Rodent Control in Clarksville

If you are finding droppings in the pantry or hearing scratching in the walls at night, the order of work matters more than the product. Find how they get in, close it, then trap what is inside. I would be wary of any quote that starts and ends with a monthly bait contract.

Why mice show up in the fall

UT Extension's urban entomologist notes that rodents often move indoors when temperatures start to cool in the fall. In Clarksville the median first freeze is October 31, from our NOAA-based pest data, so October and November are when most people first notice them. A house leaking warm air through gaps is an easy target. The University of Nebraska guide to house mice says mice are drawn to buildings where they detect openings and escaping heat.

Signs of house mice, per the UNL guide:

• Droppings about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long, pointed at one or both ends. One mouse leaves roughly 50 to 75 a day.
• Small gnaw marks and clean holes chewed in cardboard or food packaging.
• Nests of shredded paper or insulation near warm spots like the water heater.

Mice breed fast. UNL says a female can have 5 to 10 litters a year of about 5 or 6 young each, so a couple of mice in October can be a real problem by January.

If you are not sure whether it is mice or rats, a photo of the droppings next to a coin helps.

Norway rats and roof rats in Tennessee

A 2019 UT Extension IPM newsletter describes the Norway rat as common and widespread throughout Tennessee. Norway rats are reddish to brown with small ears, and the tail is shorter than the head and body. They burrow in soil next to foundations and under debris, and they can get in through pipe openings in the foundation wall.

Roof rats are a smaller share of the problem here, but not absent. The same newsletter says the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency lists roof rats as found throughout the state, most likely in upper floors of buildings near grain elevators or large shipping docks. Pest professionals have long reported them in Shelby County, around Memphis. In 2019, pros in middle Tennessee also reported that roof rat problems were increasing. Roof rats are gray to black, with large ears and a tail longer than the head and body. They nest high up, often in attics. They reach roofs along tree limbs and power lines.

	Norway rat	Roof rat
Color and ears	Reddish brown, small ears	Gray to black, large ears
Tail	Shorter than head and body	Longer than head and body
Droppings	About 3/4 inch, blunt	About 1/2 inch, pointed on one end
Nests	Burrows at ground level	Attics, walls, trees

The table follows the UT newsletter. The difference matters because the inspection is different. For roof rats, the technician needs to look up at the roofline and at branches touching the house.

Exclusion first

Sealing is what keeps the job from repeating every fall. UNL says mice pass through gaps slightly larger than 1/4 inch and recommends sealing every opening that size or bigger. UT says rats get through openings larger than 1/2 inch.

What the sealing should use, per UNL:

• Sealant or mortar for small gaps around pipes.
• Copper mesh or stainless steel fiber packed into larger gaps.
• Hardware cloth or sheet metal for big openings. UT recommends hardware cloth on vents.

UNL warns that plastic and other soft materials do not hold up, since rodents chew through them. UT also suggests trimming trees away from the roof and keeping trash cans away from doors with tight lids.

When you get a quote, ask the technician to list each entry point they found and what they will use on it. That list is the most useful page of a rodent quote.

Snap traps do most of the work

Once the gaps are closed, trapping clears out what is left inside. For mice, UNL's guidance:

• Set traps close to walls and behind objects, where droppings are. Mice run along edges.
• Space them no more than about 10 feet apart in active areas, and use pairs where activity is heavy.
• Use plenty. UNL says about two dozen traps can handle a new infestation in a 1,500 square foot home.
• Check them in the morning.

For rats, UT notes they are wary of new objects. Leave traps in place for a while, and give a trap a full week before moving it. Set traps in runways with the trigger toward the wall, and fasten them down so a rat cannot drag one off. Tennessee does not require a pesticide certification to set traps or remove dead rodents, according to the same UT newsletter.

Skip the plug-in ultrasonic units. UNL says researchers found little evidence that electronic devices drive out established mice.

Bait and pets

Rodenticide has a place, mostly in locked stations outdoors. It carries real risk in a home with pets or small children. The EPA no longer allows loose pellets in consumer rodent bait; consumer products must come in ready-to-use bait stations. The stronger second-generation anticoagulants are limited to professional use because of the risk to animals that are not the target.

If a company proposes bait, ask where every station will go, whether the stations are tamper-resistant and anchored, and which active ingredient is in them. Write the product name down. If a pet may have eaten bait, call your vet right away and have that name ready. My view is that bait inside living space is a poor choice for most homes. A rodent that eats it can die inside a wall, and the odor can last for weeks.

Do you need a monthly bait program?

A common complaint on pest control forums is a rodent bait contract that runs for years while the rats keep coming. Outdoor bait stations kill rodents that find them. They don't stop new ones from getting into the house.

If you have paid for a bait program for months and still hear them in the walls, ask the company to walk the outside with you and show you the gaps they have sealed. If the answer is none, the program is renting you bait. Sealing first and then trapping, as above, is what ends an indoor problem.

Cleaning up droppings safely

The CDC says not to sweep or vacuum droppings or nests, because that can put virus particles into the air. Instead:

1. Open doors and windows for 30 minutes and leave the room.
2. Spray droppings and nest material with 1 1/2 cups of household bleach in a gallon of water, or a disinfectant per its label.
3. Let it soak for 5 minutes, then wipe up with paper towels and bag them.

What rodent control costs

This Old House (updated April 3, 2026) puts mouse extermination at $150 to $550 in most cases, with an average around $350, and says some companies charge $75 to $125 per visit. Those are national figures, not our quotes, and sealing work is priced on top of that depending on how many entry points there are. Our Clarksville cost guide covers other jobs, and this quote checklist shows what a fair rodent quote includes.

Scratching in the attic can also be squirrels or other animals. If the noise is during the day, read our wildlife removal page first.

We only refer companies chartered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (and licensed by the Kentucky Department of Agriculture for Kentucky addresses). To have one find the entry points and give you a written price, start here.