Pest guide: rats and mice
RodentControl.
A mouse can squeeze through a gap the size of a dime, and a rat through one the size of a quarter. Once they are in your attic or walls, they breed fast. We remove the ones inside, find how they are getting in, and close the door behind them.
Know your enemy
The rodents you'll seeOut West.
Roof rat
Sleek, dark and an amazing climber, with a tail longer than its body. Common in coastal California. Lives up high in attics, palms, ivy and fruit trees.
Norway rat
Bigger and stockier, with a shorter tail. A digger that burrows under slabs, sheds and thick plants and gets in at ground level.
House mouse
Small and gray-brown, with big ears and a long, almost hairless tail. The most common mouse in homes. Breeds all year long.
Deer mouse
Brown on top with a white belly and a two-tone furry tail. Lives near open land and gets into cabins, sheds and garages, especially near wildland.
Heads upRodents spread germs that can make people sick, and fleas on rats help spread typhus in parts of Southern California. Deer mice can carry hantavirus, a rare but serious lung illness caught by breathing dust from droppings, urine or nests, most often when opening up a closed cabin, shed or garage. Never sweep or vacuum droppings. Air the space out for 30 minutes, wear gloves, soak the droppings with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water) for 5 to 10 minutes, then wipe them up with paper towels.
Why they move in
What brings themInside.
Rodents want food, water and a safe place to nest. Fallen fruit and nuts, pet food left outside, bird feeders and thick ivy or shrubs make a yard a rodent buffet, and branches touching the roof are a highway into the attic. Rats are active all year in California, and mice often move indoors in the fall when nights get cold.
Active all year long
The Redwood way
How we handleRodents.
Find the activity
We inspect inside, outside and in the attic for droppings, rub marks, nests and gnawing to see where rodents are living and travelling.
Trap the ones inside
Snap traps are the safest and most effective way to remove rodents from a home. You know it worked, and you are not left with one dying inside a wall.
Seal them out
We find the gaps they are using and recommend sealing them with gnaw-proof materials like hardware cloth and sheet metal, plus door sweeps and vent screens.
Protect the outside, legally
California bans most rat poisons for home use, even by professionals, and we follow that law. Where outdoor bait is allowed and needed, it only goes in locked, tamper-resistant stations.
Our promise: if they come back between scheduled visits, so do we, at no extra charge.
Get a free quoteYour part
What you can doBetween visits.
- Pick up fallen fruit and nuts, and bring pet food in at night
- Trim tree branches back at least 3 feet from the roof
- Thin out ivy and dense shrubs near the house
- Seal gaps around pipes, vents and utility lines, and add door sweeps
- Keep garbage and compost bins tightly closed
- Clean up droppings safely: soak them first, never sweep or vacuum
Small habits. Fewer bad guys.
Straight answers
Rodent questionsWe get a lot.
Can’t you just use stronger rat poison?
Not in California. State law bans anticoagulant rat and mouse poisons for residential use, including by licensed companies, mainly to protect pets and wildlife like hawks, owls and bobcats. Trapping and sealing entry points are what actually solve the problem anyway.
Is it a roof rat or a Norway rat?
Gently pull the tail forward over the body. A roof rat’s tail reaches the nose or beyond; a Norway rat’s only reaches about the middle of the head. Roof rats nest up high, Norway rats down low, so it changes where we look.
Is it safe to vacuum mouse droppings?
No. Sweeping or vacuuming can put virus particles in the air. Soak droppings with a bleach solution or disinfectant first, wait, then wipe them up with paper towels while wearing gloves.
Do plug-in ultrasonic repellers work?
No. Research does not support ultrasonic or electromagnetic repellers. Sealing entry points and trapping are what work.
Know your enemy
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Pests don't stand a chance.