Rodent Control & Removal

Our Rodent Control Process

1. Full Home Inspection. Most Middle Tennessee homes sit on crawl spaces, and that is often where rodents get in. However, the roofline gets the same scrutiny as the foundation, because mice and rats climb siding, brick, and utility wiring with ease. If a pencil fits through an opening, a mouse generally can too. We map the openings and vulnerable areas and create a comprehensive plan for preventing their entrance.

2. Trap the Infestation. The current infestation needs to be trapped with a focused and targeted trapping program. Any mice that are left behind can rapidly reproduce so it is important to be thorough. Although lethal trapping is typically required, the most humane form of this is guaranteed kill traps that euthanize the animals quickly and painlessly. We never use poison or glue boards, as these are inhumane and cruel.

3. Rodent-proofing. Sealing the whole home dramatically reduces the odds of future mice and rats gaining access. Every crack, hole and gap gets closed with fitted metal, galvanized mesh, and masonry-grade sealants, materials rodents can't chew through. Areas that are vulnerable to chewing are fortified. And in most cases, underground barriers are installed to prevent burrowing. The repairs are installed to a carpenter's standard and finished to blend into the house.

4. Cleaning. Rodent droppings shouldn't be swept or vacuumed with household equipment. The dust they give off can be hazardous if inhaled. Once trapping is completed, we offer bacterial mitigation to neutralize and remove waste and bacteria when needed.

5. Monitoring. Since mice can occasionally get in through areas that are not able to be sealed (garage doors, sewage lines, etc.) traps are left behind in key areas to catch any stragglers who find a way in. Ongoing monitoring is also offered.

Why We Don't Use Poison

Inhumane. Most modern rodenticides are anticoagulants, which stop the blood from clotting. This causes internal bleeding and organ failure that can last for 5 to 10 days before they die. Other types of poison target the central nervous system and cause brain swelling. Others calcify soft tissues, leading to intense physical distress.

Non-Target Deaths. A poisoned mouse that wanders outside can become a meal for owls, hawks, foxes, etc. This is particularly dangerous for birds of prey who eat many mice over their lifetime. Additionally, the poison left out by pest control companies can sometimes be found and eaten by family pets and children, which can create an emergency situation that at times ends in tragedy.

Odor in Walls. Poisoned rodents often do not leave the house to die. They tuck into a wall cavity, a duct run, or the insulation under the floor, and the smell can last for weeks. Getting the carcass out means finding it first, then cutting into the walls to retrieve it. We receive calls about this service all the time, and there is almost always an exterminator's poison somewhere on the property.

Why We Don't Use Glue Traps

Inhumane. Glue traps are just as cruel and inhumane as poison. A terrified animal that is captured on a glue trap will twist and contort in the process of trying to escape, mangling and injuring its limbs. In the process they rip off their own skin, fur, and feathers, and break their own bones. Some even chew off their own limbs in a desperate attempt to escape.

Animals often become stuck face-down, getting their mouths and noses stuck in adhesive, which leads to a slow suffocation over many hours. Others endure days of agonizing starvation, dehydration, and exposure.

Non-Target Deaths. The sticky surface catches any small creature that wanders across it, including domestic pets like cats, as well as birds, reptiles, and amphibians. They are indiscriminate in their barbaric torture of animals.

The Mice & Rats of Middle Tennessee

House mouse. This is the species behind most kitchen calls. House mice live indoors full time when they can, in wall voids, cabinet backs, and attics. They breed year-round, producing several litters a year. Because of the rapid breeding, mouse problems should always be addressed early when they are easiest to contain.

Field mouse. The term field mouse describes several types of small rodents. In Middle Tennessee it is typically referring to white-footed mice and deer mice, outdoor rodents that move into garages, crawl spaces, and outbuildings when the weather turns colder. Deer mice are primary carriers of hantavirus, and the dust of their droppings is dangerous when inhaled. Never sweep or vacuum mouse droppings, regardless of which species of mouse you have. Cleanup calls for containment and proper equipment, and extensive issues should be handled by trained professionals.

Norway rat. The Norway rat is a ground-level rat and a heavy burrower. It digs along foundations, follows sewer and utility lines, and shows up in basements, crawl spaces, and the older commercial blocks around the Nashville metro area. Norway rats are more wary than mice. Clearing them takes patience and precise trap placement, which is why store-bought trapping often fails against them. They are fast learners and quickly adapt and avoid traps, so it takes experience, persistence, and a degree of creative thinking to fully clear a colony.

Roof rat. Middle Tennessee has a roof rat population. The roof rat is a slim, agile climber that reaches attics by way of tree limbs, fence tops, and utility lines, and it nests overhead rather than underground. Be careful with the self-diagnosis, though. Scratching over the ceiling after dark in this region is just as often flying squirrels, which our Squirrel Removal page covers, and a rustle inside a gable end at dusk can be bats, which are a different type of job entirely. See Bat Removal. Identification comes first, because the species involved determines the approach and solution.

Are Mice in the House Dangerous?

Disease. Rodents contaminate far more food and material than they actually eat. A single mouse leaves dozens of droppings a day, across counters, in drawers, through the pantry, and down in the insulation. Rodent waste can carry hantavirus, salmonella, and leptospirosis. By the time you're seeing droppings in the kitchen, there are usually far more behind the walls.

Allergens. Additionally, proteins in rodent urine and dander are a well-documented asthma trigger. These allergens are often hardest on kids, and the way many Middle Tennessee homes are built spreads the problem. In a crawl-space home, the HVAC ducts run right through the space the mice are living in, and air handlers pull from it. Air from a contaminated crawl space can end up in your living space.

Chew Damage. Rodent teeth grow continuously, so they gnaw regularly to keep them trimmed. This can lead to electrical wiring being stripped bare inside walls and attics, which can create a fire risk. PVC water lines can be gnawed open until they leak, and insulation often gets shredded into nesting material. Heavily fouled attics and crawl spaces need more than trapping. Our Attic & Crawl Space Cleaning service handles full decontamination, waste removal, and insulation replacement.