Rodents · Mice & rats

Mouse or rat? Find out, then get them out.

Five steps, in this order. Each one links to the full guide.

Start with step 1 All mouse guides All rat guides

Mice

DIY$57–$71

Pro quotes$1,400–$3,000

Rats

DIY$65–$87

Pro quotes$1,400–$3,000

Step 1

Which one is it? Mouse vs. rat

Mouse vs rat droppings

House mouse

Norway rat

Droppings

About ¼ inch, like a grain of rice, pointed ends

About ¾ inch, thicker, blunt ends

Body

Mouse: 2½–3¾ in + a tail about as long

Rat: Up to 11 in + a slightly shorter tail

Face & tail

Mouse: Big ears and eyes, pointy nose

Rat: Small ears and eyes, blunt muzzle

Droppings drawn at the same relative scale. Adult sizes. Sources: Cornell NYS IPM, ICWDM.

Step 2

Are they still there? Signs of an active rodent infestation

Old droppings can sit for months. Check before you buy anything.

TonightFlour line + a bit of breadDust flour along the wall. Leave bread where pets and kids can’t reach.
Next morningFootprints or nibbled bread = activeGo to step 3.
In 2 daysClean up, then look againNew droppings mean active. None means it may be over.
Still unsureFilm it overnightA phone recording settles mouse vs rat.

Step 3

Trap the ones inside. DIY rodent control that works

Use snap traps. Pick mice or rats.

Gloved hands setting a mouse snap trap against a baseboard, the bait end touching the wall

1About a dozen mouse trapsOne trap per mouse you saw is not enough.
2Along the wall, bait end touching itMice run along walls, not across the floor.
3A pea-size dab of peanut butterSmall, so they have to work at it.

Check the traps every morning. A week with no catches? Go to step 4.

How to set a mouse trap

Step 4

Seal them out. Not before.

The way to get rid of rodents for good is to seal after the trapping goes quiet. Sealing while they’re still inside traps them in the walls.

Wait for 7 nights with no catches and no new droppings. Then close every gap bigger than ¼ inch.

Check these spots

Where pipes and AC lines go into the house
Vents with torn screens
Gaps under outside and garage doors
Where cables come through the walls

Use steel wool, wire mesh or sheet metal. Not foam on its own: they chew through it (UC IPM).

What to seal with

Gloved hands pushing steel wool into the gap around a pipe

Outside, too: keep garbage lids shut, pick up fallen fruit, keep woodpiles and plants away from the walls, and trim branches 3 to 6 feet back from the roof (UC IPM). Holes in the lawn?

Step 5