The short version
Trap the ones inside, then seal the gaps. Around Marietta, check the roofline too, since roof rats come in high. An inspection usually costs $75–$250.
- Look for droppings, gnaw marks and night-time scratching.
- Around Marietta, 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.
Anyone in Marietta dealing with mice or rats, or hoping to keep them out.
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.
- 1Fresh gnaw marks on door corners or garage weatherstripping.
- 2Small dark droppings on top of the water heater.
- 3Live sighting, especially during the day.
- 4A musky or ammonia-like smell in closed rooms.
- 5Burrow holes along the foundation, deck, or shed.
- 6Scratching or scurrying sounds in walls or ceilings at night.
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.
Treatment options and typical costs
Inspection and Entry-Point Mapping
$75–$250
First, the pro maps where rodents get in. That map guides the traps and sealing.
- Time
- 60–90 minutes
- Best for
- Every job; nothing else works without it
Sealing and Rodent-Proofing
$200–$1,500, more for large or complex homes
Foam alone does not stop rodents; they chew straight through it. Pros pack metal mesh in first, then seal over it.
- Time
- 2–6 hours, sometimes a full day
- Best for
- Stopping re-entry for good; the lasting fix
Follow-Up Monitoring
$50–$150 per visit, or included in a plan
Ask what happens if activity returns during the monitoring period. Many re-trap and re-seal under the same agreement. Confirm first.
- Time
- 20–40 minutes per visit
- Best for
- Confirming the house stays clear after treatment
Tamper-Resistant Exterior Bait Stations
$100–$300 setup, $40–$80 per service visit
Locked bait stations around a Marietta home's perimeter reduce the outdoor rat population before it reaches the walls. Anchored and locked, they keep children, pets, and wildlife out.
- Time
- 30–45 minutes per visit, ongoing
- Best for
- Outdoor rat pressure; ongoing perimeter protection
Prices are typical published ranges. Ask what’s included before you compare quotes.
Rats can travel plumbing, so a sink or floor drain with a missing strainer is worth fixing; a tight strainer or grate keeps them out.Which rodents live around Marietta.
They climb, and come in high through attic vents and branches. Roof rats are common around Marietta too. They burrow along foundations and enter low. Norway rats are the other usual suspect. They're small, curious and breed quickly. House mice are the most common rodent in Marietta homes.
When they move in.
Small problems grow fast. Spring is breeding season. Listen for them in the attic after dark. Roof rats are active all year. 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.
Homes from Marietta out to Smyrna and Kennesaw share the same weak spots, so the checklist below works across the area. Look for gaps where pipes and wires pass through the floor. Make sure the crawl door closes tight. Check that vent screens are intact. A lot of houses around Marietta have crawl spaces, and crawl vents and access doors are the usual way in. Trim branches back from the roof. For roof rats, check soffit vents, gable vents and eaves.
A year of rodents in Marietta.
- Fall: rodents look for shelter. Seal gaps before cold nights arrive. - Summer: with highs around 89°F in Marietta, rodents look for water. Fix drips and leaks. - Spring: breeding season. Act on any sign quickly. - Winter: with lows near 32°F in Marietta, check the attic, garage and pantry for droppings.
Mice or rats?
- Droppings: mouse droppings are rice-sized. Rat droppings are two or three times bigger. - Rub marks: rats leave greasy smudges along walls and beams. - Behavior: mice are curious about new traps. Rats avoid them for days. - Sounds: mice sound light and quick. Rats sound heavier. - Holes: mice chew dime-sized holes. Rats chew holes closer to quarter-sized.
Sealing small gaps yourself.
- Steel wool or copper mesh: pack it into small gaps first. - Check your work: daylight through a gap means it isn’t sealed. - Expanding foam: fine on top of mesh, useless on its own. - Door sweeps: close the gap under garage and exterior doors. - Hardware cloth: use quarter-inch mesh over vents and larger holes. - Sealant or mortar: cover the mesh so it stays put.
Cleaning up droppings safely.
- Air the room out for 30 minutes first. - Wash your gloved hands, then your hands. - Don’t sweep or vacuum droppings dry. It stirs up dust. - Wipe up with paper towels and bag them. - Spray droppings with a bleach solution, then wait five minutes. - Wear rubber or plastic gloves.
What happens at an inspection.
Most inspections take about an hour. Photos help. You should come away with a list of entry points. They'll also check the crawl space. Inside, they check the kitchen, garage and attic. They check the foundation, vents, rooflines and utility gaps. The inspector walks the outside first.
Rodents in the car.
Park in a closed garage when you can. Mice and rats nest in engine bays and chew wiring. Clear birdseed and pet food from the garage. Check the air filter box for nesting.
Bird feeders and rodents.
Use a seed tray and sweep up spills. Spilled seed feeds mice and rats. Store seed in a metal can with a tight lid. If rodents show up, bring feeders in at night.
Questions to ask before you sign.
- Where are they getting in? - Will you use poison inside? (Ask them not to.) - Is cleanup included, or extra? - What happens if they come back? - How many trap visits are included? - Which gaps will you seal, and with what?
Rodents by the numbers.
Around Marietta, ask any provider to show you the entry points and the plan before you compare numbers. Around Marietta, those three findings — species, entry points, and scale — are what a quote should be built on, not a regional average. Around Marietta, what actually matters is a walk-through: where the droppings are, how the rodents are getting in, and how large the colony is. National surveys set rough expectations but cannot diagnose one house.
What affects the price
- Attic access and how much insulation is contaminated.
- Exterior bait stations and ongoing service frequency.
- Mice versus rats; rats take longer and cost more.
- Age of the home and condition of the foundation.
- Sewer line inspection if rats are entering underground.
- Number of entry points found during inspection.
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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
That's where a pro's sealing work pays off. Rooflines, vents and attics are harder. Seal small gaps with steel wool and sealant. Store food in sealed bins. Bait them with peanut butter. Start tonight with snap traps along the walls.
Rodents in Marietta
In Marietta's neighborhoods, woodpiles, fences, bird feeders and gardens draw rodents close to the house. A typical home in Marietta is worth around $385k, and chewed wiring or soiled insulation can get expensive. Marietta gets about 53 inches of rain a year, and heavy storms flood burrows, which pushes rats toward buildings. Winter lows average around 32°F in Marietta, and that cold is what sends mice looking for a way in.
Local research
Rodents in Marietta, GA: what the public record shows
Before you compare quotes, it helps to know which rodents actually live in Georgia, when they are busiest around Marietta, and what the state figures look like. Everything below links to the agency or university page it came from.
Commensal rodent species established in Georgia
UGA Extension states all three live in Georgia, so identification drives where you place traps.
University of Georgia ExtensionNorway rat home range
A Norway rat may spend its whole life in that circle, so control has to cover the burrow area, not just the house.
University of Georgia ExtensionRodent species recorded in Georgia
- 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.
- Roof rat (Rattus rattus) — Climber of attics and trees in warm and coastal regions; tail longer than head plus body.
When rodents are busiest around Marietta
Year-round, fall surge. Roof rats dominate Florida, Texas and Gulf Coast attics.
Based on Marietta’s humid subtropical climate profile.
UGA Circular 970 (revised November 2025) recommends about a dozen traps per house for rats, set perpendicular to walls.
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 Georgia Extension; CDC; Pest Notes: House Mouse; Pest Notes: Rats. Figures are quoted as the source prints them. How we check our sources
Simple ways to keep rodents away
- Keep garbage in lidded cans and pick up fallen fruit.
- Clean up pet waste and do not leave bowls out overnight.
- Walk the exterior each season looking for fresh gnawing.
- Cover dryer and exhaust vents with metal louvered covers.
- Move compost bins away from the house and use closed models.
- Fit garage doors with tight bottom seals and corner guards.
A good rodent quote lists the inspection, the number of trapping visits, each opening to be sealed and the material for it, and any cleanup.Did you know?
Around Marietta, rodents make up about 40 percent of all mammal species on Earth.
Around Marietta, a rodent's front teeth never stop growing, so it gnaws constantly to keep them worn down.
Questions people ask
How do I choose a rodent control company?
Ask what happens if rodents come back. A good company talks about sealing, not just traps. Make sure they're licensed in Georgia. Ask how they seal gaps and what materials they use.
How long does rodent control take?
Most jobs take two to four weeks. That covers inspection, sealing and a few trap checks.
How do I know if I have mice or rats?
Mouse droppings are about the size of a rice grain. Rats also chew larger holes and sound heavier at night. Check the droppings.
Will rodent control harm my pets?
Bait stations are locked. Tell the company about your pets before they start. It shouldn't. Traps go where pets can't reach.
Is it safe to clean up droppings myself?
Wait five minutes, then wipe up with paper towels. Never sweep or vacuum them dry. For small amounts, yes, with care. Wear gloves and spray the droppings with a bleach solution.
Are rodent problems in U.S. homes getting worse?
homes reported rodent signs in the preceding year, based on the U.S. Census Bureau's 2023 American Housing Survey (AHS) counts of 15.7 million out of 133.2 million. As you collect quotes in Marietta, ask each company what they usually run into in your neighborhood. Not noticeably, on the national numbers. About 11.8% of occupied U.S.
Is one mouse in the house a sign of an infestation?
In the National Pest Management Association's (NPMA) September 2022 Harris Poll of more than 1,300 U.S. homeowners, 37% reported having seen only one rodent, while 14% described a multiple-rodent infestation. A good pro in Marietta will explain how their plan fits what they found at your home. Not necessarily. It deserves a look.
Are rodents a problem in Marietta?
They're common here, as almost everywhere. Roof rats are also common in the area.
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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