Rats and Mice Don’t Belong Under Your Roof
Scratching behind a wall, droppings in the garage, or chewed materials in a crawl space can be the first signs of a rodent problem. Across North Vancouver Island, rats and mice often seek food, shelter, and warmth around homes and businesses, with activity becoming particularly important to watch as temperatures cool.
Pacific Coastal Pest Control provides professional rodent control in Campbell River, Courtenay, the Comox Valley, Black Creek, Port Hardy, and communities throughout North Vancouver Island. We investigate the activity, look for how rodents may be accessing the property, and develop a practical approach to control the current problem and help reduce the risk of it happening again.
Rodent Control Starts with Finding the Way In
Catching or treating the rodents you see is only one part of the solution. Rats and mice can enter through small gaps around foundations, vents, utility openings, doors, siding, and other vulnerable areas. Once inside, they may establish themselves in attics, crawl spaces, garages, wall voids, storage areas, and other protected spaces.
Our approach looks at the bigger picture. We inspect for signs of activity, travel routes, nesting areas, food sources, and potential access points. Where reasonable, small exclusion work may be used to help address entry points, along with practical recommendations for sanitation, maintenance, and prevention.
Common Rodents on Vancouver Island
Learn more about identifying rodent activity, common warning signs, seasonal behaviour, and prevention in our Common Pests on Vancouver Island guide.
➔ Rats
Rats are intelligent and cautious rodents that may live around homes, businesses, sheds, decks, crawl spaces, garages, and outdoor storage areas. Common signs include droppings, gnaw marks, scratching sounds, greasy rub marks, burrows, and damage to insulation, wiring, or stored materials.
➔ Mice
Mice can squeeze through remarkably small openings and settle in kitchens, garages, attics, crawl spaces, storage areas, and wall voids. Droppings, damaged food packaging, nesting materials, and sounds inside walls or ceilings may indicate hidden activity.
Our Rodent Control Process
1. Tell Us What You’ve Noticed
We start by learning what is happening at your property. Scratching sounds, droppings, chewed materials, unusual odours, sightings, or activity in a specific area can all provide useful clues.
2. Inspect for Signs of Activity
We examine the areas where rodents may be travelling, feeding, nesting, or hiding. This may include crawl spaces, attics, garages, exterior walls, sheds, storage areas, and other parts of the property.
3. Look for Possible Entry Points
Rodents need a way in. We inspect for gaps and vulnerable areas around foundations, vents, pipes, doors, utility openings, siding, and other potential access points.
4. Develop a Practical Control Plan
The appropriate approach depends on the rodent, the level of activity, and the property itself. Using Integrated Pest Management principles, we consider control, exclusion, sanitation, monitoring, and prevention together.
5. Address the Current Activity
We carry out the appropriate rodent control measures based on our findings. Where reasonable, small exclusion work may also be completed to help address identified access points.
6. Help Keep Rodents from Returning
We provide practical recommendations to reduce access to food, water, shelter, and nesting opportunities. Follow-up visits or ongoing monitoring may also be recommended depending on the situation.
