Do you have rats and mice in your walls in Memphis TN? Have you been hearing scratching noises, chewing, running around, squeaking noises, or even a disgusting dead animal smell coming from your walls? You just might have a rat or mouse infestation in your home that needs to be taken care of.

There are many reasons why rats in the walls are more of a problem than just a noise complaint.  Although we understand how frustrating it can be to be woken out of a deep sleep by the sounds of these annoying little creatures gnawing, scratching and running through your walls.  Because rats and mice are more active at night, you will hear them more often in middle of the night.  Right in the middle of your REM cycle.  How aggravating!

Roof rats get their name from their tendency to climb up trees and use limbs to cross over onto your roof. They can gain access to your attic in a variety of ways.  These little pests get in by chewing on your soffits and entering through roof vents.  But they will primarily enter through your home's construction gap. From here, these roof rats will eventually make their way down into your walls and possibly through the rest of your home.  Time is of the essence when it comes to trapping and removing rats from your attic and walls.  These animals breed quickly and effectively, and in a very short amount of time you could have a major rat infestation on your hands.

Every house has a construction gap unless the builder specifically decided to close it. The construction gap is designed to help a house vent the hot air out from the attic. Unfortunately, rats and other wildlife have learned this and take advantage of this gap.  If the gap is not large enough they will simply chew a large hole in this area.  However, most rats and mice can squeeze through holes the size of a quarter!

Once rats or mice are inside your walls, they will have access to the electrical wiring in your home.  Rats and mice have to chew constantly in order to keep their teeth filed down enough to eat, otherwise they would starve to death.  Wiring is a rodent's favorite item to chew.  Once a rat or mouse begins chewing on your wiring, you may notice your outlets not working, flickering of your overhead lighting, and the smell of electrical smoke.

If you do have electrical problems caused by rodents, please contact a licensed electrician to repair this problem. Chewed wires is a very dangerous situation. Many house fires have been started from exposed wires that have been chewed by mice, rats or squirrels.

Rats, mice and even squirrels will also build their nests in your attic.  These nests contain flammable materials such as dried leaves, grass, twigs and even man made materials such as plastic bags and cloth.  If rodents have been chewing wires near a nest, the exposed wires could cause the nest to burst into flame.  The nest will act as tinder for the fire and cause it to spread quickly throughout your home or commercial building.  This is a very dangerous combination that could have a tragic ending. 

Any firefighter could tell you that this happens more often than you would think.  During our inspection, our technician will immediately notify you if he spots chewed wires or any other electrical problems caused by rodents.

 Our technician will perform an interior and exterior inspection of your home. During the interior inspection, he will check for fecal droppings in your attic to determine what species is in your home and how they found their way inside. The technician will look for chewed wires, damage to your duct work or HVAC, and urine or fecal damage to your insulation. He will document his findings with photos which he will email to you at the end of the inspection.

Next, the technician will perform the exterior inspection where he will look from your home's foundation all the way to the top of the roof. The technician will be checking for all possible and actual entry points.  He will also check for any rotted wood that would be easily chewed through.

Once the technician completes the full interior and exterior inspection of your home, he will provide you with the photos of his findings, plus an itemized estimate for not only trapping the animals, but also sealing your home against further entry of wildlife.

Our exclusion process is pretty straightforward. All of the exclusion work except for trapping inside your home, is typically performed from the outside of the property. This keeps you from having to miss work while we seal your property.

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.

The longer you let the problem go the worse it will get and the more expensive it will be. Mice or rats can have up to 1500 offspring in a single year. The longer the problem persists the more they will chew, urinate and defecate in your attic. This can filter in through the walls and start to smell, and in turn attract more wildlife.

Anytime you hear any noises in your wall and you are unsure as to what is causing it, don’t hesitate to give us a call. There is no animal or issue too big or small for us. Let us help you get your home back to its former glory! We can get it smelling good, clean, safe, and secure and help you to sleep at night with no other noises waking you up all night other than your kids needing a goodnight hug.

If we come and there are no animals in the walls and it is just your home settling, then we are glad that we could give you your peace of mind back and you can rest easy that your home is in good shape.

So if you have some little late night visitors running through the walls of your home, give us a call today.  We're here to help!