The short version
Trap the ones inside, then seal the gaps. An inspection usually costs $75–$250.
- Look for droppings, gnaw marks and night-time scratching.
- Across Clovis, mice usually start moving indoors in November and December, as nights get colder.
- Traps remove them; sealing keeps them out.
- Never sweep or vacuum droppings dry.
Homeowners, renters and landlords in Clovis who are hearing, seeing or smelling signs of rodents.
What to look for
Rodents are mostly unseen. You hear them at night and find droppings by morning. A mouse fits through a gap the size of a dime. Seeing one in daylight usually means there are more.
- 1Chewed holes in the bottom of cabinets or drawers.
- 2Scratching or scurrying sounds in walls or ceilings at night.
- 3Tracks or tail drag marks in dust or flour.
- 4Gnaw marks on food packaging, wood trim, or wiring.
- 5Greasy rub marks along baseboards, beams, and pipe runs.
- 6Disturbed insulation or tunnels in the attic.
Why it’s worth acting soon
- Mice breed fast, every few weeks.
- Droppings and urine contaminate food and insulation.
- Gnawed wiring can be a fire risk.
- Nests and odor get harder to clean the longer they stay.
- Deer mice can carry hantavirus.
Treatment options and typical costs
Inspection and Entry-Point Mapping
$75–$250
Expect a flashlight, a mirror, and a lot of crouching. In Clovis homes, the usual entry points are garage door corners, dryer vents, gaps around pipes, and roof-to-fascia joints.
- Time
- 60–90 minutes
- Best for
- Every job; nothing else works without it
Attic and Crawlspace Cleanup and Sanitation
$500–$3,000, higher if insulation is replaced
Expect them to bag, seal and haul away the waste. Across Clovis, a thorough attic restoration also includes checking ductwork and wiring the rodents may have chewed.
- Time
- Half day to two days
- Best for
- Heavy contamination; odor, urine-soaked insulation, nesting
Sealing and Rodent-Proofing
$200–$1,500, more for large or complex homes
Rodent-proofing means closing every gap a rodent can use with metal. Across Clovis, that usually means copper or stainless mesh in pipe gaps, sealed foundation vents, and fresh door sweeps.
- Time
- 2–6 hours, sometimes a full day
- Best for
- Stopping re-entry for good; the lasting fix
Snap-Trap Program
$150–$400 per visit
Traps are preferred indoors over poison because there is no carcass rotting in a Clovis wall cavity. They remove catches and adjust trap positions between visits.
- Time
- 30–60 minutes per visit, 2–4 visits
- Best for
- Active indoor infestations; fast results you can see
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
Cardboard boxes make easy nests and the gap under an overhead door makes an easy entrance. Plastic bins and a fresh door seal fix both.Which rodents live around Clovis.
They're small, curious and breed quickly. Norway rats are the other usual suspect. They burrow along foundations and enter low. Deer mice live around Clovis too, mostly near open land and in sheds or cabins. They can carry hantavirus, so clean up their droppings carefully. Pack rats, also called woodrats, are common around Clovis. They nest under decks and in vehicles, and chew engine wiring. House mice are the most common rodent in Clovis homes.
When they move in.
Spring is breeding season. Small problems grow fast. Check for gaps before then.
A good inspection starts outside at ground level: door thresholds, the joint between siding and foundation, and anywhere a pipe or cable enters.How they get into houses here.
Garage seals, brick weep holes and pipe gaps are typical entries. Check the bottom corners of the garage door. Look behind the washer and under sinks. Daylight under a door means a gap. Many homes in Clovis sit on slabs.
A year of rodents in Clovis.
- Summer: with highs around 92°F in Clovis, rodents look for water. Fix drips and leaks. - Fall: rodents look for shelter. Seal gaps before cold nights arrive. - Winter: with lows near 25°F in Clovis, check the attic, garage and pantry for droppings. - Spring: breeding season. Act on any sign quickly.
Mice or rats?
- Rub marks: rats leave greasy smudges along walls and beams. - Droppings: mouse droppings are rice-sized. Rat droppings are two or three times bigger. - Holes: mice chew dime-sized holes. Rats chew holes closer to quarter-sized. - Sounds: mice sound light and quick. Rats sound heavier. - Behavior: mice are curious about new traps. Rats avoid them for days.
Sealing small gaps yourself.
- Check your work: daylight through a gap means it isn’t sealed. - Steel wool or copper mesh: pack it into small gaps first. - Sealant or mortar: cover the mesh so it stays put. - Hardware cloth: use quarter-inch mesh over vents and larger holes. - Door sweeps: close the gap under garage and exterior doors. - Expanding foam: fine on top of mesh, useless on its own.
Cleaning up droppings safely.
- Wash your gloved hands, then your hands. - Air the room out for 30 minutes first. - Wear rubber or plastic gloves. - Spray droppings with a bleach solution, then wait five minutes. - Wipe up with paper towels and bag them. - Don’t sweep or vacuum droppings dry. It stirs up dust.
What happens at an inspection.
The inspector walks the outside first. They check the foundation, vents, rooflines and utility gaps. Inside, they check the kitchen, garage and attic. You should come away with a list of entry points. Photos help. Most inspections take about an hour.
Rodents in the car.
Park in a closed garage when you can. Check the air filter box for nesting. Clear birdseed and pet food from the garage. Mice and rats nest in engine bays and chew wiring.
Bird feeders and rodents.
Use a seed tray and sweep up spills. If rodents show up, bring feeders in at night. Store seed in a metal can with a tight lid. Spilled seed feeds mice and rats.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- Will you use poison inside? (Ask them not to.) - Where are they getting in? - Which gaps will you seal, and with what? - How many trap visits are included? - What happens if they come back? - Is cleanup included, or extra?
Rodents by the numbers.
Across Clovis, what actually matters is a walk-through: where the droppings are, how the rodents are getting in, and how large the colony is. Across Clovis, those three findings — species, entry points, and scale — are what a quote should be built on, not a regional average. Across Clovis, ask any provider to show you the entry points and the plan before you compare numbers. National surveys set rough expectations but cannot diagnose one house.
What affects the price
- Emergency or short-notice scheduling.
- Sewer line inspection if rats are entering underground.
- Whether sheds, garages or other outbuildings are included.
- Crawlspace or slab; crawlspaces add labor.
- Materials used for sealing: mesh, sheet metal, mortar.
- Whether insulation must be removed and replaced.
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What's your biggest concern about rodents?
When to call for help
Call if you hear them in the attic or walls. Droppings in several rooms are another sign. So is a dead-rodent smell. Call right away if you see rats. They take a longer, more careful approach. Attic cleanup is hard to do safely without training.
What you can do yourself
Seal small gaps with steel wool and sealant. Rooflines, vents and attics are harder. That's where a pro's sealing work pays off. Start tonight with snap traps along the walls. Bait them with peanut butter. Store food in sealed bins.
Rodents in Clovis
Clovis only gets about 17 inches of rain a year, so local rodents look for water: drip lines, pet bowls and leaky hose bibs. Winter lows average around 25°F in Clovis, and that cold is what sends mice looking for a way in. Around Clovis's open land, field mice move indoors when crops are cut or the weather turns. A typical home in Clovis is worth around $145k, and chewed wiring or soiled insulation can get expensive.
Local research
Rodents in Clovis, NM: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which rodents actually live in New Mexico, when they are busiest around Clovis, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome cases and deaths, 1975-2025
2025: 7 cases; 2024: 6; 2023: 7; 2022: 3; two confirmed in 2026 so far.
New Mexico Department of HealthPlague region
Rodent fleas from wild rodents; keep rodents out of structures and pets flea-treated.
CDCRodent species recorded in New Mexico
- 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 around Clovis
Spring cleanup of outbuildings is the classic exposure event.
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: New Mexico Department of Health; CDC; Pest Notes: House Mouse; Pest Notes: Rats; Hantavirus. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Simple ways to keep rodents away
- Screen foundation and attic vents with quarter-inch hardware cloth.
- Fill gaps around pipes, cables, and AC lines with copper mesh.
- Seal every gap larger than a quarter inch with metal mesh.
- Cap chimneys and repair damaged roof vents.
- Keep ivy, shrubs, and firewood away from the foundation.
- Inspect vehicle engine bays if parked near fields or woods.
Before you call, sketch where you have seen droppings or heard noise and measure any gaps you found. It makes the first visit faster and the quotes comparable.Did you know?
A house mouse can jump about a foot straight up.
Male house mice sing ultrasonic songs that humans can't hear.
Questions people ask
Are rats a bigger problem than mice?
Usually. Rats are bigger, chew more, and avoid new traps for days. They also tend to need more sealing work outside.
What is rodent-proofing and why does it cost so much?
It means sealing every gap with metal mesh and sealant. A mouse fits through a dime-sized gap, so it's slow work. It's also the part that keeps them out.
Can I just seal the holes myself?
Small gaps, yes. Use steel wool or copper mesh, then seal over it. Foam alone won't stop them. Rooflines and vents are harder, and that's where a pro helps.
Why do rodents keep coming back every year?
Usually because the entry points were never sealed. Traps remove the rodents inside. New ones follow the same path in.
Is it safe to clean up droppings myself?
For small amounts, yes, with care. Wear gloves and spray the droppings with a bleach solution. Wait five minutes, then wipe up with paper towels. Never sweep or vacuum them dry. Deer mice here can carry hantavirus. Take extra care in sheds.
Are families with kids more likely to have rodents?
The survey evidence suggests they report them more often. Sixty-eight percent of U.S. homeowners with children under 18 said they had ever encountered or had a problem with rodents in a September 2022 Harris Poll for the National Pest Management Association (NPMA). Expect a good pro in Clovis to connect their plan to what they actually found at your home.
Where in the house are mice most often found?
The kitchen leads. Among homeowners who had ever encountered rodents in the National Pest Management Association's (NPMA) September 2022 Harris Poll of more than 1,300 U.S. homeowners, 37% reported a sighting in the kitchen. Across Clovis, find out up front how many visits are included and what the company does if the rodents come back.
Are rodents a problem in Clovis?
They're common here, as almost everywhere. House mice cause most problems.
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Sources (11)
The facts in this article come from the public sources listed above. Every home is different, so ask the company you talk to about pricing and what’s included. Published by Rodent Exterminator · Updated September 11, 2026 · How we write these guides