How to Get Rid of Rodents: Mice and Rats in Oklahoma Homes

To get rid of mice and rats, you have to do three things at once: close the gaps they use to get in, take away the food, water and clutter that keep them there, and trap or bait the ones already inside. Skip any one of the three and the problem comes back. This guide walks through each step, how to tell what you have, how to clean up safely, and when it is time to call a rodent exterminator.

Signs you have mice or rats

Mice and rats are mostly active at night, so most people find the evidence before they see the animal. OSU Extension lists the signs to look for:

• Droppings along walls, in cabinets and drawers, under sinks and near food. House mouse droppings are about 1/8 to 1/4 inch long; Norway rat droppings are about 3/4 inch.
• Gnaw marks on food packages, cabinet edges, doors, drywall and wiring. Fresh marks look light and rough.
• Rub marks, dark greasy smudges along baseboards and around holes where they travel every night.
• Tracks in dust, flour or on shelves.
• Nests of shredded paper, fabric or insulation in attics, basements, garages, sheds and the back corners of drawers.
• Sounds of running across the ceiling or climbing inside walls, mostly after dark.
• A musky or ammonia smell in closed-up spaces.

Not sure whether it is a mouse, a rat or something bigger? Our Oklahoma rodent ID guide compares the mice, rats, squirrels and gophers you are likely to run into.

Noises in the attic

Scratching and scurrying overhead at night usually means mice or rats. Thumping and rolling sounds during the day point to tree squirrels. Flying squirrels are night-active and small enough to live in attics and between walls. Rodents in an attic can also draw in rat snakes, which follow them inside to feed; see keeping snakes out of your attic.

Why rodents move in

Mice and rats do not hibernate. House mice live near people all year and move closer to buildings as the weather cools, OSU Extension notes, looking for warmth, food and a safe place to nest before winter. That is why calls spike in fall. But a home with an easy way in, open food and a little clutter is attractive in any season: late-summer storms and heat send rodents looking for shelter too, and a mouse that moved in during November is still there at spring cleaning.

Numbers build fast. A female house mouse can have up to ten litters a year of three to six young, and the young can breed at six to ten weeks old, according to OSU. Norway rats have four to six litters a year of six to twelve young. A couple of mice in October can be a real infestation by spring.

How to get rid of mice and rats, step by step

1. Seal the ways in

Exclusion is the most effective and permanent part of rodent control, OSU Extension says. A mouse can fit through a hole about the width of a pencil, roughly 1/4 inch, and a rat through an opening about 1/2 inch. Check the foundation, gaps around pipes and utility lines, garage door seals, dryer and crawl space vents, the roofline and eaves, and where the floor meets the wall inside cabinets.

Stuff small holes with steel wool and hold it in place with caulk. Cover larger openings with hardware cloth, metal sheeting, lath screen or cement. Caulk or foam on its own is usually not enough, because rodents chew through it. Add door sweeps to exterior doors. Our post on how mice get into houses has a full room-by-room checklist.

2. Take away food, water and shelter

• Store pantry food, pet food, bird seed and grass seed in metal, glass or heavy plastic containers with tight lids.
• Feed pets only what they eat at one time, and do not leave bowls out overnight.
• Keep outdoor trash in a bin with a secure lid.
• Fix leaking pipes and faucets, inside and out.
• Clear clutter, cardboard and stored clothing out of garages, attics and basements.
• Store firewood away from the house and off the ground, and trim shrubs and vines back from the walls.

Sanitation rarely gets rid of mice on its own, OSU notes, but poor sanitation keeps feeding them and lets their numbers grow.

3. Trap the ones inside

Snap traps are effective for both mice and rats. Placement matters more than bait:

• Set traps along walls and in the paths where you find droppings, with the trigger end against the wall.
• Use several traps. Mice have small territories, so a trap a few feet away from their route may never be visited.
• Mice nibble and prefer seeds and grains; try a few baits and stick with the one they take.
• Rats are wary of new objects. University of Nebraska Extension notes they may avoid new traps for about two weeks, so set some unbaited and leave them in place.
• Check traps daily, wear gloves to handle them, and keep trapping for at least a week after the last catch.

OSU Extension advises against glue traps, which catch non-target animals and cause a slow death. Live-catch traps are sold too, but a released house mouse will look for the nearest building.

4. Use baits carefully, if at all

Rodent baits work, but they are pesticides. If you use them, use only enclosed bait stations, follow the label exactly, and keep them where children and pets cannot reach them. A poisoned rodent can also die inside a wall and cause an odor problem. In homes with kids, pets or a large infestation, baiting is a job for a professional.

What does not work

• Ultrasonic plug-ins. Mice get used to the sound within a day or two, OSU Extension says, and walls and furniture block it anyway.
• Peppermint oil, vinegar, ammonia and other smells. No repellent is known to work against rats, according to University of Nebraska Extension. Rodents that live around garbage and sewers are not driven off by a cotton ball.
• Mothballs. They are pesticides labeled for clothes moths in sealed containers. Scattering them in an attic or crawl space is misuse and exposes your family to the fumes.
• The family cat. Cats and dogs may catch a mouse, but they are rarely enough to control an infestation, OSU notes, and mice often live near pets and eat their food.

Health risks from mice and rats

Rodents contaminate food and surfaces with droppings, urine and saliva, and the problems they carry include:

• Hantavirus. Spread mainly by breathing in particles from the droppings, urine or saliva of infected wild mice, especially deer mice. It is rare but serious: the CDC has confirmed 9 cases and 5 deaths in Oklahoma, News On 6 reported in 2026, citing state health officials.
• Salmonella and leptospirosis, from food or water contaminated by droppings or urine.
• Rat-bite fever, a rare bacterial infection from a rat bite or scratch, or from handling rats. The CDC notes it can be serious when untreated.
• Allergies and asthma triggered by rodent droppings and urine.

Feeling sick after rodent exposure? See a doctor promptly for fever, muscle aches or shortness of breath within a few weeks of cleaning up after rodents, and mention the exposure. Clean and disinfect any rodent bite or scratch and get medical care. Call 911 for trouble breathing. Poison Help is free at 1-800-222-1222. This article is general information, not medical advice.

How to clean up mouse and rat droppings safely

Trap first, then clean. The CDC’s steps:

1. Open doors and windows and leave the area for 30 minutes before you start.
2. Put on rubber or plastic gloves.
3. Spray droppings, urine, nests and any dead rodents with a household disinfectant or a fresh bleach solution (1 1/2 cups of bleach per gallon of water) until very wet, and let it soak for 5 minutes.
4. Wipe it up with paper towels. Do not sweep or vacuum, which puts particles in the air.
5. Double-bag dead rodents, nests and used paper towels and put them in a covered trash can.
6. Disinfect the area and anything the rodents touched, then wash your gloved hands, remove the gloves and wash your hands with soap and warm water.

Rodents in the yard

Mice and rats outdoors are drawn to the same things as indoors: easy food and cover. Spilled bird seed is one of the most common draws, so use a feeder with a tray, pick up what falls, and move feeders away from fences and trees rodents can climb. Keep compost covered, pick up fallen fruit and pet food, cut back dense groundcover near the foundation, and keep wood piles and debris away from the house. Bait and traps work poorly while bird seed is on the ground nearby.

When to call a professional

Call for help if you are still catching rodents after a couple of weeks, if you see rats, if you hear activity in walls or the attic you cannot reach, if you have found droppings across several rooms, or if young children or pets make traps and baits risky. Most homeowners can catch a mouse; finding every entry point is the part that usually takes an expert eye.

Rodent exterminator in Oklahoma

Emtec Pest Control has been getting rid of mice and rats in homes and businesses across Green Country and Oklahoma City since 1979. Our rodent work starts with an inspection to find how they are getting in and where they are nesting. We seal entry points with materials rodents cannot chew through, set traps and bait stations where the activity is, and come back to check and adjust them. We are the rodent exterminator for Tulsa, Broken Arrow, Owasso, Jenks, Bixby, Sand Springs, Sapulpa, Stillwater, Oklahoma City, Edmond and nearby towns. See our rodent control service or contact us to schedule an inspection.