Rodent Control in Memphis: Rats and Mice

Rodents are the call where sealing matters most. Ask for an inspection that ends with a list of entry points, not just a bait count.

Rats or mice

You can usually tell from the droppings and the noise. Mouse droppings are small, about the size of a grain of rice, and you find a lot of them along walls and in drawers. Rat droppings are much larger. Rats are heavier and louder in the attic; they also gnaw bigger holes and leave greasy rub marks along the routes they run. A clear photo of the droppings helps the company know what to bring.

Why rodent calls rise in fall

Memphis winters are short but real. The airport averages 44 nights a year at 32°F or colder, and the median first fall freeze lands around November 16 (NOAA, 1996 to 2025). When nights turn cold, rodents move toward warm attics and wall voids. Neighborhoods next to fields and woods, like Arlington and Lakeland, plus the north side of Millington, see field mice move in as crops come in and the weather turns.

Nights per year at 32°F or colder, Memphis International Airport

What rodent control should include

1. An inspection of the attic and crawlspace, then the garage and the outside of the house, with the entry points marked. Mice fit through surprisingly small gaps, so small holes count.
2. Exclusion: sealing gaps at the roofline, vents, pipes, the garage door and the foundation with materials rodents cannot chew through.
3. Trapping inside, and bait in tamper-resistant stations where it is safe to use.
4. Follow-up visits to check traps and confirm activity has stopped.

HomeAdvisor says most pros start with an inspection, then use bait stations and traps along with exclusion. I would not pay for a bait-only service with no sealing. It treats the mice you have and leaves the door open for the next ones.

What it costs

HomeAdvisor puts rat extermination at $189 to $656, with an average of $396, and rodent exclusion at $200 to $600 (June 2026). This Old House lists mice and other rodents at $180 to $600. These are published national ranges, not quotes. The cost guide has the full table.

Pets and cleanup

Rodent bait is poison. If you have kids or pets, say so when you book and ask for bait only in locked stations, or for traps instead. Do not sweep or vacuum droppings dry; wet them with a disinfectant first and wear gloves, as the CDC advises. If a rodent is in the living space right now, close the room off and call.

Older houses

Most homes in Frayser and Whitehaven, and in North and South Memphis, were built before 1980 (Census ACS 2020-2024). Older crawlspaces and gaps where pipes enter are how rodents get in. Budget for sealing. It is cheaper than a year of return visits.