Bay Area Rat & Mouse Extermination - Humane, Eco-Friendly & Guaranteed
Hearing scratching in your walls at night? Finding droppings in your pantry or garage? You’re not alone – rat and mouse infestations are surging across the Bay Area.
Once rodents find a way into your property, they breed quickly, chew through wiring and insulation, contaminate your kitchen with droppings and urine, and carry diseases like salmonella, leptospirosis, and hantavirus.
The longer you wait, the worse it gets – and the more expensive the damage becomes.
Since 2009, Smith’s Pest Management has helped Bay Area homeowners and businesses eliminate rodent infestations using eco-friendly solutions that are safe for your kids, pets, and property.
Don’t let rodents cause more damage. Call now:
Signs You’ve Got Rats or Mice on Your Property
Scratching Sounds in Walls or Ceilings
Across the Bay Area, especially in places like San Jose, Mountain View, and Oakland, we commonly find rats and mice moving through attics, crawl spaces, wall voids, and garages.
If you hear scratching, scurrying, or movement at night, rodents are already inside your property.
Droppings, Odors, and Rub Marks
Rodents leave clear evidence of where they’re living, feeding, and traveling through your home. Look for dark droppings in cabinets, attics, or along baseboards; strong, musky urine odors; greasy rub marks on wood, pipes, or walls; and dirty smears near entry points.
Gnawing on Wires, Wood, and Storage
Rodents gnaw constantly, leaving chewing damage throughout your home. They’ll tear into electrical wiring, insulation, wood framing, cardboard boxes, food packaging, and even car wiring.
Nesting in Insulation and Hidden Areas
In Bay Area homes, rats and mice often nest in attics, crawl spaces, and garages, where it’s warm and undisturbed. Outside, they hide in thick ivy, shrubs, and overgrown landscaping, then move inside to nest. If you’re seeing nesting material or disturbed insulation, they’re already living and breeding in your home.
Our Eco-Conscious Rodent Extermination Process
1
Inspect the Entire Property
We find where the critters are active, how they are getting in, and what is attracting them to your property by:
- inspecting attics, crawl spaces, garages, rooflines, and exterior walls
- looking for droppings, rub marks, gnawing, nesting, and burrowing in insulation
- identifying active entry points and potential weak spots
- checking vents, roof gaps, utility penetrations, and foundation openings
2
Remove the Active Rodents
We use a combination of trapping and, when needed, targeted baiting to eliminate the active population. This includes:
- setting traps along walls, edges, and travel routes in attics, crawl spaces, garages, and other high-activity areas (we also have humane live traps available!)
- using tamper-resistant bait stations in strategic locations when trapping alone is not enough to reduce larger populations
3
Monitor Activity and Remove Rodents
We return to your property every few days until we have caught every rodent, during which we:
- return to check traps and remove rodents
- monitor for new droppings, movement, or fresh activity
- adjust trap placement as activity shifts
4
Sanitize and Decontaminate
We treat contaminated areas to reduce health risks and lingering odor.
We:
- apply commercial-grade disinfectants to areas affected by droppings and urine
- target bacteria and pathogens such as Salmonella and hantavirus associated with rodent activity
- mask pheromones, deterring exterior rodents from entering the treated area
5
Seal Entry Points
Once we remove the rodents, we close off the entry points they used to get inside your property by:
- sealing active entry points using galvanized steel mesh, hardware cloth, and metal flashing at vents, rooflines, and eaves
- securing pipe and utility gaps with steel wool backing, wire mesh, and commercial-grade sealants to block small openings
- reinforcing weak construction areas like fascia gaps and roof transitions with durable materials that rodents cannot chew through
- closing secondary and hidden gaps using a combination of metal, composite repairs, and sealants to prevent future entry
6
Remove Food Sources and Shelter
Rodents stick around your property when they find food and shelter. We’ll help you get rid of what’s attracting them – like fallen fruit, pet waste, exposed trash, cardboard clutter, and overgrown plants that give them places to hide.
Success Story: How We Helped a Mountain View Homeowner Get Rid of Rats
A homeowner in Mountain View called us after hearing scratching in the attic every night and finding droppings in the garage.
They had already tried traps on their own, but the problem kept coming back.
During our inspection, we found clear signs of rat activity. There were rub marks along beams, droppings throughout the attic, and burrowing in the insulation. Outside, the bigger issue became obvious. Dense ivy along the fence line, fruit trees dropping food, and branches touching the roof were giving rats easy access to the home.
The rats were climbing the fence, moving through the vegetation, getting onto the roof, and entering through small gaps near the roofline.
We set traps directly along their travel routes in the attic and garage and began removing the active rats right away. At the same time, we identified and sealed the entry points they were using to get inside.
Within a few weeks, the scratching stopped. No new droppings showed up, and the attic was quiet again.
We also guided the homeowner on trimming vegetation and reducing the conditions that were attracting rats in the first place.
What Our Customers Say
FAQ
House mice, roof rats, and Norway rats are the most common species in Northern California.
Roof rats tend to nest in attics and trees, Norway rats burrow in basements or under foundations, and house mice prefer walls, pantries, and storage areas.
Minor infestations may be resolved within a week, while larger colonies can take several weeks to eliminate completely.
Long-term success also depends on sealing entry points and removing food sources.
They can if the property isn’t secured. That’s why we combine extermination with exclusion and prevention to ensure they don’t return.
Yes. We use eco-friendly products and tamper-resistant equipment designed for safety around children and animals.
Pricing depends on your property size and infestation severity. Call (408) 871-6988 for a free inspection and quote tailored to your needs.
DIY traps or poisons may catch a few rodents, but without addressing entry points, infestations often return. Professional help ensures a complete and lasting solution.
Kourtney B. - Los Gatos, CA
“ My chicken coop was put up five years ago. I went out one night and almost had a heart attack because there was probably 100 rats in with the chickens. I called Smith’s and the problem was solved quickly. No more rats!”
