Do I have rats or mice?

You do not have to know before calling. Rice-size droppings usually mean mice; raisin-size droppings and heavy running overhead usually mean rats. An inspection settles it.

How soon can someone come out?

Same-day appointments are often available. Timing depends on the provider and the day, so ask when you call.

Will one visit solve it?

Usually not. Trapping takes a few checks, and sealing is planned around it. Ask the technician how many visits they expect and what the price includes.

What does rodent control cost in Killeen?

National cost guides put most rat and mouse jobs between about $150 and $750, with inspections around $100 to $200. Our cost guide has the published ranges.

It depends on your lease and the cause. Tell your landlord in writing first. Our tenant and landlord guide explains the Texas rules.

I live on post at Fort Hood. Can I call?

On-post family housing pest requests go through Cavalry Family Housing's Maintenance Solution Center, not outside companies. See the Fort Hood housing page. If you rent off post, call.

A rat with a long, thin tail and large ears crossing damp reddish ground.

Rodent Control in Killeen, TX

Roof rats in the attic, mice in the kitchen, Norway rats in the garage. Call to reach a local rodent technician who works the Killeen area.

Call for rodent help (254) 276-0111

Rats or mice in your Killeen home?

Scratching in the wall after dark. Droppings behind the stove. A gnawed corner on the dog food bag in the garage. That is how most people in Killeen find out they have rodents. Calls from Killeen, Harker Heights, Nolanville, Copperas Cove and the towns nearby go to an independent local rodent provider who can look at the house and talk through a plan. This page covers the signs, the services, what a good job includes and what to ask.

Signs of rats and mice

Droppings near food, under sinks, in drawers or along walls
Gnaw marks on food packaging, baseboards, wiring or soffit
Scratching or running sounds at night, in walls or overhead
Greasy rub marks along walls or rafters
Nests of shredded paper, fabric or insulation
Burrows along the foundation, fence line or under the AC pad
A pet that keeps staring at one wall or cabinet

The CDC notes that old droppings or gnaw marks show rodents have been there but do not prove they still are. Fresh signs, or new droppings after you clean an area, tell you the activity is current.

Roof rats, Norway rats and house mice

A house mouse standing on coarse gravel in daylight. — House mouse (Mus musculus), shown for identification.

Killeen homes see three common rodents. Roof rats climb fences, trees and power lines and end up in attics. Norway rats dig burrows along foundations and drainage and come into garages and the ground floor. House mice can squeeze through a gap the size of a dime and settle into kitchens and walls. Homes near open land on the south and west edges of town also get field mice when the next tract is cleared. The species decides where traps go and which gaps matter, so it is worth telling the provider what you have seen. Our roof rats vs Norway rats article explains the difference.

Rat and mouse services

Most jobs combine a few of these. Read the one that fits, then call.

Rat control

Roof rats in the attic and Norway rats in the yard or garage, handled with trapping, sealing and follow-up checks.

Mouse control

House mice in kitchens, cabinets and walls, plus field mice moving in from open land nearby.

Rodent inspection

Confirms whether activity is current, which rodent it is, and where the entry points are before anyone sets a trap.

Rodent trapping and removal

Traps placed along the routes the inspection found, then checked and reset until captures stop.

Rodent exclusion

Seals the gaps rats and mice use, using steel, mesh, cement and sheet metal instead of foam.

Emergency rodent removal

A rat or mouse loose in the living space, chewed wiring, or a rodent in a room with a baby or someone who is ill.

Mice in walls removal

Scratching inside walls at night, traced to where mice enter and nest, then trapped and sealed without tearing out drywall.

Attic rodent cleanup

Removes droppings, nests and soiled insulation from the attic, sanitizes it and closes the roofline gaps.

Garage and car rodent control

Rats and mice nesting in the garage or under the hood, chewing car wiring, with the garage gaps closed.

Dead rodent removal

Finds and removes a dead rat or mouse in a wall, attic, crawl space or vent, then cleans and deodorizes the spot.

Droppings cleanup and sanitizing

Safe cleanup of droppings, urine and nests in cabinets, garages, sheds and attics, with disinfecting.

Rental and apartment rodent control

Whole-building plans for duplexes, fourplexes and apartment complexes, with written reports landlords and tenants can use.

Rodent monitoring plans

Scheduled checks of traps and stations, with notes on new activity, for homes next to open land and for businesses.

Commercial rodent control

Rodent plans for offices, stores, warehouses, daycares and churches, with exterior stations and service logs.

Restaurant rodent control

Kitchen and storage programs for restaurants and food trucks, built around Bell County health inspections.

See all services grouped by job

What to say when you call

Your call goes to a local rodent control provider serving Killeen. A two-minute description gets you a better answer on timing and price.

Tell them

Rats or mice, if you can tell. Rice-sized droppings usually mean mice; droppings closer to the size of a raisin point to rats.
Where you see or hear it: attic, kitchen cabinets, inside a wall, the garage, under the engine hood.
How long it has been going on, and whether the noise or droppings are getting worse.
What kind of home it is: slab house, older pier-and-beam house, duplex, apartment or a rental you lease.
Your part of town or nearby city, and when someone can get in to look.
Anything you have already tried, like snap traps, store bait or foam in a gap.

Ask them

Does the company hold a Texas Department of Agriculture structural pest control business license, and who is the licensed applicator on my job?
Will the technician find and close entry points, or only set traps and bait?
What does the first visit cost, and are follow-up checks included in that price?
Will I get a written plan and a written quote before the work starts?
If bait is used, will it be in locked, tamper-resistant stations away from kids and pets?

Call a local technician (254) 276-0111

What a thorough job includes

A good rodent job in Killeen usually has five parts, and you should see each one in a written plan:

An inspection of the roofline, attic, garage, kitchen and foundation
Trapping with snap traps on the routes rodents use, checked until catches stop
Sealing with steel, mesh, cement or sheet metal, not foam alone
Cleanup of droppings and nests, wetted down, never swept or vacuumed
A follow-up check after the gaps are closed

Areas around Killeen

Calls come in from every part of Killeen and the towns that border it. Temple, Belton, Waco and Round Rock have their own sites.

All service areas

What affects the cost

Published national ranges put a rodent inspection around $100 to $200 and most rat or mouse jobs between about $150 and $750. What moves a Killeen quote is the species, how long it has gone on, how many gaps need sealing, whether the roof is involved, and whether attic insulation has to come out. Ask what the first visit includes and how many follow-ups are in the price. The Killeen cost guide lists the published figures and their sources.

Safe first steps

Move pantry food and pet food into hard containers with lids
Pick up pet bowls at night and fix dripping faucets and AC lines
Set snap traps against the wall with the baited end toward the wall
Write down where and when you see or hear activity

Do not sweep or vacuum rodent droppings, urine or nesting material; that can push germs into the air. Follow the CDC cleanup steps (cdc.gov): air the space out, wear gloves, wet the droppings with disinfectant and wipe them up.

Killeen rodent guides

Rat and mouse articles

All rat and mouse articles

Rodent control questions Killeen homeowners ask

Do I have rats or mice?: You do not have to know before calling. Rice-size droppings usually mean mice; raisin-size droppings and heavy running overhead usually mean rats. An inspection settles it.
How soon can someone come out?: Same-day appointments are often available. Timing depends on the provider and the day, so ask when you call.
Will one visit solve it?: Usually not. Trapping takes a few checks, and sealing is planned around it. Ask the technician how many visits they expect and what the price includes.
What does rodent control cost in Killeen?: National cost guides put most rat and mouse jobs between about $150 and $750, with inspections around $100 to $200. Our cost guide has the published ranges.
I rent. Who pays?: It depends on your lease and the cause. Tell your landlord in writing first. Our tenant and landlord guide explains the Texas rules.
I live on post at Fort Hood. Can I call?: On-post family housing pest requests go through Cavalry Family Housing's Maintenance Solution Center, not outside companies. See the Fort Hood housing page. If you rent off post, call.