Finding a mouse in your house is already scary as it is, but finding a mouse exterminator shouldn’t have to be. Although it may seem daunting now, hopefully by the time you finish reading this, you will be able to choose your exterminator with confidence. There are a lot of things to consider when choosing an exterminator like the cost, where to begin your search to finding one, finding a good one, and all the things you should know before hiring a pest control service. You may think it may be just as simple as picking up your phone book and calling around to find the cheapest service you can. However, it is important to remember that just because the service is cheap, does not mean that it is the best fit for your rodent infestation. Cheap does not always mean cost efficient!
Cost Of Extermination
So it’s time to call a professional exterminator for mice, but is it in the budget? Could it be cheaper just to do mice extermination myself? The answer is dependent upon the severity of your infestation. You can do a self assessment of the severity of your infestation by following this guide. Some rodent infestations are beyond controlling yourself with basic department store traps and some cheese or other bait. According to the internet, some people claim it can cost between $40-$300; depending on the size of your house and severity of infestation. Upon further research, I have found that mouse extermination could cost between $80 to $700!
Don’t be intimidated by those numbers though, they are just the lowest you could pay all the way to the highest you could pay. Of course, you could end up paying more, but most homeowners typically spend between $150-$373. That sounds a little better, right? I mean, you like the idea of an $80 extermination, but depending on your situation, it is very highly unlikely. It is important to remember that these estimates typically do not include clean-up or the repair of damaged pipes or wires caused by your infestation.
The first thing that will happen when you call a mice exterminator out is they will inspect your house. They are looking for runs, entry points, and any other signs of an infestation. Once they have identified your pest, they will first seal off entry points. This doesn’t always mean filling a hole in a wall, so dependent upon your situation, that could affect the cost. In some cases, the entry points may not be able to be handled by a pest service. Such as, trimming back trees and fixing breaches in the roof. Depending on the severity of your infestation, the exterminator will either elect to use traps or spray around your home.
This initial visit could cost anywhere between $90-$250. After they have completed their visit, they will provide you with a written estimate for continued treatment of your home, if necessary. Which could include the cost of repairs and clean-up dependent upon the service you choose. Not all exterminators offer these services. Many exterminators encourage a monthly contract to keep future pests at bay. This costs homeowners an average of $40-$45 per month.
What Affects The Cost?
There are a lot of factors mouse exterminators consider when providing you with an estimate for their work. The number of pests you have will most certainly affect your cost. More mice mean more work for your exterminator so that makes a lot of sense. It also depends upon whether you have other pests as well. Your location can also affect the price. The farther away you live, the farther the exterminator has to travel to service your needs.
Also, if the exterminator traps and releases the pests, living in an urban area could increase your costs as the exterminator would have to travel farther away to release your pests to ensure the prevention of further infestations. The number of entry points found and taken care of by your pest service could greatly affect that and the amount of effort needed to seal off each entry point. Of course, any repeat visits will affect the cost, as it makes sense that the more they would have to visit your home, the more it would cost you. Also any cleanup and repairs, if this is offered by your pest control service.
Starting Your Exterminator Search
The phone book isn’t your only friend when starting your search. Yeah, it can give you all the names and numbers of all of the pest control services in your area, but in this day and age, the internet is your best friend. You can run an internet search through your favorite search engine by typing in “mice exterminator” + your hometown name or any variation of this. When your search results come up, you are not only provided with the name and number of all of your local exterminators, but also reviews from former and current customers.
Using this method takes the work out of asking around completely out of the equation which saves you a lot of time. Choose your top three options from the list. I would base this heavily on previous reviews of their service. Next, you should prepare a list of questions.
Important Questions To Ask
- What method does the pest control service use to kill the mice?
- How many visits to the house will the pest control service deem necessary to be rid of infestation?
- How will the pest control service dispose of the mice after killing/trapping?
- Does the pest control service offer a guarantee with their service?
- What plan does the pest control service offer to prevent future infestations?
- Does the pest control service offer a free estimate?
After composing your list of questions and concerns, pen in hand, pick up the phone and begin interviewing all three possible candidates for your mouse exterminator. Make sure to take notes because it will be hard to differentiate between the three after calling them all. It is important that you feel at ease with who will be providing your services. Remember, when calling out an exterminator for mice, they will be coming into your home with your family, children, and pets! If an exterminator seems to brush your questions off or just seems in a rush to get off of the phone, move on. You don’t want someone like that taking care of such a delicate issue. You want a pleasant and professional person entering your home. After interviewing, it is time to choose the best fit for the job and invite them to do an estimate!
Things To Know Before Hiring
There is a lot more to know about a company than just their pricing and peace of mind. Any mice extermination services can say that they can handle your pest problem, but can they actually effectively handle your problem? It is important to ensure that the company is licensed. Also check for any other accreditation such as being a member of a national or state professional association such as the National Pest Management Association. If your neighbors have highly recommended a service, but they aren’t a part of anything like this, at least make sure they are accredited with the Better Business Bureau. Company reputation is something to think about before even considering the price.
Make sure you know the company action plan before signing any agreements or handing over any payments. It’s nice to know if a service will allow you to pay after the extermination, but quite a few places won’t allow you to do this. Understandable considering many businesses are afraid they won’t ever see their money. If you can’t do this, make sure their service comes with some sort of guarantee. It’s important to know if the service is going to meet your needs as well. Many services come out just expecting to acquire a monthly contract. If you are looking for the extermination to happen in one or a couple visits, make sure this company can provide that for you. You should also make your pest control service aware of your wants and expectations.
In conclusion, finding a pest control service could be daunting, but you can have a peace of mind by knowing all of your options. It is important to know all of the information before blindly choosing a pest control service. I hope that by reading this you have a little more knowledge about beginning your search and can find a mouse exterminator with confidence and ease. And of course, keep in mind you can also do your part to get rid of them in combination with the services of an exterminator for the fastest results.
I loved how you mentioned that you can use the internet to search for an exterminator. Last night I was in my basement doing some laundry and I found out there were some ants near the door that leads outside. I’ll make sure to keep this information in mind as I search for a pest control company.