You’ve probably already tried a few things. Maybe you set some traps from the hardware store. Maybe you called a pest company and they came out, set some bait boxes, and told you to wait. Maybe the scratching stopped for a week and then came right back.
Here’s the thing — most rodent control fails because it only addresses half the problem. Trapping gets rid of the rodents inside your house right now. But if nobody seals the entry points, new rodents come through the same gaps within weeks. In South Lake Tahoe, the first snowstorm of October sends a fresh wave of mice toward your house every year.
Our process handles both sides. Here’s exactly what happens when you call Rodent Killer.
Step 1: Full Property Inspection (Free)
We don’t start by setting traps. We start by figuring out what’s going on.
A technician comes to your home and goes through everything:
- Attic — We look for droppings, rub marks, gnaw marks on wood and wiring, nesting material, and urine stains. Deer mice — the #1 rodent at this elevation — nest in attics and wall voids.
- Crawlspace and under-pier areas — We check foundation vents, pier-foundation skirting, plumbing penetrations, and any gaps where pipes or wires enter the home. This is the #1 entry zone for Tahoe cabins.
- Roofline — Every gap where the roof meets the fascia, every open gable vent, every spot where a tree branch touches the roof. A-frames and chalets have big open eaves — we check them all.
- Garage — Garage doors have the biggest gaps in most homes. We check the bottom seal, side seals, and any utility penetrations. Snow-damaged seals are a classic Tahoe entry point.
- Foundation and exterior — We walk the entire perimeter looking for gnawed vent screens, gaps around water lines, gas lines, cable lines, AC lines, dryer vents, and wood piles stacked against the house.
We’re looking for two things: where they’re active (droppings, rub marks, gnaw marks) and how they’re getting in (gaps, cracks, holes).
What you get: A written inspection report with photos of every entry point and every sign of activity. No charge. No obligation. You’ll know exactly what’s going on before you spend a dollar.
Step 2: Trapping — Placement Matters More Than the Trap
You can buy the same snap traps we use at any hardware store. The difference is placement.
Mice run along edges — walls, beams, pipes. They follow the same path every night. We read the signs first:
- Rub marks — Dark, greasy smudge marks along beams, baseboards, and walls. That’s oil from their fur. It tells us exactly where they’re running.
- Droppings — Fresh droppings are dark and moist. Old ones are dry and crumbly. The pattern tells us which runways are active right now.
- Gnaw marks — Fresh gnaw marks are light-colored. Old ones darken over time. This shows us where they’re entering and feeding.
We place professional snap traps directly on active runways, secured so they can’t be dragged. Traps go in attics, wall voids, crawlspaces, garages, and any other area where we’ve confirmed activity. Not random placement. Targeted placement based on what the evidence tells us.
On the exterior, we use tamper-resistant bait stations — locked boxes placed around the perimeter that kids and pets can’t open. No loose poison inside your house. Ever.
What you’ll notice: Most South Lake Tahoe homes see a significant drop in activity within 7 to 14 days. You’ll hear less scratching. You’ll find fewer droppings. That’s the trapping working.
But we’re not done.
Step 3: Full Exclusion — This Is the Step That Actually Solves the Problem
Here’s where most pest companies stop. They set traps, maybe come back once or twice, and call it done. Then the mice come back in 3 weeks through the same gaps.
Exclusion means sealing every entry point on your home so rodents cannot physically get back in. A mouse can squeeze through any gap as small as a quarter inch — about the width of a pencil. We find and seal openings that small.
Here’s what we seal and how:
| Entry Point | Material We Use | Why This Material |
|---|---|---|
| Vent openings (foundation, soffit, gable) | Galvanized steel mesh (1/4″ hardware cloth) | Mice can’t chew through galvanized steel |
| Roofline gaps (fascia to roof deck) | Metal flashing + steel mesh | Covers irregular gaps; weather-resistant |
| Pipe and wire penetrations | Steel wool packed tight + metal escutcheon plates | Fills irregular shapes; rodents won’t chew steel |
| Pier-foundation vents and skirting | Hardware cloth secured with screws | Stronger than original screens; won’t rust |
| Garage door gaps | Commercial weatherstripping + threshold seals | Closes the most common ground-level entry |
| Sewer line and water line entries | Hydraulic cement | Permanent seal; rodent-proof |
| AC line penetrations | Steel mesh + sealant backing | Foam alone is useless — mice chew through it. The steel mesh does the work. |
The materials matter. Expanding foam by itself? Mice chew right through it. Caulk? Same thing. We use materials rated to stop rodents, installed the right way.
A full exclusion on a typical South Lake Tahoe home takes 4 to 8 hours depending on the number of entry points. Larger homes or severe cases can take a full day.
Step 4: Cleanup and Sanitization
Once the rodents are out and the house is sealed, we deal with what they left behind.
Rodent droppings and urine are not just gross — they’re a genuine health risk. Deer mice are the main carrier of Hantavirus, and the virus can survive in droppings and nesting material. The CDC recommends against sweeping or vacuuming rodent droppings because disturbing them can release virus particles into the air.
Here’s what cleanup looks like:
- Remove contaminated insulation — If mice have been nesting in your attic insulation, that material is compressed, contaminated, and has lost its thermal value. Your heating bills go up until it’s replaced.
- Sanitize with commercial-grade disinfectant — We treat all affected surfaces in the attic, crawlspace, and any other areas with confirmed rodent activity. We wear masks and protective gear. This is not a job for a broom and a dustpan.
- Replace insulation — New blown-in insulation restores your attic’s R-value and eliminates the odor that can linger from urine-soaked material.
- Deodorize — Rodent urine smell can persist for months in untreated areas. We neutralize it at the source.
Not every job needs full cleanup. If you caught the problem early and there’s minimal contamination, we’ll tell you. We don’t upsell work you don’t need.
Step 5: Monitoring and Guarantee
We don’t just seal and leave. We come back.
After treatment, we check:
- Traps and bait stations for any residual activity
- Every sealed entry point for integrity
- Exterior perimeter for new gnaw attempts — especially after snow season
- Attic and crawlspace for fresh signs
If any rodent activity comes back during your warranty period, we come back and handle it. No charge. If an entry point we sealed fails, we fix it free.
Monthly Protection Plan customers get scheduled inspections and exterior bait station monitoring year-round. If anything comes back, we handle it immediately — covered under your plan.
How Long Does the Whole Process Take?
| Situation | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Inspection | Same day or next day |
| Trapping shows results | 7 to 14 days |
| Trapping + exclusion complete | 2 to 4 weeks |
| Severe infestation (vacant all winter, heavy activity) | 3 to 6 weeks |
| Full attic cleanup and re-insulation | 1 to 2 days (scheduled after exclusion is complete) |
Here’s the thing. If a pest control company has been coming to your house for months and you still have rodents, something is wrong. You should see real, measurable progress within 30 days. If you don’t, the company either isn’t finding all the entry points or they’re not doing exclusion at all.
Frequently Asked Questions About Our Process
Do I need to leave my house during treatment? No. Trapping and exclusion work happens in attics, crawlspaces, and on the exterior. You can stay home the entire time. The only exception is full attic insulation replacement — we’ll let you know in advance if that applies.
What happens to the mice that are already inside after you seal the house? We seal the house with traps still active inside. Rodents that are already in get caught by the traps. The exclusion prevents new ones from entering. We don’t seal rodents in without a trapping plan — that’s how you end up with dead mice in your walls.
Do you use poison inside the house? No. Interior treatment is snap traps only, placed in secured locations. Exterior bait stations around the perimeter are locked tamper-resistant boxes. No loose poison inside your home, ever.
How do I know if exclusion actually worked? No more scratching. No new droppings. No fresh rub marks. We’ll show you during follow-up visits. And if anything comes back, we come back — covered under warranty.
Can you handle commercial properties? Yes. Restaurants, vacation rental properties, and retail in South Lake Tahoe — we set up recurring plans with documentation. If you’re a landlord or property manager with tenants complaining about rodents, give us a call.
Stop Guessing. Get a Real Plan.
Give us a call or schedule your free inspection online. We’ll come out, walk through your property, show you exactly what’s going on, and give you a straight price to fix it.