How to Get Rid of a Mouse Infestation: DIY vs. Professional Extermination & Removal

May 13, 2023 | FAQ, How to | 0 comments

If you hear scratching in the walls at night, find holes chewed in the drywall, or spot droppings about the size of a grain of rice, you may have a mouse infestation in your home. While you may be able to take care of a small infestation by yourself, mice reproduce quickly, so you could soon have a large problem that will require hiring a mouse exterminator.

In this article, we will guide you through the costs for both DIY and professional solutions and provide some tips for hiring the right pest control company for you and your home.

Factors That Affect Mice Extermination Pricing

The overall cost of mice extermination will vary depending on the size of the problem, however, for mouse extermination average costs range between $200 – $900. In addition to the size of an infestation, the following factors will affect the total exterminator cost.

  • Location of the infestation: If the mice have nested in your yard, shed, or other occupied room of the house, the cost to remove them will be lower. However, nests in hard-to-reach places like ceilings, attics, basements, and foundations will typically be pricier to remove.
  • Use of live traps: If you prefer a more humane solution to get rid of mice and want to trap and relocate them, this will usually cost a bit more than traditional traps. With a more humane option, you’re paying for the mice to be transported, and this can mean driving outside the city limits in a larger city.
  • Fumigation: Fortunately, mouse infestations that require this drastic solution are rare. However, if tenting and fumigation are necessary, they’ll cost between $2,000 and $6,000.

One thing to keep in mind; mouse extermination is a temporary solution to your problem. Why you ask? Mice are like flies. If you leave your door open, they fly in.  You can kill or remove the flies that are in your home, but if you never shut your door, they’ll keep flying in.  The same goes for mice.  Mice get into your home through holes in the foundation, utilities, roof, freeze board or garage.  More on that later…

DIY Mouse Removal vs. Using an Exterminator

If you don’t have a huge mouse infestation and notice only one or two mice scurrying around your home, you can purchase traps or poison to attempt to get rid of the mice yourself.

Here are some of the most common mice extermination methods, how much they cost, and their benefits and drawbacks.

  • Snap traps: With this type of trap, a metal bar breaks a mouse’s neck. It is the least expensive solution but less humane than other traps, difficult to set, and can hurt people and pets. Price per unit ranges from $1 to $2.
  • Jaw traps: Plastic jaws in this trap suffocate the mouse. It is inexpensive and safer and easier to use than snap traps but less humane than other traps. Price per unit ranges from $4 to $8.
    Glue traps: Keep a mouse in place until it starves or becomes dehydrated. It is one of the easiest traps to use, highly effective, and disposable but least humane and not reusable. Price per unit ranges from $3 to $12.
  • Live traps: Capture live mice for a later release. It is humane, but users must release mice at least one mile from their homes for the trap to be effective. Price per unit ranges from $10 to $25.
    Bait stations: Poison mice. It is easy to use but can take days to work, and mice may die in your walls. It is often unsafe to use around pets. Price per unit ranges from $12 to $20.
  • Electronic traps: Electrocute mice. It is more humane than other traps and safe to use around children and pets but expensive and requires batteries. Price per unit ranges from $30 to $60.

Using an Exterminator

If DIY solutions aren’t getting rid of the few mice in your home or you’re dealing professional mouse exterminator. They have the expertise, tools, and chemicals needed to remove the mice and prevent future infestations.

Here are the advantages and disadvantages of using an exterminator:

Advantages of Hiring an Exterminator

  • Effective: A professional exterminator has experience and knowledge of the best methods and products to use to eliminate mice.
  • Time-saving: Trying to handle a mouse infestation on your own can be time-consuming and stressful. Hiring an exterminator will save you time and allow you to focus on other priorities.
  • Prevent future infestations: A professional exterminator can identify and seal some potential entry points to prevent mice from coming back.
  • Safe: An exterminator will use products that are safe for your family and pets.

Disadvantages of Hiring an Exterminator

  • Cost: Hiring an exterminator can be more expensive than purchasing DIY solutions. Exterminators will often charge $300 – $600 dollars on their initial visit with quarterly visits required after. Quarterly visits range in price depending on the extermination service. Small business owners will often be more affordable than big box exterminators.
  • Multiple visits: Depending on the severity of the infestation, multiple visits may be necessary to ensure that all mice are removed. Most often, the mice infestation returns despite the mice being removed initially since big box rodent exterminators will not seal your entire home like a rodent proofing service will.
  • Limited control: When you hire an exterminator, you’re putting your trust in their expertise and may have limited control over the methods they use.

DIY solutions may work for a small mouse infestation, but for larger or recurring infestations, hiring a professional exterminator may be the best option. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of both options before making a decision. If you do not want multiple visits from a mouse exterminator, the only true way to ensure that you never have mice again, is to seal your home from the outside by a rodent proofing service.