I need to get rid of mice! Do services like Orkin work?

Question

What do they usually cost and are they worth the money?

Answer 1

You can save alot of money by doing it yourself, plus most pest control companies only get rid of rodents you currently have. I'm assuming you live in a house (if you live in an apt. the apt.mgr. should be the one responsible for rodent control), but the first thing you need to do is seal your house and ensure food/crumbs (especially cereal & cat/dog food) aren't left out. All the mousetraps, pesticides, etc. in the world will not prevent them from coming in. You must do a thorough inspection of your house, basement, & crawlspace for holes leading to the outside. No matter how small the hole is, seal it up. A small deer mouse can fit through a hole/crack smaller than a dime. I've found the best stuff to use is epoxy putty, mortar mix, and steel wool (depending on the size of the hole and the surface around it). I would stay away from caulk and the foam spray stuff as I've seen mice chew through them both. Inspecting your house may be easier if you have another person looking on the outside when it's dusk/dark outside to look for light leaking from your house. Once that's done, set traps. What type is really a personal choice as they all work well. If you use snap traps be sure to wear gloves when handling dead mice. Same goes for cleaning up droppings. Mouse droppings can cause some nasty diseases, namely hantavirus. Also, don't waste money on those ultrasonic repellents. They may work for a while, but mice can develop an immunity to the sound. There's also a number of online resources on tips for mice (see links below). Lastly, I don't recommend using bait that kills them. If a mouse eats it then gets inside your wall & dies, it can stink for quite some time unless you remove that section of wall to get to it.

Answer 2

Most pest control services like Orkin offer free consultations.  Be aware, they may try to dramatize your problem--the more anxious they can make you about the mice, the more likely you are to hire them.  Disease!  Hantavirus!  You could die!  Aaaah!

If you bring an exterminator to your home, ask them what measures, exactly, they will take.  What traps?  What poison?  Most pest control companies make the bulk of their money from "plans"--a monthly plan, usually.  This involves them coming over regularly to change poison, traps, etc.

If you're squeamish about mice, try the exterminators, but don't get the "plan."  You can always get the plan later if you want to.  

If you're ok with trapping mice and laying out poison, do it yourself.  That's basically what the exterminator will do.  Check out websites or other answers on Yahoo as to how.  Or, take an inventory of the problem and ask another question on Yahoo, with as many specifics as possible.  

PS  If you have pets, and their food bowls are open to mice, see my answer to mrs nevz.  Good luck!

Answer 3

no they are scams. i know i have tryed

Answer 4

Orkin is expensive and should be a last resort.  Go to this website.  www.doyourownpestcontrol.com

Answer 5

Buy a bunch of Victor mousetraps.  Peanut butter and/or bologna work well as bait.  You can also get the sticky traps.  Put them next to the the walls since mice and rats tend to run along the walls.