Mouse Control Service
Mouse Control Service Guide
Please download the guide to review all general information and the section related to your specific pest.
How Much Does It Cost To Have Someone Get Rid Of Mice?
We find that mice inside the home are directly related to having entry points on the structure’s exterior. We focus on repairing all possible entry points outside the house and then applying control measures to control whatever mice remain inside.
Initial services are the same for both options. See the section “What is Included” for more details.
The Single Service is always scheduled as default for property management work orders- unless the 3-visit plan is specifically requested.
One-Time Visit/ Single Service Mouse Control
- Out of Service Area +50$
- Additional Living Units +50$ per unit
- Enjoy half-price follow-up services within 60 days of the initial service.
- If no follow-up visits are purchased, any traps placed are the customer’s responsibility to maintain.
Three-Visit Mouse Service Plan
- Out of Service Area +100$
- Additional Living Units +100$ per unit
- Enjoy a 90-day warranty from the initial service date.
- Get confirmation on the third visit that mice are no longer entering your home!
- Receive two follow-up visits to maintain the traps/ rodenticide placed during the initial visit.
- The first follow-up is scheduled one to two weeks after the first. This should be long enough to control all the mice inside during the initial service. (Ideally, all the recommended repairs should be completed by the first follow-up.)
- The third visit is about three to four weeks after the second. This allows time for more mice to enter from the outside. This way, we can tell if mice are still getting in or if all the proper mouse-proofing repairs were made. The goal is to find no activity during the third visit.
- If only traps are placed instead of rodenticide, follow-up visits will likely be more frequent.
Watch our Mouse Control YouTube Video
What is Included with The Initial Mouse Service?
- First, we connect with the customer. This is when the customer shares their experience and expresses their needs and concerns. It is usually a brief introduction inside the home. We also ask the customer to show us where they are experiencing activity and where mice have been caught (if any).
- An interior inspection is performed to locate areas of activity. This helps with trap placement and finding entry points outside. If an attic inspection is performed, every effort will be made to prevent tracking dirt and insulation into the home. However, Lakewood Exterminating LLC will not be responsible if this occurs.
- An exterior inspection to locate potential wildlife entry points leading into the structure. This is usually done without the customer.
- Included is a square foot area of “patchwork” repairs at ground level to potential entry points on the structure’s exterior. A “patchwork” repair includes repairs we can make with spray foam, Xcluder/ copper fabric, and clear sealant. We include as many holes as possible that fit into a square foot area. (This covers minor repairs that are easily accessible during the exterior inspection.) Repairs requiring a ladder, different materials, or repairs exceeding a square foot area are not included. We do not include repairs that require disassembling porch lattice/ crawling under porches/ decks. We do not include interior repairs.
- After the inspection and patchwork repair process, we will let you know what we repaired and what else should be done to mitigate the issue. Customer education/ recommendations are key benefits to working with us. During this process, we will discuss any factors contributing to the infestation. This can include vegetation touching the home, bird feeders, sanitation problems, and entry points needing repair. (We do not discuss repair recommendations with tenants.) We will include a price estimate if we can perform any additional repair recommendations. Recommendations are also listed in the invoice notes.
- Then, we discuss control strategy and answer any questions or concerns you have regarding traps and rodenticide use. This discussion and our inspection findings determine the combination of traps/ rodenticides we use in the next step and where to place them.
Interior trap placement/ bait placement to control mice indoors. (Bait means rodenticide.)
Rodenticides are contained inside tamper-resistant bait stations/used in areas inaccessible to children & pets.
Remember that the below combination of traps/ bait has been proven the most effective for our service protocol over many years of implementation. Our technicians will use their discretion to utilize the best control methods based on your circumstances. In other words, certain homes will require a different strategy. For example, using only traps in some homes is the best option.
Traps: In most instances, we secure snap traps inside cardboard Trap-rite boxes placed within the affected living space. This protects the traps from children and pets and allows for easy handling and removal of caught mice. It also minimizes contamination of the surfaces where mice are caught. Loose snap traps may also be placed inside in certain instances.
Bait Stations: These are placed in unfinished parts of the home (e.g., basement, attic). We put traps/ bait stations inside basements, mainly on the top of the foundation wall (box sill or in drop ceilings). Sometimes, bait stations may be utilized behind appliances or under the kitchen sink. If bait stations are needed in other parts of the living space, Tier 1 tamper-resistant bait stations are used.
Soft Bait: Applied to inaccessible areas of infestation (e.g., crawlspaces and un-walkable attics). They may also be placed into voids before being repaired outside.
Important Statement Regarding the Scope of Mouse Service
Lakewood Exterminating LLC makes no guarantee that the service will prevent damage caused by rodents or that the purchaser or any persons at the service location will not be bitten by rodents, experience unpleasant odors, see rodents or flies, or become infected by rodent-transmitted diseases.
General Mouse Control Recommendations
- Do not use bird feeders or feed wildlife.
- Minimize low-lying vegetation/ground cover around the home.
- Do not store bird or grass seeds inside structures where mice can access them.
- Do not leave pet food in dishes that are accessible to rodents.
- Keep tree branches trimmed back at least 6 feet from the structure.
- Clean up fallen acorns and other tree nuts/ seeds outside (including in gutters)
- Do not store firewood or other similar belongings against the outside of a structure.
- Wipe down/ disinfect food preparation surfaces before use.
- Hire Lakewood Exterminating!
How to Prepare for Mouse Service
- Clear access to the attic.
- Pull stored items away from the shared interior walls of attached garages.
- Secure pets. Put dogs away so they do not encounter our technicians.
- Provide access under decks and porches. If a lattice panel is not on hinges or easily unscrews, you might need to remove it.
- Pick up any dog feces around the foundation.
- Remove any potential food source for the mice. This includes food debris on the floor, food in garbage cans, grease around the stove, pet food in dishes, and bird seed outside.
- Remove any rodenticide already in place inside.
- Plan to have an adult present for all appointments.
- Clear snow, ice, and other obstructions. We cannot set ladders up to inspect if surface ice exists.
Service Area
Our service area is inside the purple line. We service homes outside of the purple line. However, a “trip charge” will be incurred to account for longer drive times.
Out of Area “Trip Charge”
For locations outside the purple line- up to forty minutes from the office, a “trip charge” of $50 per visit applies for single services and non-warrantied follow-up visits. Add $100 for multi-visit service plans. We do not service homes over 40 minutes away. During the busy April-October season, we might be unable to service homes outside the purple line. We are likelier to take jobs to the West than jobs further away to the South or East.
For multi-family homes (duplexes and apartment buildings), extra units can be added for $50 for single services or $100 for multi-visit service plans (per additional unit).
Customers can purchase multiple services to be performed during the same visit. When bundled, receive 20% off the lesser service. An example of this is mouse control coupled with an ant treatment.
Allow an arrival window of a half-hour before and after your scheduled appointment time.
Depending on your service, you should receive an email/ text reminder 3 days or 1 day before your scheduled service. However, our software sometimes fails to send these reminders. You are responsible for keeping track of any appointments that you plan.
- For initial/ single services, if we arrive at the job site and cannot gain access to the property (if required), there will be an $80 missed appointment fee. This must be paid before scheduling any future service.
- If access is required but not provided for any follow-up visit, the warranty becomes void and counts as one of the follow-up visits. In this case, extra visits can be purchased within the 60 or 90-day service period for 1/3 of the original cost.
- Follow-up visits must be scheduled within the service period (60 or 90 days). It is the customer’s responsibility to make sure all visits are scheduled.
- As with all appointments, allow an arrival time of half an hour before and after the scheduled appointment time. We wait for unavailable customers for 15 minutes before counting the visit as a missed appointment.
Most pest control services have a warranty or come with half-price follow-up services within 60 days. Except for rats and wildlife, please allow two weeks for control before requesting follow-up service (one week for ants).
- Most pesticides have a residual, which means they keep working after they dry. The average lifespan of a residual pesticide application is 20 days. Most of our pesticides cannot be reapplied for 2-4 weeks.
- Pests also have a lifecycle, which means it can take time to see results. For example, sprays don’t kill newly laid bed bug eggs. Likewise, flea pupae are immune to most pesticides. It can take two weeks for ant and yellowjacket colonies to collapse.
- If ants go away after the treatment, but return within the warranty period, please allow 3-5 days before requesting a follow-up. The new ants often encounter the previously applied product and dissipate a few days later. If we have left you with a bait station, please place this device where you see the activity.
Different pests are active during certain times of the year, and pesticide applications only last so long. This is why we offer maintenance plans to manage your pests year-round.
We will inform the customer during the initial service if sanitation or other factors compromise the warranty.
- For any pesticide application, keep children and pets out of the treatment area until the treatment has dried/ settled out of the air. Depending on the application, this can take 45 minutes to 4 hours.
- Please secure dogs so they cannot physically contact our technicians.
- It is the customer’s responsibility to provide all responsible parties (tenants) with the preparation guidelines. They are also responsible for providing access and ensuring occupants are ready to vacate the premises if needed.
- Please follow all customer preparation guidelines and instructions. For more details, see the section related to your service.
Suppose a customer or other structure(s) occupants believe they are or may be sensitive to pesticides/termiticides or their odors. In that case, the customer must notify Lakewood Exterminating LLC in writing before service, including whether the customer or other occupants have consulted with a medical doctor or other healthcare provider regarding such sensitivity. Upon receipt of such notification, Lakewood Exterminating LLC reserves the right to deny or terminate service. Failure to provide notification represents the customer’s assumption of risk and waiving of claims against Lakewood Exterminating LLC in connection with such sensitivity.
- After completing the service, we will return to our vehicle to write up your invoice. Here, you will find information such as our time on site, weather conditions for exterior pesticide application, inspection findings, materials we used for control and their locations, completed repairs, documented notes, and recommendations. This will be sent to the phone number and email address on file.
- We ask that you pay at the time of service. We accept checks, cash, or credit cards. We require a signed invoice and credit card on file if you cannot pay at the time of service. If you are a landlord or responsible party but will not be present for the appointment, please put a card on file during the scheduling process. Payments will be run after the initial service is complete. Receipts are sent via email. If you have used our services with a history of timely payments, you may be invoiced/ pay online. If we invoice you, payment is due in 2 weeks.
- For large commercial properties and apartments with more than six units, the cost per service starts at $200 per hour of labor- plus materials costing over $30.
- Small offices and stores are generally priced the same as homes.
- Restaurants and similar establishments require an on-site visit to provide an estimate. There is usually an initial service fee plus a monthly maintenance fee, which starts at $100.
- If you are receiving a pesticide application, remember that employees, customers, and other occupants must stay out of the treatment area for a few hours until the spray dries. Our available times for treatments are generally 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.
- For rentals, the customer is responsible for coordinating with the tenants, providing access upon arrival, giving tenants the preparation guidelines, and ensuring they properly prepare and vacate.
- Tenants cannot schedule service without the landlord’s permission. The only exception is if the lease states that pest control is the tenant’s responsibility.
- For any rodent or wildlife issue, the customer must be the landlord.
- We require a credit card on file if the landlord is absent for the appointment.
Exterior Pesticide Treatments are performed from March through November, weather permitting. At all other times, an interior treatment will be applied for most common household pests.
Many pest problems can be diagnosed over the phone or by email for free. If you are unclear about which service your problem falls under, please email pictures to support@lakewoodexterminating.com. Our owner also provides phone consultations upon request. Please reach out through the contact form on our website to speak with our Owner.
If you require a site visit to diagnose a pest issue, there is a $99 plus tax fee. This includes an inspection/ consultation. A price quote will be provided to remedy problems as needed.
Seal Your Home From Rodents
Getting rid of the rodents in your home is only the first step in getting control of your rodent problem. To truly get rid of rodents for good, you need more than just rodent control; you need to rodent–proof.
When a rodent manages to get into your home, it leaves a trail of pheromones along the way. This trail acts like a map, letting all the other neighborhood rodents know the fastest way to get inside your house. That means that even if you get rid of every rodent inside, you’ll always have more coming in. The only way to truly get rid of your rodents is to block their trail by sealing off your home.
When You Hire A Professional Mouse Exterminator, You Get Our Certified Professionals
We Will Get You Feeling Like These Customers
Are you ready for our professional mouse control service?
In order to get rid of mice inside your home, you need to repair the entry points outside and figure out what exactly needs to be done.
Learn More About Getting Rid Of Mice In Your Cleveland Home
Mice pests in Ohio
There are 3 species of mice that we deal with in Cleveland, OH. The house mouse, deer mouse, and the white-footed mouse. When dealing with a pest of any nature, it is important to learn exactly what you are dealing with. Take some time to identify your critters, and learn about their habits.
Make sure you provide clear access to crawlspaces and attic hatches.
If you have an enclosed porch or deck, it is beneficial to remove a lattice panel. We do not include disassembling porch/ deck panels if there is not an access hatch.
We recommend that you stop feeding the birds/ wildlife outside of your home.
If you have an attached garage, please make sure any shared walls with the interior of the home are cleared for inspection.
We will also need access to the top of the basement walls for trap/ bait placement.
Perform a general cleaning if there is food debris on the floor, especially under appliances.
Do not store belongings directly against the home.
Pick up pet food dishes off the floor, especially at night.
Our mouse exterminator will text you when he is on his way to your Cleveland home. The initial service takes 45 minutes- an 1 hour and 15 minutes. We will use boot covers while inside your home. Upon arrival, we ask that you show us the potential problem areas inside. Let us know what you have been seeing and where. This is usually the kitchen, basement, attic and garage.
Following the interior inspection, your mouse exterminator will do an exterior inspection to locate potential entry points. We include a square foot of ground level patchwork repairs.
We come back inside and let you know what we did, and recommend additional repairs if there are any.
Traps/ rodenticide is applied for interior control. The goal is to repair the entry points and trap/ exterminate what remains inside.
For single services, customers agree to maintain traps/ allow the use of rodenticide.
For 3-visit plans, traps are primarily used. Interior mouse control products are maintained during the 2 follow-up services. The first trapping follow-up visit is generally within a few days of the initial service, then a handful more days for the third visit. When bait is primarily used for control, follow-ups can be spread a week or so apart.
Since mice are territorial, they rarely travel more than 30 feet from their nests. Keep in mind this range extends vertically- not just outward. If there is food around, sometimes they do not travel further than a few feet. Additionally they travel their entire territory daily, while using the same route. As they dart around, they explore new objects and changes made within the area. Due to this exploratory nature, it is beneficial to move around objects wherever you place the traps. Mice develop runways called pheromone trails. Our mouse exterminators will locate these trails to set up our highly effective control products.
The most agile mice can jump onto a flat surface 12 inches high- without a running start. That is pretty impressive. In order to climb, all they need is a little texture to grab onto. They can run up nearly any vertical surface; wood, brick, pipes and cables. If they need to, they can jump down 8 feet without injuring themselves. Since they can squeeze through openings larger than a 0.25 inches diameter, there is not much these vermin cannot gain access too.
It takes more than setting mouse traps and laying down poison to control a mouse population. Being successful long term also includes: habitat modification, sanitation, exclusion, monitoring.
Habitat Modification
If you manipulate the conducive environmental conditions that are allowing these varmints to survive, you’ll reduce the amount of mice around. You can reduce the attractiveness of your home by creating a 3 foot wide barrier around the exterior perimeter. Mice do not like to travel over open ground. By placing a band of crushed stone at a depth of 3 inches, you will reduce the amount of mice inside your home. Many homes have groundcover planted in the beds around the home. Pachysandra, English ivy and myrtle are common examples. In our experience, mouse populations instantly drop when customers have removed this type of vegetation.
Additionally shrubs and tree branches should be pruned back from the structure. Rodents and even ants will use branches to gain access to roof-lines. Any other stored items should be removed, moved or replaced frequently so they do not become homes for mice. Take a look around your property. Piles of wood, bales of straw, and other yard debris provide easy shelter for rodents. What is inside of your garage? Most garages are accessible to mice. Once inside they can find a safe place inside your stored belongings. Think about using plastic totes instead of boxes for all of your storage needs. Reduce clutter inside and out. Try to store items at least 1 foot away from walls, and at least 8 inches off the ground.
Sanitation
Since mice can survive on such little food, sanitation alone will never totally get rid of your mice. Yet at the same time, mice reproduce so rapidly that a lack of sanitation can cause all of your other efforts to fail. It is a fact that the majority of mouse control or removal jobs we get called out to have an abundance of available food outside. The most common food source being acorns. If this is an issue in your yard, it might be time to invest in a high powered leaf blower.
The other major food source comes from bird feeders. You can download an article on “how to modify bird feeders” by clicking the link. Unless you have an iron clad home, it is not recommended that you put out bird seed or any feed wildlife. Mice eat seeds more than anything. You may have found this out if you have ever left a bag of grass seed in your garage. On top of that, don’t leave pet food out either. Pet food is a great food for rodents- inside and out. I can’t tell you how many times that customers have reported finding dog food in their shoes. Crumbs are one thing- especially if you have young children. Just don’t make it easy for the mice. As stated above, these critters can reproduce rapidly. If you lay out a smorgasbord for them, you are going to have it rough.
Exclusion
The problem with just setting mouse traps yourself is that neighboring rodents filter in to fill the space vacated by your trapping efforts. Likewise if you miss trapping one pregnant female, re-population occurs pretty quickly. For example, if you trap an alpha male in a trap and reset it, other males will be attracted by the scent. As a result you’ll keep catching male mice. The girls will ignore the traps. As a result you keep catching sporadic amounts of male mice- without eradicating the infestation. Trapping without habitat modification, sanitation and exclusion creates an endless cycle and a lifetime battle.
Scent is the main way rodents communicate. At first, varmints will find an opening by sensing escaping heat. A pheromone trail is left behind telling other rodents that there is food and shelter inside the opening. Even if you remove the mice that enter, the scent trail keeps attracting more to the area. These pheromones persist for quite a while. Therefore it is extremely important to have a professional exterminator locate entry points and properly repair the area(s).
It is well worth the investment to have a pest control company perform the exclusion work. Our technicians are experienced and supplied with the tools to do the job right. Our knowledge of the local architecture allows us to quickly locate the problem areas of your home. Recently we made a video compiling 3 years of mouse entry point pictures. Take a look at our page on rodent-proofing for more information.
Learn More About Controlling Mice
Rating Mouse Traps To Find The Best One
Top 3 Mouse Trapping Mistakes
How to Get Rid of Rodents in Your Yard
How To Eliminate Mice Inside The House: Tips From The Experts
Choosing the Right Mouse Exterminator: Key Factors to Consider
The Dangers of DIY Mouse Extermination: Why It’s Best Left to the Experts
Mouse Service Details
Cleveland Pest Control Services
Child And Pet-Friendly Treatments From Trusted Exterminators
Get In Touch
Lakewood Exterminating, 13443 Detroit Ave., #8, Lakewood, OH 44107
Cleveland Pest Control Services
Child And Pet-Friendly Treatments From Trusted Exterminators
Lakewood Exterminating, 13443 Detroit Ave., #8, Lakewood, OH 44107