Rodents
Mice or rats in the house: what to do today and what not to do
- Noises in the ceiling at night are almost always roof rats, not mice.
- Loose poison from the hardware store is a risk for children and pets, and the animal dies where you cannot reach it.
- The solution that lasts: closed bait stations around the perimeter and along the roofline, and sealing where they get in.
- 4 installed stations cost ₡48,900 and are installed within 24 to 72 hours.
Tonight
- Store food in closed containers, including the dog's and the cat's.
- Take out the trash and close the bin.
- Look for where they get in: a gap under the door, an unsealed pipe, the eaves, a branch touching the roof.
- Take photos of the droppings and the marks: they help tell whether it is a rat or a mouse.
What to avoid
Loose poison from the hardware store: the rat eats it, goes off to die in the attic or behind furniture and the smell lasts for weeks; on top of that, the bait is left within reach of children and pets. Glue traps catch small mice and almost never the roof rat, which is the one making noise at night. And there is no evidence that ultrasonic devices work.
How we solve it
We install closed bait stations with bait inside, numbered and dated, around the outside perimeter and along the roofline where they travel. The main entry point is found and sealed. After 15 days we check which stations had bait eaten, which is how we learn where they move and when the problem is over. Everything is in rodent control.
How much it costs
4 installed stations: ₡48,900. 8 stations, for large houses or a lot with a fruit tree: ₡79,900. Installed in a single visit, within 24 to 72 hours. Prices are on the prices page.
Frequently asked questions
Is it a rat or a mouse?
If the noise comes at night from the ceiling and the droppings are longer than a centimeter, it is a roof rat. Mice leave droppings the size of a grain of rice and move along the walls in the kitchen.
How long does it take to solve?
Bait in the stations starts being eaten in the first few days; activity drops within one to two weeks. The 15-day check confirms it.
Is it safe with children?
Yes: the bait sits inside a locked, closed station placed out of reach.