PEST CONTROL

Mouse and Rat Control in Toronto, Oakville & the GTA

House mice, deer mice and Norway rats, trapped and sealed out

Mouse and rat control in Toronto, Oakville and the GTA starts with finding how they got in. A mouse fits through a crack the size of a dime and a rat through a quarter-sized hole, so we trap along the routes they use, then seal the gaps with steel wool, metal mesh and other materials they can't easily chew through. Trapping without sealing leaves the door open for the next ones.

Hearing scratching in the walls? We offer same-day rodent inspections across Toronto and the GTA when the schedule allows.

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AT A GLANCE

Mice and Rats at a Glance

House mouse, one of the most common rodent pests in homes

Size: Body 5 to 9 cm, plus a tail of 8 to 10 cm
Colour: Light brown to dark grey, lighter belly
Body: Slender, with large ears and a nearly hairless tail
How to tell: Droppings 3 to 6 mm with pointed ends; a rat's are 13 to 19 mm and blunt
Active: All year; deer mice move in near fields and woods in fall
Where found: Wall cavities, attics, basements, garages, behind appliances
Bites or stings: Hantavirus spreads through droppings, urine and saliva

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

Signs You Have Mice or Rats

If you’ve noticed any of these, call and a licensed technician will tell you what it points to.

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Droppings along walls, in cupboards or behind the fridge and stove
Scratching or scurrying inside walls or ceilings at night
Gnaw marks on food packages, baseboards, door frames or around pipes
Nests of shredded paper or cloth in quiet corners
Dark, greasy smudges along baseboards and a musky smell
Burrows by the foundation, in the garden or under woodpiles, or gnaw marks on garbage bins (rats)

Cleaning Up Mouse Droppings Safely

Never sweep or vacuum droppings: it stirs up dust you can breathe in, and that dust can spread hantavirus. Wear rubber gloves, soak droppings and nests with 1 part bleach to 9 parts water and leave it 10 minutes, then wipe up and double-bag everything. In a closed space like a crawl space or shed, wear an N95 respirator.

Public Health Agency of Canada: hantavirus prevention

IDENTIFICATION

Mouse or Rat? How to Tell, Droppings Included

A house mouse is slender, with a pointed nose, large ears, small feet and a nearly hairless tail a little longer than its 5 to 9 cm body. A Norway rat has coarse fur, a blunt nose, small ears, large feet and a scaly tail a little shorter than its 18 to 25 cm body. A young rat can be close to the size of an adult mouse, so check the head and feet as well. If you haven't seen the animal, the droppings tell you which one you have.

Mouse droppings: about 3 to 6 mm long, with pointed ends.
Rat droppings: about 13 to 19 mm long, with blunt ends.
Mouse or vole? A vole has a shorter tail, a rounder head and muzzle, and small ears.

TYPES

Mice, Rats and Voles in Ontario

House mouse
Mus musculus
Light brown to dark grey with a lighter belly, large ears and a nearly hairless tail. One of the rodent pests most often found in and around buildings.
Where found: Wall cavities, attics, basements, garages, and under or behind kitchen appliances.
Deer mouse and white-footed mouse
Peromyscus spp.
Two-toned: brown or grey above, with a white belly, white feet and a furry tail that is white underneath. The two species look alike.
Where found: Buildings near fields and woodland, such as cottages, sheds and garages, mostly in the fall.
The deer mouse is the most common carrier of hantavirus in Canada. Clean up after them wet, never dry.
Norway rat (brown rat)
Rattus norvegicus
Much bigger than a mouse, up to about half a kilogram, with coarse brown fur, a blunt nose, small ears and a scaly tail.
Where found: Burrows along foundations, under decks, sheds and woodpiles, and in damp crawl spaces.
The only house rat in Ontario. In Canada, black (roof) rats are found only on the BC coast.
Meadow vole
Microtus pennsylvanicus
Looks like a house mouse but with a shorter tail, a rounded head and small ears. Dark brown with a greyish belly.
Where found: Lawns, gardens and the base of young trees and shrubs. It almost never comes into houses.
A related species, the woodland vole, is listed in Ontario as a species of Special Concern.

Raised ridges and molehills in the lawn are made by moles, which are not rodents: see mole control.

OUR APPROACH

Rodent Control in Toronto and Oakville: How We Treat It

Step 1
Inspect Inside and Out
We check the house inside and out for droppings, gnaw marks, rub marks and nests, which show where rodents travel and nest. Then we find the gaps they use. Mice climb, so the check runs from the foundation to the roofline.
Step 2
Trap Along Their Runs
Traps and tamper-resistant bait stations go along walls and on the routes the droppings and rub marks point to. Mice hug walls and on average range only 3 to 9 metres from the nest, so traps go close to where they live and travel. Stations are placed with children and pets in mind.
Step 3
Seal the Entry Points
Gaps are closed with materials rodents can't chew through: steel wool packed around pipes before caulking, metal mesh over vents and soffits, and metal weather stripping under doors. Mice gnaw through wood, plastic and even aluminum siding, which is why steel wool goes in before the caulk.
Step 4
Check and Follow Up
Traps are checked and reset, because young that were still in the nest during the first round mature over the next two to three weeks. A follow-up then catches them and shows whether any way in was missed.

BITES AND STINGS

Do Mice Bite? The Real Health Risk From Mice and Rats

The health risk Canada's public health agencies warn about is disease. Health Canada says mice and rats carry disease, and the deer mouse is the most common carrier of hantavirus in Canada. The virus spreads mostly through droppings, urine and saliva, and dust from dry droppings can make people sick. Hantavirus is rare, with 168 cases identified in Canada since testing began in the early 1990s, but it can be deadly. Symptoms such as fever, chills, cough and muscle aches show up 1 to 6 weeks after contact.

If you've been around rodents or their droppings and get those symptoms, see a doctor right away, or call Health811 for advice.
If a mouse or rat bites or scratches you, call your doctor or Health811. Based on information up to 2018, rabies passed from a rodent to a person has not been reported anywhere.

RISKS AND DAMAGE

What Damage Can Mice and Rats Cause?

Mice gnaw often to keep their constantly growing teeth trimmed, and that reaches wiring, baseboards, insulation, plumbing and food packages. Chewed wires can knock out appliances and start fires. Their urine and musky smell can ruin stored food, clothing and papers. Rats damage homes, wiring and drains. Numbers are the other problem: one female house mouse can produce more than 40 young a year.

One mouse in the fall can be trapped, but droppings in more than one room, or noise in the walls means mice are living in the house. That, or any sign of rats, means the way in needs to be found and sealed.

CAUSES

Why You Have Mice or Rats

Mice and rats come in for food, water and shelter. Deer mice move into buildings near fields and woodland in the fall.

What Draws Them In

Pet food, bird seed and dry food stored in bags or cardboard
Garbage, compost and green bins without tight, locked lids
Clutter in garages, basements and sheds that gives them quiet places to nest
Tall grass, weeds and woodpiles up against the house
Leaks, standing water and spilled seed under bird feeders

How They Get In

Worn thresholds and gaps under exterior and garage doors
Holes around pipes, cables and gas lines where they pass through the wall
Dryer vents, attic vents and soffits without metal screening
Cracks in the foundation and gaps where siding meets it
Burrows dug along the foundation walls (rats)

HABITS

Life Cycle and Habits

Habitat

House mice nest in any quiet, undisturbed spot: wall cavities, attics, garages, basements and under kitchen appliances, in a nest of shredded paper or cloth about 13 cm across. Norway rats live in burrows at ground level around buildings, prefer damp places such as crawl spaces, and are strong swimmers, climbers and jumpers.

Diet

Mice eat many foods but prefer seeds and grain, and they can get all the water they need from their food. Rats eat what people leave around: garbage, pet food, bird seed and fallen fruit. Voles eat mostly grass in the growing season and the bark of young trees in winter.

Life Cycle

House mice breed all year, and one female can produce more than 40 young in a year. Norway rats have 3 to 12 litters a year, usually 5, averaging 9 young each.

Seasonal Behaviour in Ontario

Mice breed and stay active all year, mostly at night, feeding most at dusk and dawn. In the fall, deer mice move into homes, cottages and sheds near fields and woodland. Voles stay outdoors and feed in tunnels under the snow, so their lawn runways and chewed tree bark usually aren't noticed until the spring melt.

PREVENTION

How to Keep Mice and Rats Out

Pack steel wool into gaps around pipes and cables, then caulk over it to hold it in place.
Cover dryer vents, attic vents and soffits with fine metal mesh.
Fit metal weather stripping under exterior and garage doors, and weather strip windows.
Patch foundation cracks and check for gaps from the ground up to at least 1 metre, since mice climb.
Store dry food, pet food and bird seed in metal or glass containers.
Keep garbage in bins with tight lids, keep the green bin locked, and don't leave pet food outside.
Cut tall grass and weeds back from the house. In Toronto, they can't grow past 20 cm under city rules.
Stack firewood about 30 cm off the ground and away from the walls.
Clear clutter from the garage and basement, fix leaks, and put heavy metal mesh under your composter.

How to Get Rid of Mice: DIY or a Professional?

A single mouse in the fall can often be handled with snap traps using Health Canada's method: bait them with peanut butter but leave them unset for 3 to 4 days, then set them about 1 metre apart along the walls, check them daily, and reset them two to three weeks later for the young. Any rodent bait you buy should carry a PCP registration number; home-use baits in Canada must be solid blocks used inside bait stations. A poisoned mouse can die in a wall and smell. Ultrasonic repellers aren't a fix either: Health Canada notes mice and rats may adapt to them and come back.

Droppings in more than one room or on more than one floor
Noise inside walls or ceilings
Any sign of rats: large droppings, burrows along the foundation or gnawed bins
Mice back again the next fall, which means the way in is still open

Pest Control for Rats: Norway Rat Removal in Toronto and Oakville

The rat that gets into Ontario homes is the Norway rat, also called the brown rat, and it is the only house rat in the province. It is much bigger than a mouse, up to about half a kilogram, and lives in burrows at ground level: along foundations, under decks, sheds and woodpiles, and in damp crawl spaces. A rat gets in through a hole the size of a quarter and is a strong swimmer, climber and jumper. Rats eat what people leave around, such as garbage, pet food, bird seed and fallen fruit, and a female has 3 to 12 litters a year, usually 5, averaging 9 young each.

Signs of rats: droppings 13 to 19 mm long with blunt ends, burrows by the foundation, in the garden or under woodpiles, and gnaw marks on garbage bins.
Rats dig burrows along the foundation walls, and rat jobs need heavier-duty materials and more exterior work than mouse jobs.

Mice in the Walls: What That Scratching Means

Scratching and scampering in the walls at night is the first sign Health Canada lists. Mice climb well, nest in wall cavities and attics, and run along pipes and wires. Other animals make similar noises, though, so look for droppings and gnaw marks to confirm it's rodents.

Trap and seal together. Sealing the gaps while mice are still inside leaves them in the house with you.
Put traps where mice travel when they leave the wall: along baseboards, in corners and near holes. Traps set in pairs work better than single ones.

What Affects the Cost of Mouse and Rat Removal

There is no flat price, because the cost depends on what the inspection finds. These are the main factors:

How many entry points need sealing, and how hard they are to reach: rooflines, soffits and crawl spaces take longer
How established the activity is: a few mice in one room, or droppings on several floors
Mice or rats: rats need heavier-duty materials and more exterior work
The size and age of the home, since older homes and fieldstone foundations have more gaps
How many visits the job takes, such as trap checks before the final sealing

From the blog: How Mice Get Into Ontario Homes: 7 Gaps to Seal by October The numbers: Toronto Rat and Mouse Statistics

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Treatments are applied by technicians licensed under Ontario pesticide rules.

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COMMON QUESTIONS

Mouse & Rat Control: Questions We Get

Will trapping alone solve a mouse problem?

It clears the mice that are inside now, but not the next ones. Mouse numbers recover quickly, and if the gaps that let them in are still open, more move in the next time the weather turns cold. The same problem in the same season every year often means the entry points were never sealed.

How are mice getting into my house?

Usually through gaps you wouldn't think to check: around pipe and utility lines, under garage door seals, where siding meets the foundation, through unscreened vents, and along the sill plate where the wood frame sits on the foundation. A mouse only needs a crack the size of a dime. Older homes with rubble or fieldstone foundations have more of these gaps.

How long does it take to get rid of mice?

Expect more than one round of trapping. Young mice still in the nest during the first round mature over the next two to three weeks, which is when Health Canada advises resetting traps.

How long do mice live?

A house mouse usually lives 9 to 12 months, and a few have lived up to 3 years. Waiting them out doesn't work, though: young house mice can breed 5 to 6 weeks after birth, so new litters arrive long before the older mice die.

What are voles, and are they damaging my lawn?

Voles are mouse-like rodents with short tails that live in grass and gardens and almost never come indoors. They tunnel under the snow in winter, so in spring you may find 2.5 to 5 cm wide dead strips through the lawn and bark chewed off young trees. Regular mowing, pulling mulch back from tree trunks in winter and wrapping young trees with mesh below the soil line all help.

I rent. Who is responsible for mice or rats?

In Toronto, property owners are responsible for dealing with rats on their property. The city tells tenants in apartments and multi-unit buildings to speak to their landlord or property manager first, and to call 311 if the problem isn't dealt with. Outside Toronto, check your own city's property standards rules.

Why do I have mice in my garage?

Clutter gives mice quiet places to nest, and pet food, bird seed and garbage give them food. They usually get in through a worn threshold or a gap under the garage door. Fit metal weather stripping under the door, store pet food, bird seed and dry food in metal or glass containers, keep garbage in bins with tight lids, and clear the clutter.

Do mice go away in winter?

No. House mice breed and stay active all year, mostly at night, and one female can produce more than 40 young in a year. Mice that got in during the fall don't leave on their own when it gets cold. Trapping them and sealing the gaps they used is what ends it.

How much does mouse and rat control cost?

There is no flat price: we quote after the inspection, because the cost depends on what it finds. The main factors are how many entry points need sealing and how hard they are to reach, whether the activity is in one room or on several floors, and how many visits the trapping takes before the final sealing. Rat jobs need heavier-duty materials and more exterior work than mouse jobs. Call (905) 739-7888 or send the quote form; the quote is free, and there's no binding contract.

Sources

Last updated October 21, 2026

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Mouse & Rat Control Across Toronto, Oakville & the GTA

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