Trapping is a method, not a gamble.
A trap is worth only as much as its position. Rodents follow edges, so the best spots hug walls, sit behind appliances and cover the start of the route that pellets and rub marks reveal. A trap in the open middle of a room usually catches nothing.
That is why trapping comes after an inspection. The walk-through tells us the species, the path and how many paths exist, and the devices go onto that map. The inspection page describes the first stage.
Choosing the device.
| Device. | Suited to. | Notes. |
|---|---|---|
| Snap trap in a protective box. | Mice and rats indoors. | Shields the mechanism from pets and children. |
| Enclosed tamper-resistant station. | Outdoor routes and garages. | Weatherproof and anchored down. |
| Multi-catch mouse trap. | Busy mouse runs. | Helpful where activity is heavy. |
| Larger rat trap. | Rats along rooflines and walls. | Sized to the animal. |
Glue boards are not part of our normal plan. They hold pets and songbirds as readily as mice, and the animal may suffer for hours. If you already have some out, tell us and we explain how to deal with them.
Patience with suspicious animals.
Mice poke at new objects within a night or two, while rats may dodge a new trap for days. For rats we often leave the trap unarmed or covered first, then arm it after the animals stop caring. That brief delay separates a catch on night three from a stubborn problem lasting weeks.
For the same reason, a rat job nearly always includes a return visit. You hear the schedule at the outset, so a quiet first night will not worry you.
Rain and outdoor routes.
In the wet months, outdoor stations need cover from rain and protection from being knocked over, and indoor traps near damp crawl spaces need more frequent checks. When animals seem to arrive from woods, the shoreline or a neighbor's lot, say so, since it changes where the outdoor line of stations goes.
- Stations are anchored so wind, rain and curious dogs cannot shift them.
- Traps lie flush to walls along the route, never in the open.
- Each device is logged by location so none gets forgotten.
- Whatever stays behind after the visit is listed for you in writing.
Not sure what a visit involves? Ask on the call and get a straight reply.
Dial (888) 686-4821Why sealing has to wait.
Shutting an opening while an animal is inside can entomb it in the wall, producing odor and a second job. So sealing starts after catches slow and a last check shows no fresh sign. The exclusion work that follows is what makes the result stick.
When trapping uncovers a heavy infestation, attic and crawl space cleanup is the following step, after the last animal is out and every gap has been shut.
Before you call: protect yourself from droppings
Nothing here is particular to our visits. Any health agency would tell you the same before you start picking things up.
- Treat dry waste as something to soak, not something to brush.
- A musty outbuilding deserves thirty minutes of open air before anyone works in it.
- Rubber gloves while you work and soap and water afterward make up the minimum.
- Disinfect before collecting. Wet the waste, wait roughly five minutes and wipe.
- Tie the waste in a bag and place it in the household trash. A dead rodent is never lifted with bare hands.
- Flu-like symptoms or breathlessness after exposure call for a doctor, and you should name the rodent cleanup. Health judgments are for physicians.
Public guidelines behind this advice
Government agencies publish the baseline advice on this subject, and their pages are linked for anyone who wants the full wording.
- CDC page on hantavirus prevention: Reducing exposure in houses, sheds and vehicles through practical steps from the CDC's hantavirus page.
- CDC page on rodent cleanup: Airing out, wetting down and bagging up, described for ordinary households.