Local rodent information

Rodent control in Wisconsin

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

Rodents in Wisconsin: what to know

Around Wisconsin

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 Wisconsin: what the public record shows

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

Rats over 1/2 inch, mice over 1/4 inch

Opening that admits each species

UW-Madison Extension specifies hardware cloth at 1/2 inch for rats and 24-gauge 1/4 inch for mice.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension

Block all openings 36 inches above and below grade

Rodent-proofing band for Norway rats

Norway rats work the foundation line, so proofing is a band, not just ground level.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension

Mice no more than 10 feet apart, 3 feet preferred; rats a minimum of 20 feet

Trap spacing

A dozen traps is the minimum for a private dwelling; 50-100 is not excessive in a warehouse.

University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension

Rodent species recorded in Wisconsin

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.
Deer mouse (Peromyscus maniculatus) — Primary U.S. hantavirus carrier; lives throughout Washington and the interior West.

When rodents are busiest in Wisconsin

Rodents move indoors as Wisconsin temperatures drop in fall.

UW-Madison Extension's applicator training treats exclusion as the core of rodent management, with trapping second.

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 Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension; CDC; Pest Notes: House Mouse; Pest Notes: Rats; Hantavirus. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources

Explore Wisconsin cities

Appleton

Humid Continental · urban setting

Rodent control in Wisconsin

Rodents in Wisconsin: what to know

Around Wisconsin

What to note

A useful next step

Rodents in Wisconsin: what the public record shows

Rodent species recorded in Wisconsin

When rodents are busiest in Wisconsin

For context, nationally

Explore Wisconsin cities

Appleton

Brookfield

Eau Claire

Fond du Lac

Green Bay

Janesville

Kenosha

La Crosse

Madison

Manitowoc

Milwaukee

Oshkosh

Racine

Sheboygan

Waukesha

Wauwatosa

West Allis

Beloit

Ask about rodent control in Wisconsin