The most cost-effective way to keep mice out of a building is by sealing entry points. This can be done by caulking around cracks and gaps or filling them with silicone caulk and stainless steel wool.

Other cost-effective measures include removing sources of food (like pet food left out overnight), maintaining cleanliness, and using glue traps. A pest control company can also provide monthly or quarterly inspections for a monthly fee.

1. Seal Entry Points

If you're serious about reducing rodent control cost, sealing entry points is an essential PREVENTION solution. A professional can help you find common areas where pests get in, such as cracks around baseboards and vents. Sealants like caulking can cover holes up to one-quarter inch, while metal wool or expanding foam can be used for larger openings.

Rats can fit through 1/2-inch holes, so it's important to make every effort to seal exterior openings. Also, check and correct indoor moisture problems, such as leaking pipes or faucets, and standing water in sinks.

2. Keep Food Clean

Rodents can threaten food safety at every stage, from farm to fork. Mouse and rat droppings, urine and fur can contaminate foods and damage packaging and machinery. They can also transmit harmful parasites to employees and customers.

Keeping a clean environment can help reduce rodent infestations. Sweep floors regularly and keep cabinets and countertops free of crumbs and leftovers. Store food in airtight containers to deny rodents easy access. Secure outside trash bins and maintain proper waste disposal practices. This can all significantly lower the cost of rodent control and prevention.

3. Encourage Natural Predators

Rodents build nests for breeding and raising young, so eliminating their shelters can improve the effectiveness of rodent control measures. Proper food storage and keeping a clean environment can help, too. Door sweeps and keeping garage doors closed can also help deter rodents from entering buildings.

Installing barn owl nesting boxes, removing brush and woodpiles and keeping compost piles away from structures can further reduce rodent attraction. This can also help prevent introducing an invasive species to the area. Live traps can capture rodents without harming them, allowing them to be released elsewhere.

4. Remove Sources of Food

Rodents are responsible for billions of dollars of damage to the food supply chain. They contaminate feed, destroy buildings and equipment, and cause a variety of other problems.

Rodents also cause contamination and property damage at the residential level. Keep trash in sealed containers, and trim bushes away from structures to avoid rodent access points.

Remove ivy that grows on walls and can serve as a rat ladder. Maintain crawl spaces and attics and seal cracks with caulk or 1/4” x 1/4” metal mesh. Avoid keeping dry pet food and other foods in bags or boxes -- mice love them.

5. Use Glue Traps or Live Traps

Using traps instead of rodent poison provides clear confirmation that the rodent was caught and eliminates the threat to children, pets and natural predators. However, catching and disposing of rodents requires significant commitment to the long-term strategy of sanitation and exclusion.

Larger infestations require multiple service visits and sealing of multiple entry points. This raises the cost of rodent control services. The best way to reduce costs is to invest in a monthly pest plan that includes sanitation and exclusion strategies. This also helps prevent future infestations from occurring.

6. Use Rodenticides

Rodenticides are lethal poisons used to eliminate large populations of rats and mice. They may be formulated as baits (toxicant mixed with an attractive food material) or tracking powders, which are high-concentration toxicants on a nonfood carrier. Tracking powders include cholrophacinone, warfarin, diphacinone, ANTU and zinc phosphide.

Unfortunately, they’re lethal for any mammal or bird that ingests them and thousands of wild animals die from these poisons each year. They’re also dangerous for humans. Fortunately, there are safer alternatives.

7. Hire a Pest Control Company

Rodents are a nuisance and may threaten the health of children, pets, or adults. Hiring a pest control company is often more cost-effective than DIY solutions like poison or traps.

A pest control pro will inspect your property and seal any entry points to prevent rodents from coming inside. They can also trim overhanging trees and shrubs, install screens over crawl spaces, and repair roof vents. They can also provide monthly or quarterly inspections, starting at $50 per visit. A cleaning service costs an additional $100 to $250.

8. Hire a Termite Control Company

If you’ve tried to handle a rodent infestation on your own, and it hasn’t worked, consider hiring a pest control company. While DIY methods might cost less, a professional will provide more thorough treatment and prevent future infestations.

Rodents can eat through drywall, and they can cause damage to plumbing, electrical wiring and appliances. They may also create nests, which can lead to serious health problems. A reputable pest control company will seal entry points, clean up the mess, and advise on prevention methods. They can also help you choose the right traps or bait stations.

9. Install Nesting Boxes

Adding a nesting box to your garden helps native birds like possums and rats, whose numbers have declined. You can build your own from a piece of wood or use a recycled milk crate. Installing nest boxes at least 4 metres high will help to protect them from predators such as cats, dogs and foxes. Cone or stovepipe baffles can also be used to prevent climbing predators from reaching the box.

Mice extermination prices vary depending on the size of the infestation and chosen methods. A severe rodent infestation can cost more to treat, especially if mice have chewed through electrical wires in the home.

10. Maintain Cleanliness

Rodents are destructive and can cause serious health problems. Pestemite can chew through electrical wiring and drywall and destroy vegetation around homes.

Maintaining cleanliness reduces rodent control costs. Keep kitchens, garages and basements clean and free of food scraps. Remove overgrown bushes and plants near the home.

Avoid large rat infestations by keeping the house and garden free of food, water and shelter. Use humane traps to eliminate rats in the walls or attic rather than poisons. Avoid re-infestation by sealing entry points and installing barn owl nesting boxes.