How Exterminators Get Rid of Mice

Professional exterminators don’t just set a few traps and call it a day. They take a multi-step approach that includes identifying entry points, sealing up gaps, removing food sources, and using a mix of traps, bait stations, and sometimes even chemical treatments. For severe infestations, fumigation may be used — but only as a last resort.

Most homeowners spend around $300–$600 for professional mice extermination, though larger infestations or long-term prevention plans can push costs up to $1,000 or more. That price often includes inspection, sealing off entry points, setting traps or bait stations, and one or more follow-up visits.

If you’re hearing scratching in the walls or spotting droppings in your pantry, chances are mice have moved in — and they won’t leave on their own. Mice aren’t just a nuisance; they chew through wiring, contaminate food, and can spread diseases like hantavirus and salmonella. Left unchecked, a small mouse problem can turn into a full-blown infestation in just a few weeks.

In this guide, I’ll walk you through exactly how the pros handle mice, which methods work best, and how you can keep rodents from coming back.

What Types of Mice Infest Homes?

Most household mouse problems in the U.S. involve one of three species: house mice, deer mice, or white-footed mice. Here’s how to tell them apart — and why it matters:

• House mice are the most common indoor pests. They’re small, dusty gray, and round-bodied. Despite poor eyesight, they have an excellent sense of smell and hearing. They chew through drywall, insulation, and wiring, and can spread diseases like salmonella. If you’ve got mice in your home, these are the most likely culprits.
• Deer mice are brown with white undersides and bi-colored tails. They’re more common in rural areas and are known carriers of hantavirus, which spreads through dried droppings and urine. These mice usually enter homes looking for warmth or food.
• White-footed mice are similar to deer mice but more solitary. They’re less likely to infest homes but may sneak in during cold months. Like deer mice, they can carry hantavirus and ticks, so it’s best to avoid handling them without protection.

Why Mice are Dangerous for Homes

Mice are more than just an annoyance — they’re a real threat to your health and your home’s infrastructure.

Property Damage

Mice have teeth that never stop growing, so they constantly gnaw to keep them in check. Inside a home, that means chewing on everything from wood framing and insulation to electrical wires. Exposed wires increase the risk of electrical fires — one of the more dangerous consequences of an infestation.

They’re also known to destroy stored belongings and contaminate attic insulation with urine and droppings, which can lead to costly cleanup or replacement.

Health Risks

Mice carry and spread several diseases:

• Hantavirus: This respiratory illness can become severe and is spread through dried droppings or urine that becomes airborne. Always wear gloves and a mask when cleaning mouse waste, and never sweep or vacuum droppings directly.
• Salmonella: Spread through mouse urine or by contaminating food prep surfaces, this bacteria can cause diarrhea, cramping, and fever.
• Other risks: Mice can carry ticks and fleas that spread Lyme disease or other infections.

How to safely clean mouse waste: Soak the area with a bleach solution (1 part bleach to 10 parts water), wait 5–10 minutes, and then wipe with paper towels. Double-bag the waste and dispose of it safely — all while wearing gloves, a mask, and ideally goggles.

Mouse Behavior, Diet, and Habits

Understanding how mice live and what they look for in a home is the key to getting rid of them — and keeping them out for good.

Behavior

Mice are nocturnal, so you’ll rarely spot them during the day. They come out at night to look for food, often using the same travel paths along baseboards or walls. They leave behind dark grease marks and droppings as they move, which is why you often find signs before you see the mice themselves.

They’re also excellent climbers and jumpers — able to scale wires and cables and leap nearly a foot off the ground. That means they can reach cabinets, pantries, and attic spaces more easily than you’d expect.

Mice are social and reproduce quickly, with females giving birth every three weeks. A single pair of mice can lead to dozens of offspring in just a couple of months.

Diet

Mice are scavengers. They’ll eat just about anything, but they’re especially drawn to:

• Grains, seeds, and cereals
• Pet food (especially dry kibble)
• Nuts, meat scraps, and even soap or candle wax

They only need a tiny amount of food and water each day to survive, but they’ll visit food sources multiple times — often nibbling in short bursts throughout the night.

Nesting Habits

Mice prefer dark, quiet areas where they won’t be disturbed. Favorite nesting spots include:

• Wall voids
• Attics and crawl spaces
• Under kitchen appliances
• Behind stored boxes or clutter

They use insulation, shredded paper, fabric, and even dryer lint to build nests — anything soft and easy to tear.

Pro tip: If you’re cleaning out old storage areas or unpacking boxes from the garage or attic, wear gloves and keep an eye out for nests or droppings.

How Exterminators Inspect for Mice

When you call a pro for a mouse problem, the first step isn’t setting traps — it’s figuring out how the mice got in and how bad the infestation really is. A thorough inspection from a mouse exterminator is the foundation of any effective treatment plan.

Entry Points

Mice can squeeze through openings as small as a dime. Exterminators will inspect around:

• Foundation cracks
• Gaps around windows and doors
• Openings near utility lines or vents
• Unsealed attic or basement access points

They’ll mark every potential gap and recommend sealing them with caulk, steel wool, or other rodent-proof materials. No matter how good your traps are, mice will return if these entry points stay open.

Food Sources

If there’s easy access to food, mice will stay put. Exterminators look for:

• Open food containers in pantries
• Pet food left out in bowls or stored in bags
• Dirty dishes or food debris around the home
• Unsealed trash or recycling bins

They’ll recommend immediate changes like switching to airtight containers, cleaning food prep areas thoroughly, and removing attractants from around the house.

Nesting Areas

Mice love warm, hidden spots with soft materials nearby. Pros will inspect common nesting zones such as:

• Behind kitchen cabinets or appliances
• Inside wall insulation
• Under sinks or in basement corners
• In cluttered garages or attics

The more clutter you have, the more places mice can hide. A good exterminator will help you identify nesting spots — and how to make those areas less inviting.

Warning Signs

Here’s what exterminators look for during their inspection:

• Droppings: Small, dark pellets, especially near food or along baseboards
• Chewed packaging or wiring
• Scratching or rustling sounds in walls
• Grease marks along travel paths
• Live or dead mice

If you’ve noticed any of these signs, odds are the infestation is already underway.

Professional Mice Pest Control Methods

Once the inspection is complete, exterminators roll up their sleeves and start eliminating the problem. Here’s how the pros typically handle a mouse infestation:

1. Seal Entry Points

The first and most important step is closing off every hole, crack, or gap mice are using to get inside. This may include:

• Caulking gaps around doors and windows
• Installing door sweeps and weather stripping
• Stuffing steel wool into holes around pipes and vents
• Sealing attic and basement openings

If you skip this step, the mice will just keep coming back.

2. Eliminate Food and Water Sources

Exterminators will walk you through how to make your home less appealing to rodents. That means:

• Storing all pantry food (including pet food) in sealed containers
• Cleaning up crumbs, spills, and dishes right away
• Taking out trash regularly and using bins with tight-fitting lids
• Avoiding leaving food or trash in garages, attics, or under sinks

This step helps stop the infestation from spreading — and discourages new mice from settling in.

3. Set Traps in Strategic Areas

Mouse traps aren’t just a DIY tool — they’re a standard part of professional treatment too. The key is knowing where and how to place them. Exterminators often use:

• Snap traps: Quick-kill traps that are highly effective when placed properly along walls and behind appliances. Great for attics or areas pets and kids can’t reach.
• Live traps: Capture mice without killing them, allowing for relocation. These require daily checks and aren’t ideal for large infestations.
• Glue traps: Sometimes used, but generally discouraged due to the inhumane nature of the catch. Also a hazard for pets.

Pros know how to position traps along travel routes and nest sites for maximum effectiveness.

4. Use Bait Stations for Larger Infestations

For more severe infestations, exterminators may use locked bait stations. These are tamper-resistant boxes containing poisoned bait. Mice eat the bait and often bring it back to their nests, spreading the poison.

• Important: These stations are only used in specific areas, away from pets or children.
• The bait may take a few days to work, and dead mice may appear in or around the home.

Bait stations are especially helpful around garages, attics, or crawl spaces with high rodent activity.

There are numerous types of mouse traps to choose from when it comes to rodent control and how to get rid of mice.

Below are a few of the most popular options:

• Snap traps. These are the traps most of us are familiar with from cartoons and movies, the spring-loaded traps that snap violently closed and are intended to kill the mouse in question. If used correctly, these are humane traps to use if you don’t mind killing the mice. However, if you have pets or small children around, snap traps can pose a hazard to them. The traps are better for killing mice in attics and other places pets and children do not regularly go.
• Bait traps: These are different from the bait stations mentioned below as they are meant to capture the mice that are already inside your home. Snap traps fall under the category of bait traps, and so do live traps. Sticky bait like wet cat food, moist cheese, or peanut butter all work well as effective mouse and rat baits with which to set these traps.
• Glue traps: These are options for mouse control, but they can lead to incredibly inhumane deaths for the mice. Mice get stuck onto these glue traps and often people just toss them in the garbage where they are left to die of starvation, thirst, or be crushed to death, slowly and painfully. These are not the best way to go unless you kill the mouse yourself after checking regularly to see if the glue traps work. Other animals, like your pets, can get stuck in these and they cause a lot of problems and discomfort.
• Live traps: Live traps are used in feral cat capture so they can be spayed/neutered and then released back to their colonies. Smaller versions are available for use on mice, and they must be baited the same way a snap trap should be. You must check live traps everyday or every other day, and once a trap has a prisoner, you can drive a few miles from your house to release the mouse. While live traps can be a more humane alternative to glue traps or snap traps, they require you to physically dispose of live mice, which some homeowners may not be comfortable with.

Bait Stations

Exterminators employ the use of bait stations to prevent mice lurking around the perimeter of your home from getting inside. Some bait stations have one entrance while some have two. The mouse goes inside, consumes some of the toxic bait within, and brings it back to its family, hopefully poisoning them all. Bait stations are also used to help eradicate large internal infestations.

Types of Bait

Bait stations come with a block of paste or other substance that attracts mice, and then they eat some of it. They cannot consume a lot, but they can consume enough to poison themselves. You can also add bait like I mentioned earlier — peanut butter, bird seed, cheese, anything to tempt the pests.

Fumigation and Chemical Treatments

When Is Fumigation Used?

Fumigation is rarely used for mice and only considered in extreme cases — usually in barns, storage buildings, or severe structural infestations where traditional traps and baits just won’t cut it. Most states restrict or prohibit residential fumigation for rodents due to the safety risks.

If it’s recommended in your home, it’s likely because the infestation is so severe that it’s affecting multiple rooms or inaccessible areas like wall voids or crawl spaces.

What Fumigation Involves

Exterminators seal your home and release a toxic gas, typically made from a rodenticide that kills mice by suffocation or cellular damage. You and your pets must vacate the home for several days during treatment.

Common chemicals used include:

• Formaldehyde: Interferes with cell reproduction, but its use is tightly regulated due to health concerns.
• Phosphine: Turns into a toxic gas when exposed to air. Highly effective but extremely dangerous if mishandled.
• Magnesium phosphide: Reacts with moisture to release poisonous gas. Often used in grain storage and large-scale settings.
• Carbon dioxide (CO₂): A more eco-friendly method that kills mice by displacing oxygen — it doesn’t leave chemical residue behind.

How To Prepare

If your exterminator recommends fumigation:

• Open all interior doors so gas can spread through the home
• Seal or remove all food items — even in the fridge or freezer
• Plan to be away for 2–3 days
• After returning, wipe down all food-contact surfaces like countertops and cabinet handles

Fumigation is only done by licensed professionals and typically costs more due to the labor, materials, and time required.

How Exterminators Prevent Mice

Getting rid of mice is only half the job — keeping them out for good is just as important. Exterminators use a combination of professional tools and long-term strategies to prevent future infestations.

Ongoing Inspections

Many pest control companies offer quarterly or annual inspection plans. These visits help catch new problems early and ensure that any sealed entry points stay intact. For homes in wooded or rural areas, routine checks are especially important.

Professional Repellents

Exterminators often apply repellents around the exterior of your home, especially near known entry points or high-activity zones like crawl spaces and garages.

These repellents may be chemical or scent-based, and they can deter mice for several weeks or even months, depending on weather and application strength.

DIY Repellents That Actually Work

You can reinforce professional treatments by using natural repellents indoors:

• Peppermint oil: Soak cotton balls and place them near entry points or where you’ve seen activity.
• Clove oil, cayenne pepper, and eucalyptus: All strong-smelling to mice — and pleasant for humans.
• Dryer sheets or cedarwood chips: These can help in drawers, cabinets, or closets.

Replace cotton balls every 1–2 weeks to keep the scent strong.

How Long Does Repellent Last?

Professional repellents typically last from a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on rain, temperature, and how exposed the treated area is. Reapplications may be needed seasonally, especially in fall when mice are actively seeking shelter.

How Many Treatments Will You Need?

For prevention, most pest control companies recommend quarterly visits. These treatments include inspecting for new activity, reapplying repellents, and making sure entry points remain sealed.

The best part? Most plans include free re-treatments if you spot mice between scheduled visits.

How Long Does It Take To Get Rid of Mice?

There’s no one-size-fits-all timeline — the removal process depends on the size of the infestation and how deeply the mice have settled in.

• Small infestations: If you’re only dealing with one or two mice, professional traps and exclusion work can solve the problem in as little as 1–2 weeks.
• Moderate to large infestations: For nests hidden inside walls, attics, or crawl spaces, it can take 1 to 3 months to fully eliminate all mice, remove contaminated materials, and prevent re-entry.

Traps and bait may work quickly, but follow-up visits and monitoring are what make the difference in long-term success.

How Much Do Exterminators Cost for Mice?

Professional mouse removal typically costs between $300 and $600, depending on the severity of the infestation, the size of your home, and the number of visits required.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Service	Average Cost
Initial inspection + treatment	$150–$300
Entry point sealing	$100–$250
Traps and bait stations	$50–$150
Follow-up visit(s)	Often included
Severe infestation or fumigation	$800–$1,500+

Pest control companies may offer quarterly prevention plans starting around $100–$200 per visit, which can save money in the long run and reduce the chance of re-infestation.

Is It Worth Hiring an Exterminator for Mice?

If you’ve caught one stray mouse, DIY traps and a little elbow grease might do the trick. But if you’re hearing scratching in the walls, finding droppings daily, or smelling urine, it’s time to bring in the pros.

Professional exterminators:

• Know where to look and what signs to check
• Use commercial-grade traps and bait safely
• Seal entry points effectively
• Offer follow-up services and long-term prevention

For most homeowners, hiring a pro is worth the peace of mind — especially when it comes to protecting your family from disease, fire hazards, and costly damage to your home.

Final Thoughts

Dealing with a mouse infestation in your home can be an unsettling and dangerous situation. Mice may seem small and harmless, but they can carry diseases, contaminate food sources, and cause serious structural damage through their constant gnawing.

While some homeowners attempt do-it-yourself mouse control, professional exterminators have the expertise, tools, and certified products to effectively end rodents and prevent future infestations.

I know that the cost of hiring an exterminator for mouse control may seem steep, but it provides peace of mind knowing the job is done safely and completely. Improper DIY methods can allow mice to remain hidden in walls or spread contaminants through improper cleaning.

Ultimately, the best solution is preventing mice from ever gaining access to your home through good sanitation practices, sealing cracks and crevices, and regular home inspections.

Working with an experienced exterminator is recommended for existing infestations as well as long-term mice prevention and exclusion plans. A mouse-free home is a healthier, safer home for you and your family.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly can an exterminator get rid of mice?

It depends on how many mice you’re dealing with and how deep they’ve burrowed into your home. For a small infestation, professional treatment can eliminate the problem in about 1–2 weeks. But for larger infestations — especially if mice have nested in walls or crawl spaces — it can take up to 1–3 months to fully remove the mice, their nests, and droppings.

The process usually starts with a detailed inspection, followed by sealing entry points, removing food sources, and placing traps or bait stations. You’ll likely need at least one follow-up visit to confirm the infestation is gone. Sticking to a treatment plan and acting quickly is the best way to shorten the timeline.

What does pest control do to get rid of mice?

Professional pest control companies use an integrated approach called integrated pest management (IPM) to remove mice. This includes:

• Sealing entry points to prevent more mice from getting inside
• Removing food sources by having the homeowner properly store food
• Setting bait stations and traps in strategic locations
• Potentially using rodenticides or fumigation for severe infestations
• Treating the perimeter with repellents to deter future mice activity

Do mice come back after extermination?

They can — and they will — if you don’t take steps to stop them. Mice are opportunists. Once exterminators remove them, you’ll need to keep up with prevention. That means sealing new cracks or gaps, storing food in airtight containers, and keeping trash sealed and cleaned regularly.

Many pest control companies offer quarterly inspections or ongoing service plans to help prevent reinfestation. If you’ve had a mice problem once, it’s a smart idea to sign up for routine monitoring.

Do mouse repellents work?

Repellents can help, but they’re not a one-and-done solution. Natural deterrents like peppermint oil, clove oil, and dryer sheets may keep mice away from specific areas temporarily. Professional-grade repellents — often applied along the exterior of your home — can be more effective and longer lasting.

That said, repellents should always be part of a broader strategy. You still need to seal entry points and remove food sources. Think of repellents as the final touch — not the first or only line of defense.