Mouse control for homes

What a mouse controller does

A mouse controller starts with a survey for entry points and runs. They look for droppings, gnawing and nests, work out where the mice are getting in, and choose traps or bait to suit the building.

A course is usually two or three visits over two to four weeks. The first visit is the survey and the first set of traps or bait. Follow-up visits check what has been caught or taken and top up. Then comes proofing, which closes the gaps so the mice do not return. Proofing is the single biggest factor in a lasting result, and it is often charged separately, so ask what the quote covers.

Before the first visit, clear food and store it in sealed tubs, declutter along the walls, and give access to the kitchen and loft.

Why proofing matters

Mice get through gaps of about 6 mm. That is smaller than most people expect, and it means gaps round pipes, under doors and in air bricks all count. A treatment that kills the mice inside without sealing those gaps invites the next lot.

Proofing usually means filling holes with wire wool and foam, and fitting mesh to air bricks. Ask whether the quote includes it, or whether it is a second price. A firm that treats but will not proof is giving you half the job.

How long it takes and what you are promised

Most courses take two to four weeks. Ask for the guarantee in writing, with its length and what a free return covers. As a guide, Colchester council guarantees its own treatment for a month after the last visit. Prices are on our mouse control cost page.

Mice can start in any month. A female has five to ten litters of four to twelve a year and breeds at about six weeks, so a small problem grows quickly. That is why waiting to see if they leave is a poor plan. Invasions rise in autumn and winter, when mice come in from the cold, and rodent call-outs rose 10% from 2024 to 2025, according to Rentokil.

The rules on traps and bait

• Glue traps: in England they have been licence-only since 31 July 2024, and a licence is for exceptional public-health cases, not homes. Wales has banned them since 17 October 2023 and Scotland since 1 July 2026. A firm should never offer one to a householder.
• Professional rodenticides: buying them needs CRRU competence, tightened on 1 January 2026, and second-generation anticoagulants may not be used away from buildings, which has applied since 1 January 2025.
• Spring traps: the rule in section 8 of the Pests Act 1954 on which spring traps may be used does not apply to traps for rats, mice or other small ground vermin.

Choosing a mouse controller

No licence is needed to run a pest control business, so a credential shows training, not permission. BPCA and NPTA are trade associations with audits and codes of practice. BASIS PROMPT records an individual technician's qualifications and annual training, and RSPH Level 2 is the baseline technician award. None is a licence.

Only the purchase of professional rodenticide is gated, by CRRU competence. Ask whether the price covers follow-up visits and proofing, how long the guarantee lasts, and what a free return covers. Be wary of devices that promise to drive mice away with sound, because they are unproven. A good firm will also tell you what you must do between visits, such as keeping food sealed.

Does the council treat mice?

Most councils treat mice, usually on the same fee as rats. Your council may treat mice for a fixed fee, and Bolton does it free, so check before you book privately. See council pest control for fees by council.

Mice in a rented home

The Prevention of Damage by Pests Act 1949 lets the council require an owner or occupier to treat and repair. Since SI 2026/571 the housing hazard called domestic hygiene includes exposure to pests. Tenants of social landlords in England should also watch for Awaab's Law, which adds domestic hygiene from 30 November 2026.

Structural entry is usually the landlord's job to fix, and cleanliness is usually the tenant's. Report in writing early and keep a copy. If you want to try first, read how to get rid of mice yourself.

Mice in the house

Mice in the house usually mean a gap you have not found, plus food that is easy to reach. Look for droppings in drawers, cupboards and behind appliances, gnawed packaging, and listen for scratching at night. Mice use gaps of about 6 mm.

Store food in sealed tubs, clear crumbs and set snap traps along the walls where you see droppings. Call a professional if you hear mice in cavities or the roof, if trapping has not worked after two weeks, or if the home is a business or a rental. Do not use glue traps.

Mice in the walls

Scratching and scurrying in a wall means mice are using the cavity as a runway. They get in through gaps near pipes and air bricks, and can reach the cavity without ever entering a room.

You cannot trap what you cannot reach. Loose poison in a cavity is a bad idea because a dead mouse in the wall can smell for some time. Call a professional, who will find the entry point and fit proofing. If you rent, tell your landlord in writing, since structural entry is usually their job.

Mice in the loft

Mice in the loft are heard as light scampering at night, often keeping people awake. Look for droppings along the joists, in the insulation and near the water tank, and shredded material used as nests.

Rats and squirrels also live in lofts, so check the droppings first. Mice leave droppings about 3 to 6 mm long. Do not block the holes until you are sure the mice are out. Call a professional if the noise is overhead, if you cannot reach the area, or if traps in the loft have caught nothing after two weeks.

Mice in the kitchen

A mouse seen in the kitchen is after food, and where there is one there are usually more. Check behind the cooker and fridge, under the sink, in the back of cupboards and around pipe holes in the units. Look for droppings, chewed packets and a musky ammonia smell.

Put food in sealed tubs, take away pet food overnight and clear crumbs. Set snap traps along the wall with peanut butter as bait. Throw away gnawed food, and wash surfaces. Call a professional if you keep finding droppings after two weeks, because the entry point is probably behind the units.

Mice in the garden

Mice live outdoors in sheds, compost heaps and borders. They are mainly a problem when they come indoors as the weather turns, so seal the gaps where the garden meets the house, and move wood piles and compost away from walls.

Remove fallen seed and spilled pet food, and keep bins closed. Do not scatter loose poison: it can kill pets and wildlife, and predators are poisoned second-hand. Call a professional if mice are in outbuildings you use, or in the house itself.

Mice in the garage

Garages offer shelter, clutter and often stored food, such as pet food or bird seed. Mice also gnaw cables and packaging. Move boxes off the floor, put pet food and seed in sealed tubs, and leave a gap along the walls so you can see droppings.

Set snap traps along the wall. A garage that connects to the house is a route in, so seal the gap round the door and any pipe holes. Call a professional if the garage is part of a business or you share it with a flat above, or if trapping has not worked after two weeks.