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If you see a mouse in your kitchen, you might chuckle at the classic scenario. However, mice, rats, and other rodents can carry health concerns such as rabies, hantavirus, or even bubonic plague. You also need to remove them for the sake of your house.
Raccoons in particular can wreak havoc in your attic just as rats and mice do inside your walls, furniture, and pantry. Some of these critters can be cute at a distance, but once they’re in your house you need to get them out for your own health, and sometimes even for theirs.
Rat and Mouse Extermination
Rats and mice are the rodents most often found in houses. An exterminator will perform an initial examination to identify what pests are present, where the entry points are, and setting traps. This visit should cost anywhere between $90.00 and $250.00.
After this you should receive a written estimate for continued treatment. This should include sealing points of entry, traps, clean-up, and repairs or decontamination if possible. It should also include any recommended continued treatment. This costs between $200.00 and $2,000.00 depending on the size of the property and infestation.
Raccoon Removal
Raccoons are usually removed, not exterminated. This is because they are considered “wildlife” and get special considerations even if they’re viewed as pests by the rest of us. If they are in your attic, you can expect to pay between $350.00 and $500.00. This involves removing the raccoons and their young and sealing the entries. The cost can vary depending on certain factors such as how many raccoons there are, what repairs are needed, how many visits are needed, what sort of clean-up, and your location. If the raccoons are outside, the cost is usually lower. Trapping outside is simpler and there usually isn’t any structural damage to worry about or entry points to seal up.
Trapping raccoons involves the setting of traps at key points in your attic or around your property (such as near trash cans or wood piles). The traps cost from $80.00 to $110.00 depending on size. Sometimes larger traps can trap multiple animals in one night. If the raccoons are in your attic, hire a professional for sure. The steps involving removing any pups found, and some of them have their teeth. If the mother is around, you could be in for serious injury.
Some places try to sell sound, light, or scent deterrents for raccoons in your house, but none of them have good track records. Poisoning raccoons is unsafe and illegal, so save yourself the trouble and call a professional. Once the raccoons have been trapped, a professional service will relocate them to the wilderness. They should be relocated at least 10 miles away to prevent them following their own paths right back to your home. If your service has followed this rule but you keep having raccoon problems, chances are that you have a lot of raccoons invading your home!
Other Cost Factors
Your cost will be affected by the number of pests to be dealt with. Clearly, more pests means more cost. Also, if you have multiple types of pests, different techniques will need to be employed to exterminate and/or trap and remove them. Denying the pests points of entry can involve more than sealing holes. Trees may need to be pruned, crawlspaces may need screens, porch stairs may need sealing, even roof repairs might be called for.
The location of the job will affect the cost. The further away you are, the more it costs the pest control company to get to you. Also, the more urban your setting, the farther they have to travel to release and protected wildlife.
The number of points of entry that need to be sealed will affect your cost. What those points of entry will also have an impact. A missing wire screen or board can simply be nailed up. But if a raccoon has ripped out your soffits to get to your attic, the soffit will have to be replaced and any other roofing components.
Clean-up and repairs can become quite costly. Raccoons can rip up your insulation, mice and rats can chew insulation from wires, and all of them can leave fecal waste and urine that can cause health issues. If they find their way into the rest of your house, you run the risk of being bitten. Raccoons and possums might look harmless, but they are also pretty fearless when confronted by human.
If you need multiple visits, the pest control company may offer you a plan based on monthly, bi-monthly, or even quarterly visits. Discuss any regular visits for the one that suits your schedule and your budget.
DIY Mice and Rat Control
You can control mice and rats on your own if you are diligent and knowledgeable. Traps of all sorts are available, but not all traps are appropriate. Do not use poison or steel traps if you have pets. The steel traps can injure your pet, and if your pet eats a poisoned rat or mouse, they will also be poisoned and could die.
- Live traps – about $2.00 each. These tip forward as the mouse enters and causes a door to shut. The mouse is unharmed and may be released far away from your house.
- Snap traps – about $1.00 to $2.00 each. These are the classic wooden mouse traps. Larger ones are used for rats.
- Jaw traps – about $3.00 to $5.00 each. These traps have serrated edges, like jaws, and are very effective.
- Bait stations – about $5.00 and up depending on capacity. These traps keep poison accessible to mice and rats but inaccessible to children and pets.
- Glue traps - $6.00 to $8.00 each. These very sticky pads trap and hold a mouse or rat. Because the animal is left to starve to death, they are considered very inhumane. However, they might be used when all else fails.
In Conclusion
Pest control is as much about your home as your health. When you have a pest problem, don’t hesitate to call a professional. This will help keep your family, pets, and home safe and pest free.
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