With rats and mice, it’s the math that kills ya. A mouse has six to eight pups, five to 10 times a year.

A rat has five to 10 pups six times a year. 

When facing large numbers, those “snap” traps are not sufficient (those are the “classic” mouse trap where you put a little cheese down and hope for the best). I use bait stations, placing them where there’s evidence of recent activity. The bait station must be positioned the right way or the rodents won’t crawl inside and, literally, “take the bait.” 

Sometimes homeowners trying this themselves make the mistake of using bait material that can cause secondary poisoning. That’s when a dog or cat eats a dead rodent that died from the bait. If the bait is the wrong kind, your pet could get very sick.

Some work may be needed to eliminate traffic routes. All food sources also need to be secured.