Rodent Control FAQ: Phoenix Rats, Mice and Pack Rats
Answers about cost, the free inspection, how rodent control works and which rodent you have.
From attic noises to chewed car wiring, find your answer below.
Rodent control FAQ for Phoenix homeowners: short answers to the questions people ask us most about roof rats, mice, pack rats and attic cleanup. Every rodent job starts with a free inspection.
Prices last reviewed: October 2026.
Which rodent do I have?
Q: What is scratching in my attic at night: rats or mice?
A: In a Phoenix attic it is most often a roof rat, the most common structural rodent in the Valley. Roof rats are active overhead after dark, leave droppings about half an inch long with pointed ends, and leave greasy rub marks along attic joists. Mice leave much smaller droppings, usually in pantries, under sinks and in garages. See roof rat removal in Phoenix.
Q: How do roof rats get into Phoenix attics?
A: Roof rats climb block walls, citrus and palm trees onto tile roofs, then get in through tile edges, soffit returns, roof vents and AC line-set penetrations. That is why the noise is overhead. Trapping clears the attic, and sealing those openings keeps the next rats out. Our step-by-step roof rat guide walks through both, in that order. See roof rat removal in Phoenix and rodent exclusion.
Q: What is a pack rat, and did one chew my car wiring?
A: A pack rat is the white-throated woodrat, a ground-dwelling desert rodent that builds middens: piles of sticks, cactus segments and shiny objects under sheds, grills, AC units and parked vehicles. If the wiring in a car parked in the Phoenix area was chewed, a pack rat is the most likely culprit; roof rats rarely enter vehicles. See pack rat removal in Phoenix and rats chewing car wiring.
Q: How do mice get into Phoenix homes?
A: House mice fit through a gap about a quarter inch wide, roughly the width of a pencil. In Phoenix homes they usually get in at the slab transition, plumbing and utility penetrations, garage door corners and weep holes, and they breed year-round indoors. Trapping plus sealing those small gaps stops them. See mouse control in Phoenix.
Q: Do Norway rats live in Phoenix?
A: Yes, although roof rats dominate Phoenix attics. Norway rats are heavier ground burrowers: look for round burrow holes along foundations, block walls, sheds and planters, damage at ground level and larger, blunt-ended droppings. We locate the burrows, place tamper-resistant bait stations outside and return in a week to confirm results. See Norway rat removal in Phoenix.
Rodent control cost and the free inspection
Q: How much does rodent control cost in Phoenix?
A: Rodent control in Phoenix costs $245 for the initial service and $95 per follow-up on the Control package, and the rodent inspection is free. Solve (trapping plus full exclusion) and Restore (Solve plus attic remediation) are quoted after the inspection. Every rodent species is priced the same way. The rodent control cost guide explains what each package includes.
Q: Is the rodent inspection free?
A: Yes. Every rodent job starts with a free 61-point inspection of the attic, roofline, garage and exterior, and you get a written quote before any work is scheduled. There is no charge if you decide not to go ahead. The inspection is the first step of rodent control in Phoenix.
Q: What adds to the total cost of rodent control?
A: Three things can add to the $245 initial service: follow-up visits at $95 each until activity stops, exclusion and sealing of the entry points we find, and decontamination (attic cleanup and sanitization). Each is quoted before the work starts, so the total is not a surprise. See what rodent control costs in Phoenix.
Q: Do I need follow-up visits for rats or mice?
A: Most homes do. The initial visit is usually followed by one to three follow-ups, depending on how established the rats or mice are, and each follow-up is $95 on the Control package. We return to clear traps, service the stations and re-check entry points until activity stops. Rat control in Phoenix covers the full process.
Q: How much does rodent exclusion cost?
A: Rodent exclusion is quoted per home after the free inspection, because the price depends on the number of entry points, the roof type and access. Sealing is part of the Solve package, which also covers trapping and every follow-up. Most homes are sealed in one visit; complex tile roofs may need two. See rodent exclusion in Phoenix.
Q: How soon can you inspect for rodents?
A: Rodent inspections are booked by appointment at the first available time across Phoenix and the Valley. Call 623-289-3375 for the next opening; rodents inside the living space are treated as a priority call. The inspection itself is free, and you get a written quote before any work. Book through the Phoenix rodent control page.
How rodent control works
Q: Do you use rat poison inside the house, and is it safe for pets and kids?
A: No rat poison goes inside the home. We use snap traps indoors and keep bait outside in locked, tamper-resistant stations placed out of reach of pets and children. Almost every dead-rat-in-the-wall call we take follows interior baiting, which is one reason we trap indoors. More on methods: rodent control in Phoenix.
Q: Will rats come back after rodent control?
A: They can if the entry points stay open. Trapping removes the rats inside the house, but it does nothing about the gap they used to get in, and roof rats tend to follow the same route back. Sealing every entry point after trapping is what keeps the next ones out. See rodent exclusion in Phoenix.
Q: Do you offer a second-opinion rodent inspection?
A: Yes, and it is free. If rats or mice came back after another company’s treatment, we check the roofline from a ladder, the attic from inside and every entry point, then tell you what was missed and what it would take to seal the house. See second-opinion rodent inspection.
After the rodents are gone
Q: Do I need attic cleanup after rats or mice?
A: Yes, if droppings, nests or soiled insulation are left in the attic. Rodent droppings can carry hantavirus, salmonella and leptospira, so they are removed with HEPA equipment instead of being swept, and the attic is disinfected. Attic cleanup is quoted after the free inspection, on its own or as part of the Restore package. See attic cleanup in Phoenix.
Q: Do rats damage attic insulation, and can you replace it?
A: Yes. Rats in the attic soak insulation with urine and droppings and flatten it along their runways and nests, so it holds odor and loses much of its insulating value. Once the rats are out and the entry points are sealed, attic cleanup removes the soiled sections and sanitizes the attic, and new TAP insulation, a borate-treated cellulose that also works as insect control, is blown in to bring the attic back to full depth. Both are quoted after the free inspection, on their own or as part of the Restore package.
Q: How long does a dead rat smell last in a wall?
A: About three to six weeks in Phoenix, with the worst odor in the first one to two weeks. Arizona heat shortens the total timeline but makes the peak more intense. The smell fades as the remains dry out, but removing the carcass is faster and stops the flies and beetles it attracts. See dead rat smell in a wall.
Rodent control near you
Q: Does Maricopa County remove rats from homes?
A: No. Maricopa County Vector Control takes roof rat reports and investigates them, but it does not trap or remove rats from homes, and it does not hand out bait stations or traps. For rats on your own property, the county directs residents to a licensed pest control company. See Maricopa County rodent programs.
Q: Do you handle rodent control in Mesa, Scottsdale and other Valley cities?
A: Yes. Busy Bee handles rodent control across Phoenix and the Valley from offices in Phoenix and Mesa, at the same prices everywhere. Each city page covers the local pattern, such as roof rats in the citrus lots and tile eaves of central Mesa or pack rats along the McDowell Sonoran Preserve edge in north Scottsdale. City pages: Mesa, Scottsdale, Chandler, Gilbert, Tempe, Peoria, Glendale, Surprise, Goodyear, Buckeye, Queen Creek, Paradise Valley, Sun City.
Book a free rodent inspection
Call 623-289-3375 or book a free rodent inspection.
The inspection is free, and you get a written quote before any work.