My sister just moved to a small rural town in New Mexico into a lovely manufactured home that's been in the family for years. However, they're having some trouble with mice appearing at night, despite keeping a clean house with no food left out. They've tried traps and caught a few, but also spotted a gopher snake in the mix, which is potentially helping tackle the mouse problem. They have feral cats outside that they feed, but it seems like they aren't hunting the mice effectively. Plus, since they have free-ranging chickens, using poison isn't an option. When they received an $8500 quote for mouse removal, it seemed outrageous to us—especially since the issue isn't as severe as in a hoarder situation. Are those kinds of prices common for pest control?
3 Answers
Honestly, for that price, I’d expect some serious cleaning and sealing work to be involved, maybe even some hazmat gear because of potential diseases like hantavirus. It sounds like there's more to it than just removing the mice. If it’s a lot of cleanup on the underbelly of the home, that could justify some of the cost, but still... way too high!
That quote is absolutely nuts! I mean, I could switch careers if that’s what pest control people are charging. Just seems ridiculous to me. If it really includes removing all the mice and cleanup, maybe there's some validity, but it still feels extreme. Have they mentioned why it’s so high?
I can guarantee it’s probably for physical removal rather than just traps. Sealing access points and a lot of visits could drive the cost up, too. Poisoning the mice would definitely be cheaper.
They need to stop feeding the cats! If they want those cats to catch mice, they shouldn’t leave food out all the time. Plus, chicken feed should be kept in sealed bins if they’re attracting vermin. It's a bit of a messy situation with the chickens and all, and since she won’t consider poison, it's going to be a bit tricky.
I agree, any food left out is just an invitation for the mice. If they can adjust the feeding schedule, they might encourage those cats to hunt instead!
Yeah, but I have to wonder if they just saw the type of house and inflated the price. My friend got a cheaper deal on a similar issue, but it was a major infestation.