Pest And Rodent Control Questions

A visit starts with an inspection of the inside and outside of the property. The technician identifies the pest, finds how it gets in and where it is active, treats it, and seals or fixes what lets it back in. Follow up checks confirm the problem is gone.

Rats are larger, burrow outdoors along foundations and retaining walls, and leave capsule shaped droppings. Mice are small, live inside walls and pantries, and leave rice sized droppings. Each needs a different plan, which is why the inspection identifies the animal first.

Droppings, scratching in walls at night, gnaw marks on food packaging or wiring, grease marks along baseboards, burrow holes near foundations, and a musky ammonia smell are the most common signs.

Rats, mice, ants, cockroaches, bed bugs, spiders, wasps and hornets, and termites, for homes and businesses. Wildlife removal, bird control, snake removal and fumigation are not offered.

It is the sealing of every gap rodents use to get in, such as foundation cracks, pipe and cable openings, vents, door sweeps and rooflines, using materials they cannot chew, like steel mesh, metal flashing and cement based patching.

Note where you have seen droppings or heard noises, clear access to the kitchen, basement or affected rooms, and keep children and pets away from the areas to be inspected. The dispatcher will tell you if anything else helps.

Food waste, open trash, pet food, bird seed, clutter, woodpiles against walls, and gaps around the foundation, roof and utilities. Warmth in cold weather is a strong draw.

Technicians return to check traps and stations, confirm activity has dropped, and finish sealing. The job ends when monitoring shows no activity.

Mice move indoors from the first cold nights of October and November and stay active through winter. Rats are most visible from late spring through early fall, along foundations, alleys and garden beds.

Call as soon as you see droppings, hear scratching, find gnaw marks or see a daytime sighting. Early action means a smaller problem and less sealing work.

Late summer and early fall, before the first cold snap, is ideal. Sealing in winter still stops new entries right away.

Phone lines are open 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM ET, every day, including weekends. Call 412-387-0388 to book.

Bed bugs travel year round with luggage and used furniture. Cockroaches are active all year indoors, especially in kitchens, bathrooms and apartment buildings.

Nests start small in spring and grow through summer. They are largest and most defensive in late summer and early fall.

Call 412-387-0388. A person answers, asks what you are seeing and where, and arranges a visit. Booking is by phone only.

Through gaps at the foundation, around pipes and cables, under door sweeps, at roof vents and soffits, and through old coal chutes and cellar windows in older houses. Rats need about half an inch and mice about a quarter inch.

Many mouse problems clear in a few weeks. Established rat problems can take longer because burrows and entry points must be dealt with. Follow up visits continue until activity stops.

Traps and bait stations are placed out of reach and bait is kept in locked, tamper resistant stations. A trap only plan is available on request.

Scratching or scurrying inside walls or ceilings at night, grease marks along baseboards and droppings near outlets or pipes suggest activity in wall voids. An inspection finds the route.

Report rats on streets, alleys and public property through Pittsburgh 311. Problems inside rental housing go to the landlord in writing first, then to the Allegheny County Health Department if nothing changes.

The technician will give a short preparation list covering laundry, clutter and access to furniture and cabinets so treatment can reach hiding places.

Pittsburgh and the surrounding area: the city neighborhoods, the border towns just outside the city line, the established suburbs and the villages and countryside around Pittsburgh. See the service areas page or call to confirm your address.

Basements and cellars with stone or brick walls, behind appliances, inside wall voids and pipe chases, in attics, garages and crawl spaces, and under porches.

Along foundations, beside retaining walls and stairways, under porches and slabs, and near garden beds and drains. Hillside lots give them soil to dig.

This company serves homes and businesses in the city, the nearby border towns and the suburbs and countryside around Pittsburgh. Call 412-387-0388 and we will confirm service for your address.

Restaurants, bars, hotels, offices, warehouses, schools, healthcare and senior living facilities, retail stores, property managers and food producers all benefit from documented programs.

Pest duties depend on the lease and the cause. Tell the landlord in writing and keep a copy.

A dispatcher answers during 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM ET, asks about the problem and the address, and books the visit.

Those are wildlife, and a licensed wildlife removal company is the right call. Pest and rodent control here covers rats, mice and common household pests.

Traps remove mice but do not close the gaps they used. Without sealing, new mice follow the same route in. Treatment plus sealing is what stops it.

Hills, rivers, older housing, stone foundations, shared walls and aging storm and sewer lines create many routes and hiding places, especially in older neighborhoods.

Treating without finding the species, the entry points and the activity zones wastes effort. The inspection decides where to place traps, what to seal and what to check later.

They contaminate food and surfaces with droppings and urine, can spread disease, and gnaw wiring and insulation. Prompt cleanup after removal matters.

Spray kills what you see but not the colony or the hidden population. Baits and treatment of nesting and entry areas end the problem.

Rats are a recurring concern in older, dense neighborhoods and near rivers, alleys and construction sites. Public agencies receive reports every year, and property owners are expected to keep buildings and lots in order.

Yes. These neighborhoods, along with the Strip District, Mt. Washington and the North Side, are covered every day.

Yes. Mt. Lebanon, Bethel Park, Upper St. Clair, Dormont and Brentwood are covered, along with Baldwin, Whitehall, Castle Shannon, Jefferson Hills and Pleasant Hills.

Yes. McCandless, Ross Township, Wexford, Cranberry Township, Shaler, Allison Park, Franklin Park and Pine Township are covered.

Yes. Monroeville, Penn Hills, Wilkinsburg, Forest Hills, Plum, Murrysville and the Mon Valley towns are covered.

Yes. Robinson, Moon, Coraopolis, Carnegie, Crafton, Green Tree, Ingram and McKees Rocks are covered.

Yes. Villages and farm country in the North Hills, the Mon Valley, western Allegheny County and the edges of Butler, Washington and Westmoreland Counties are covered. Call to confirm your address.

Yes. Towns right outside the city line, such as Mt. Oliver, Edgewood, Swissvale, Baldwin, Whitehall, Green Tree, McKees Rocks, Bellevue, Millvale and Homestead, are covered.

Yes. Restaurants, bars, hotels and event venues get documented programs with after hours service and records inspectors expect.

The Allegheny County Health Department inspects food facilities, and pest findings are part of those inspections. It also handles some housing and community environment complaints.

If you are in Pittsburgh, the border towns, the suburbs or the countryside around the city, yes. Call 412-387-0388 and we will confirm service for your address and book a visit.

Call 412-387-0388 during 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM ET. Describe what you are seeing so the visit can be scheduled as soon as possible.

Yes. Phone lines are open 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM ET, every day, so evening and weekend visits can be arranged.

We take calls 7:00 AM to 1:00 AM ET every day across Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. Arrival depends on your location and the schedule, and emergency calls are routed first.

Yes. They need different plans: rats burrow and enter at the foundation, mice travel inside walls and pipe chases. The inspection identifies which one you have.

We lead with traps and use bait only inside locked, tamper resistant stations. A trap only plan is available on request.

In rental homes, keeping mice and rats out is generally the owner's job under Pennsylvania's implied warranty of habitability and the local property maintenance rules, though leases and local codes differ. See our guide on landlord and tenant duties for the steps to take.

Start with Pittsburgh 311 for rat sightings on streets, alleys and public property, and the Allegheny County Health Department for conditions inside rentals. Our reporting guide explains who handles outdoor rat complaints, who handles rentals, and what to include when you file.

Activity climbs as nights turn cold in the fall and stays high through winter. Our seasonal guide shows what to do in each part of the year.

Size, droppings and where you hear noise are the best clues. Our rat vs mouse guide has a side by side comparison.

Yes. Dead rodent removal includes locating the source of the smell, safe removal, cleaning and disinfecting.

They can if the openings stay open. Sealing entry points is part of every program, and we follow up until monitoring shows no activity.

Yes. We serve restaurants, warehouses, offices, hotels, schools and property managers with documented programs.

We treat common household pests such as ants, cockroaches, spiders, bed bugs, wasps and termites, plus rats and mice. Wildlife, birds, snakes and fumigation are outside our scope.