Local rodent information

Rodent control in Tennessee

Learn what to look for around your property, explore your city, and ask about an inspection or a quote.

Rodents in Tennessee: what to know

Around Tennessee

Conditions vary across the state. Choose your city below, then describe what’s happening around your home or business.

What to note

Where you see rodents, how long it has been going on, and anything you’ve already tried are the most useful details to mention.

A useful next step

Ask about an inspection, what treatment would involve, and whether follow-up visits are included. You don’t need to identify the problem yourself before getting in touch.

Local research

Rodents in Tennessee: what the public record shows

Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which rodents actually live in Tennessee, when they are busiest, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.

house mice were the most common pest listed in the log book

Most common pest in TN IPM demonstration schools, winter 2010

Mice entered through large gaps between and under exterior doors, often near the cafeteria.

University of Tennessee Extension School IPM program

5 to 8 inches long

House mouse length

Light brown, grey or sometimes black with a lighter belly.

University of Tennessee Extension School IPM program

$25 for each attempt

Commercial certification exam fee

Structural and health-related pest control is category C07; certifications run on a three-year cycle from July 1 to June 30.

Tennessee Department of Agriculture

Rodent species recorded in Tennessee

House mouse (Mus musculus) — Enters at 1/4 inch; 5-10 litters per year; eats about 200 small meals a night.
Norway rat (Rattus norvegicus) — Burrowing rat of basements, sewers and ground floors; tail shorter than head plus body.

When rodents are busiest in Tennessee

Mice may infest buildings year round, but as the house mouse cannot hibernate it is more likely to invade structures in the fall.

Tennessee pest control companies need a TDA charter plus applicator licenses; UT Extension's school IPM guidance is to seal entrances, remove debris harborage and clear high weeds.

Rules that apply in Tennessee

For context, nationally

1/4 inch (the width of a pencil) — Smallest gap a mouse can enter. CDC
890; 35% fatal; 94% west of the Mississippi — Hantavirus cases reported since 1993 (through 2023). CDC

Sources: University of Tennessee Extension School IPM program; Tennessee Department of Agriculture; CDC; Pest Notes: House Mouse; Pest Notes: Rats. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore Tennessee cities

Bartlett

Humid Subtropical · suburban setting

Rodent control in Tennessee

Rodents in Tennessee: what to know

Around Tennessee

What to note

A useful next step

Rodents in Tennessee: what the public record shows

Rodent species recorded in Tennessee

When rodents are busiest in Tennessee

Rules that apply in Tennessee

For context, nationally

Explore Tennessee cities

Bartlett

Brentwood

Chattanooga

Clarksville

Cleveland

Collierville

Franklin

Hendersonville

Jackson

Johnson City

Kingsport

Knoxville

Memphis

Murfreesboro

Nashville

Smyrna

Germantown

Ask about rodent control in Tennessee