Mice and rats can cause serious damage if they gain access to a home or other building. They devour and contaminate food, create messy nests and foul areas with their urine and feces They can also chew through electrical, telephone, cable or alarm wires, or through PVC pipes.
Typical costs:
Pest control companies charge $90-$250 for an initial examination to determine what type of rodent is present and what type of damage has been done, identifying potential entry points and setting the appropriate traps. After the initial inspection is complete, most companies provide a written explanation of the extent of the damage and a quote for all cleanup and repairs needed, which can cost $200-$2,000 or more. The total price will depend the size of the rodent infestation, how many entry points need to be sealed, the number of traps or bait stations used, the number of trips to check and reset the traps or bait stations, and the amount of damage that needs to be repaired and/or decontaminated.
For example, All State Pest Control[1] in Utah estimates average costs of $300-$500 for complete mouse removal and $300-$600 for complete rat removal; and Puget Sound Rodent Control in Tacoma, WA, estimates its rodent package program costs $200-$800 for a site-specific combination of an initial inspection, exclusion (rodent-proofing), cleanout and disinfection.
In most modern houses in good condition, trapping plus exclusion methods (sealing entry points) should solve the problem and ongoing maintenance isn't needed. But complete rodent-proofing isn't always possible; in some cases regular maintenance is needed to prevent new infestations. This can cost $30-$85 or more a month or $75-$125 or more quarterly. For example, Puget Sound Rodent Control charges $119 for quarterly service on 3 to 6 bait stations.
Do-it-yourself traps cost $2-$10 each for mechanical models and $20-$50 or more for more elaborate mechanical traps or electronic versions. For example, the Bell Labs Trapper T-Rex Snap Trap[2] sells for $5-$6 each, but can cost less when bought in bulk. (It's often necessary to set up to a dozen traps at a time, in order to be effective.) Mice can also be trapped with non-poison glue boards, which cost $2-$30 depending on brand and number in package. Do-it-yourselfers will also need to do any cleanup and repairs to areas damaged by the rodents. Costs will depend on the extent of the damage and whether new or recycled materials are used.
Expect to pay $3-$25 for do-it-yourself poison bait stations, with refillable stations at the higher end. For example, the Motomco Tomcat 1.5 oz. Ultra Feeder Box[3] is a cardboard box with mouse attractant and poison that sells for $2-$3 and is for one-time use, while the Motomco Tomcat Rodent Station[4] for mice or rats can hold either poison bait or a trap (where poison can't be used) and sells for $10-$24. Rodent poisons may be restricted or banned in some states; check with the state department of agriculture[5] to find out which products can be used locally.
Do-it-yourself mice or rat control kits that come prepackaged with a variety of methods -- traps, bait stations, glue boards -- can cost $25-$125. For example, the mice control kit[6] with eight snap traps and 12 glue boards sells for $25-$28; the ePestSolutions Rat/Rodent Control Kit[7] with six bait stations, three snap traps and a 1/4-pound bucket of bait costs $113.
Two or three visits from the pest control company are typical for mice or rat removal and control. The first visit usually includes a thorough inspection, determining which rodent species are present, setting traps/bait stations and sealing potential entry points. On subsequent visits the technician should remove trapped rodents and reset the traps if necessary, and check to be sure the repairs to seal all entry points have been successful. On the final visit the technician will remove the traps.
Exclusion is important in mice or rat control. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management explains rodent-proof construction and exclusion methods[8] .
It's important not to poison rodents where they will die inside walls or other hidden spaces and cause long-term odor and insect problems. The Internet Center for Wildlife Damage Management provides detailed information for identifying and controlling house mice[9] , white-footed and deer mice[10] , cotton rats[11] , kangaroo rats[12] , Norway rats[13] , Polynesian rats[14] , roof rats[15] and wood rats[16] , and fact sheets on other types of rodents[17] .
Shopping for mice or rat control:
The National Pest Management Association website lists local pest control companies.
The National Pest Management Association lists tips for choosing[18] a pest control company.
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I had a rat issue where I can hear them throughout the house especially at night! I called Kanga Pest Control where Jesse came out next day and set everything up. He did a thourough inspection repaired entry points and set up stations and snap traps. He was very knowledgeable and I was quite impressed! Not only did they come quickly to take care of my issue but they gave excellent service for a reasonable cost! Very happy with my decision in choosing Kanga!
I am extremely happy with the decision to use Ecora Pest Control. I have had 2 other companies come in and "seal things up" and paid nearly $700 for the first company and $895 for the second one. We still were dealing with mice. The guy from Ecora was extremely thorough and showed me how the previous exclusions still allowed for rodent access. He also found numerous other points that were missed and had a more rounded program that made sense. After the work was done, Mike (?) took me around and explained what was done. I decided to go with maintenance visits quarterly after and I have been impressed with their professionalism. I felt that the price I paid was fair for the amount of work done whereas before I thought I was overpaying. I feel as though I also received more proper expectations.
Posted by: Anne in Portland, Oregon in Portland, OR.
Posted: April 30th, 2013 01:04PM
Removal Method: Trap and Remove
Contractor or Product Used: CCP Wildlife Control LLC
Professional and same day service. I had rat's living in my attic, keeping me up all night and eventually getting into my kitchen. They identified the rats as roof rats and found the entry holes at some vents. I had hired a big name pest control company that set poison, took my money and left me with the problem. CCP Wildlife Control removed all rats and sealed the holes.
Contractor or Product Used: Dunn Environmental Services
Very professional and quick service. I had a terrible smell coming from the attic, a rodent. He found it and sealed up all possible entries from roof and AC lines and inspected cleaned and set up some traps for future issues. He was at 1/3 the price of Nozzle Nolen. I liked his service and attitude. Would use again and considering doing my regular pest control maintenance service with DUNN ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES
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