for the next ones.
Do you use rodenticide inside my home?
Our preference in occupied interior space is trapping and exclusion, particularly in homes with children or pets. We will discuss the approach with you before we do anything.
Other pests we treat
Dealing with mice & rats?
Free site estimate anywhere in Chicagoland. See a pest within 2 weeks of our service and we come back free.