Do you have rats and mice in your kitchen cabinets in Memphis TN? Nothing makes you feel more unsettled than finding out there were rats and mice in your kitchen cabinets. That’s where we store our dishes, food, and everyday household items you use. If you do have rats or mice in your cabinets, this means you have been touching and transferring all the bacteria rats carry around your home.  In other words, anywhere you have rats, you will have rat feces.  You could even be ingesting it when you eat off of your plates and cutlery. 

This is a huge health hazard as I am sure you already know.  Finding rat or mice droppings in your kitchen cabinets is the quickest way to spot the problem.  Another sign is chew marks on your table legs, chairs or lower cabinets.  If you do see chew marks, you should take immediate action and have a professional come to your home to assess the damage.

Rats are known to carry ticks, fleas, bacteria, and many diseases that they can easily spread. Rats and mice can fit into the smallest of spaces and climb up walls easily.  This is the very reason they can spread diseases quickly is because of their access to just about any area. A rat can easily squeeze through a hole the size of a quarter, and tiny little mice need even less space. 

A few preventative measures you can take yourself are cutting tree limbs and branches away from your roof and siding. This takes away some of the easy access for rats. Make sure all the bushes around your home are trimmed and cut away from the outside wall. Also, clean up any trash or unnecessary piles of debris in your yard.

It also does not help that they birth more rapidly than just about any other wild animal. The female rat will go into heat every 4 days. The gestation period for rats is 21 to 23 days and their litter is around 6 to 12 young. Once the female gives birth she can mate again 1 to 3 days after having her litter. You can see just how quickly a few rats can grow into a major infestation in a very short amount of time.

These juvenile rats will mature around a month and are fertile once they reach 3 months of age. Did you know that just two rats can produce up to 1500 babies in a single year?  That's right, just those two rats!  And their offspring an produce even more.  This is how a rat infestation can happen quickly in homes and businesses.  Rats and mice can quickly overwhelm a single home. It is always best to address the problem as soon as you notice any signs of wildlife on your own property.

If you feed any animals outside make sure to clean up any leftover food. Rats and mice will always show up for an easy meal and leftover food is like a buffet for them.  Bird feeders are also an attractant for rats and mice.  These steps can drastically help to keep rodents from seeking your home. If rats are already inside your home and in your kitchen cabinets it's time to take some extra measures.

Even a few small crumbs or a spilled drink that wasn't cleaned up properly can attract mice and rats.  These little pests will climb all over your clean kitchen, spreading their germs, bacteria, and general nastiness all over your clean counters, stove, plates and utensils.  The cleaner you can keep your home, the less your chance of rats or mice.  If you live with rats or mice, eventually you will have a raccoon problem as raccoons love to eat rats and other smaller wildlife pests such as mice, frogs and especially your garbage!

If you feed animals inside, try to take the food up when your pet is finished eating.  Keep any food tightly sealed inside jars, or place in your refrigerator.  Breads should be kept sealed and any nuts or seeds should be place inside airtight bags and kept out of reach of rodents.

Apex Wildlife Control offers an interior and exterior inspection for commercial and residential properties. A technician will come to your property and go inside the attic or crawl space and look for fecal droppings to determine the species.

They also check for chewed wiring, damage to your HVAC, duct-work, and see if there is damage to your insulation. We take pictures of all of our findings so you can see the damage for yourself. The technician will then begin the exterior inspection. They look from the bottom of your foundation to the top of your roof. They are looking for all possible and actual entry points.

Following the inspection, they will put together a detailed estimate of what needs to be done to your property. This will include sealing and trapping the wildlife currently in your home. A detailed breakdown of the cost will also be provided.  You will also receive all the pictures to go with your quote. This estimate will have a validity period of 7 days. This will allow you a full week to make an informed decision. This also provides enough time to get any additional carpentry work done, if required, prior to the exclusion process.

Rodents can carry several types of bacteria and germs that can make you and your family very ill.

Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome (HPS) is a severe illness caused from exposure to the droppings or urine of deer mice that carry the virus. About 1- 5 hantavirus cases are reported each year in Washington State and about one third of the cases have been fatal. It is important to take precautions when cleaning up an enclosed space such as a shed, cabin or trailer where mice have nested or rodent droppings are present.  

Leptospirosis is a disease caused by bacteria called Leptospira that infects both humans and a wide range of animals. It occurs worldwide but is more common in temperate and tropical areas of the world. Some people infected with leptospirosis will have no symptoms at all, and some people will become severely ill. Some wild and domestic animals, such as cattle, pigs, dogs, raccoons, and rodents, carry the Leptospira bacteria and pass them in their urine. Soil or water contaminated with infected urine are the most common causes of human infection.



Plague is a serious infection of humans caused by a germ called Yersinia pestis. It is usually caused by the bite of a flea that has fed on an infected wild animal, such as a rat, chipmunk or prairie dog. It usually causes large sores and abscesses in the glands of the arms and legs. Dogs, and especially cats, can also become infected and can spread the disease to their human companions. People and domestic animals like dogs and cats could be bitten by infected fleas while traveling to other areas of the country. Plague is treatable with antibiotics.



Tularemia is a bacterial disease caused by Francisella tularensis and is most commonly found in wild animals (e.g., wild rodents, squirrels, rabbits, hares and beavers). People and their pets can become ill from tularemia by coming into contact with infected dead or ill animals through animal bites and exposure to contaminated blood or raw meat. Tularemia can also be transmitted by the bite of an infected arthropod (e.g. ticks, biting flies), exposure to contaminated water or soil, and inhalation of bacteria. One to 10 cases of tularemia in people are reported every year. To prevent exposures to tularemia, don't handle dead or ill animals; avoid animal bites, tick and deer fly bites; and avoid direct bare-hand contact with blood and raw meat from wild animals. Don't drink untreated water in areas where tularemia is known to occur in wild animals.

If we completely seal the property we can guarantee against re-entry. The way we seal and trap together we can guarantee the removal of the wildlife. Once we seal your home the animals must go to our traps for a food source.

At Apex Wildlife Control, we also offer a fecal cleaning and deodorization service.  Our technicians can have your home feeling clean and fresh again in a few short hours. If your insulation is ruined then we will let you know this upfront.  Our company does offer fecal cleanup, but we do not currently offer attic restorations. An attic restoration may be required if you have heavily soiled insulation from rat fecal and urine.

 So if you have rats or mice crawling through your kitchen cabinets, give us a call today!  Our skilled technicians are here to help you get rid of those rodents and get your nice clean kitchen back!