# Mouse & Rat Control in NYC > Mouse and rat control in New York City: inspection, sealing entry points, sanitation, and trapping or baiting under label rules. Source: https://gopeststop.com/residential/services/mice-and-rats/ **Mouse & rat control in NYC. All five boroughs, from basements to rooftops.** For New York City apartments, brownstones and houses. We find how rodents get in, close those routes and remove the animals already inside. ## Rodents in your home? Find how they get in Control works when entry points, food and shelter are all addressed. House mice live inside buildings and can pass through gaps about the width of a pencil, so a small opening around a pipe or behind a stove is enough. Norway rats are larger, burrow in soil, along foundations and under sidewalks, and enter through gaps around a half inch wide, damaged vents and open drains. In New York City buildings both travel through shared walls, utility chases and basements, and reach upper floors along pipes and cables. Rodents need food, water and shelter. Trash, pet food, crumbs, clutter and unsealed openings give them all three. We inspect, identify which rodent you have and explain what falls to you, what falls to building management and what we handle. ## Where we see rodents in NYC Mice are a year-round issue in apartment buildings in every borough, entering at pipes, gaps and shared walls. Rats are more often tied to what is outside: trash storage, restaurants, parks, construction and ground-floor and basement units in Manhattan, Brooklyn and the Bronx, and yards and garages on Staten Island and in Queens. [Pest control in the Bronx](https://gopeststop.com/areas/bronx.md) ## What to expect: a plan for your home Every visit has a defined purpose, from inspection through checking that activity has stopped. 1. **Inspect & identify.** We examine kitchens, closets, basements, utility penetrations and exterior entry areas for droppings, rub marks, gnawing, nests and burrows, and confirm whether mice, rats or both are present. Tell us where you hear noises and when. Photos of droppings and damage help. 2. **Trap, bait & seal.** We set traps or tamper-resistant bait stations according to the label and the risk, and seal openings with durable materials rodents cannot chew through. Sealing is done after we confirm animals are not trapped inside. 3. **Monitor & follow up.** We check traps and stations at follow-up, review activity and adjust placement. We recommend sanitation and storage changes that keep the problem from returning. Dead rodent odor in walls fades as the animal dries. ## Target the problem: choose the approach Exclusion and sanitation come first. Trapping or baiting removes what is already inside. - **Exclusion and sealing:** Steel wool, copper mesh, metal flashing, hardware cloth, door sweeps and cement or sealant close gaps around pipes, vents, doors and baseboards. Rodents can chew plastic, foam and wood, so those materials alone are not used. A mouse does not need much more than a quarter inch of open space. - **Snap and multi-catch trapping:** Snap traps or multi-catch traps placed along walls and travel routes remove mice quickly without toxicants and let us count catches to judge progress. We avoid glue boards where possible because they cause suffering and can spread the problem. - **Tamper-resistant bait stations:** Where rodenticide is appropriate, particularly for rats, we use locked, tamper-resistant stations placed in protected spots and used according to the label. Stations are checked and removed or replaced as activity ends. Tell us about pets and children. Stations are placed out of reach, and bait is never left loose. ## Know the signs: what rodent activity looks like Signs help us tell mice from rats and find where they travel. - **Droppings:** Mouse droppings are small, rice-grain size with pointed ends. Rat droppings are larger, about the size of a raisin or olive pit. - **Gnawing and rub marks:** Chewed packaging, wires or wood, and dark greasy rub marks along baseboards and pipes mark routes. - **Noises in walls or ceilings:** Scratching, scurrying or squeaking at night, especially in walls, ceilings and under floors. - **Nests and burrows:** Shredded paper, fabric or insulation in hidden places, or burrow holes along foundations and in garden beds. ## Your part: before and after the visit Your actions help traps work and keep rodents from returning. - **Store food in hard containers:** Keep pantry items, pet food and bird seed in glass, metal or thick plastic with tight lids. - **Remove clutter:** Clear stacked boxes and storage under sinks and along walls so we can inspect, seal and set traps. - **Manage trash:** Use bins with tight lids, take trash out daily and keep recycling clean and away from walls. - **Clean droppings safely:** Wear gloves, dampen droppings with disinfectant before wiping and never sweep or vacuum them dry, which can raise dust. ## Your questions: clear answers ### Why do I still hear noises after trapping? Rodents are rarely alone, and traps may take a few visits to remove the population. Noises usually fade as traps and sealing take effect. If they continue we adjust placement and look for entry points we missed. ### Is poison always used? No. For mice indoors we often start with traps and exclusion. Baiting is used where it is appropriate, typically for rats or heavier activity, in tamper-resistant stations according to the label. ### Can I just use store-bought traps and bait? They can help with a single mouse, but without finding and sealing the entry points more rodents tend to follow. Loose bait is also a hazard for children and pets and is not a good idea in apartments. ### Is it my landlord's responsibility? In multi-unit buildings, rodents commonly travel through shared walls and common areas, so building management often needs to be involved in sealing and exterior work. We explain what we find so you can raise it with them. ### Are rodents a health concern? Rodents can contaminate food and surfaces and trigger allergies, so we recommend prompt control and safe clean-up. Wear gloves, dampen droppings before wiping them up, and discard contaminated food. ### Are there city rules about trash and rats? Yes. The Health Code requires garbage to be kept in tightly covered, pest-resistant receptacles, and Sanitation rules require lidded bins for buildings with one to nine units when trash goes out after 6 p.m. Lidded, washed bins and closed trash rooms remove the food that keeps rats near a building, so we look at them on every rodent visit. ## Ready for the visit? Start here A little information helps us plan the assessment. Before treatment, we will give you preparation instructions for your home. - **Tell us what you have seen:** Share where you hear or see activity, the size of droppings and any photos of damage or gaps. - **Mention pets and children:** Let us know who shares the home so trap and station placement can be planned around them. - **Note building access:** Tell us if basements, shared walls or utility rooms are involved so we can plan coordination with management. [Request a quote](https://gopeststop.com/contact/) ## Contact PestStop - Request a quote: https://gopeststop.com/contact/ - Phone: [(212) 266-0026](tel:+12122660026) - Email: [info@gopeststop.com](mailto:info@gopeststop.com) - Company: PESTSTOP CORP, 2509 Astoria Blvd, Ste 1, Astoria, NY 11102