How much does a mouse exterminator cost in Ottawa?

Three Ottawa companies publish a price for one mouse treatment, read on 2026-11-02. Pestend Pest Control Ottawa starts at $250 for mice and rats, before tax, at its first-time customer rate. PestPass charges $249 for a one-time visit that covers rats and mice. Provincial Pest Control puts mice at $275 to $499, depending on the size of the area and the infestation.

How much does pest control cost for rats in Ottawa?

Provincial Pest Control publishes $445 to $645 for rat extermination in Ottawa, more than its range for mice. Pestend's starting price of $250 and PestPass's $249 one-time visit are each one price for rats and mice together. Expect outdoor rat work to need bait stations left out and visits until activity stops, which Ottawa Public Health says is at least two weeks after the last sign.

How do I get rid of mice or rats permanently?

Shut them out and starve them. Health Canada says poisons should never be the only method; seal gaps with steel wool and caulk, metal weather stripping and fine metal mesh, and keep food in sealed containers. Ottawa Public Health's rat steps run the same way: look for evidence, clean up, starve them, shut them out, and only then wipe them out.

What is the 5 day mouse rule?

No government source read for this guide defines one. The closest real rule is Health Canada's: bait your traps but do not set them for 3 to 4 days, so mice get used to feeding there, then set them and check them every day.

Can an exterminator get rid of mice?

Yes, and the published Ottawa services show what that buys. Pestend's mouse service is an inspection, bait or traps, and recommendations for blocking entry points, with follow-up visits sometimes needed. PestPass returns free if covered pests come back within 30 days of its one-time visit. Ask whether sealing the gaps is included or only recommended.

Is there a rat problem in Ottawa?

Rats are a known City matter: the City of Ottawa runs a rat sighting report on 311 and Ottawa Public Health publishes a rat control guide. Neither page gives a count of rats or complaints, so this guide does not say whether numbers are rising. To report rats, use the 311 form; for an immediate hazard to people or property, call 3-1-1.

Does seeing 2 mice mean an infestation? How many mice are there if you see one?

No government source gives a number. Health Canada calls mice and rats prolific breeders, and its trap advice assumes more than one: a trap every metre along the walls, or 5 to 10 at a hole you can see. Fresh droppings, gnaw marks and scratching in the walls at night tell you they are still active.

Do dryer sheets, peppermint oil, coffee grounds or Vicks keep mice away?

None of the Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa Public Health or City of Ottawa pages read for this guide lists a smell as a way to control mice or rats. What they list is sealing gaps with metal and caulk, removing food, water and clutter, traps, and bait stations. Put the money into steel wool and door sweeps instead.

What kills mice or rats fastest?

Health Canada calls snap traps and electronic traps very effective when they are well placed and set properly. For poison, Ottawa Public Health says applying it is a job for professionals. If you buy any product, look for a PCP number on the label, which shows Health Canada has registered it, and keep poison baits inside a tamper-proof bait station.

Is it safe to sleep in a house with mice?

Health Canada says mice and rats carry disease and damage property, so treat it as a problem to fix now. Keep food sealed, set traps away from children and pets, and clean droppings wet, never by sweeping or vacuuming. The Public Health Agency of Canada names the deer mouse as a hantavirus carrier; ask your doctor about any health concern.

Where do mice get into a house?

Through any gap at least the size of a dime, Health Canada says, and a rat needs only a quarter-sized hole. The City of Ottawa's list of places to close: foundation cracks, the gap under exterior doors, and drain pipes, dryer, fresh air and attic vents, which it says to cover with fine metal screening.

Where do rats hide during the day?

In nests and burrows. Ottawa Public Health says rats come out at night and most live in burrows: holes in dirt or concrete 2.54 to 10.16 cm wide with smooth edges, often under bushes, with an entrance and an exit. Walk the yard with a flashlight after dark to see where they run, then look for burrows in daylight.

Is my house dirty if I have mice?

Not necessarily. The City of Ottawa's prevention list starts with food, water and clutter, but it also includes repairing foundation cracks and screening vents, because a clean house with an open gap can still let mice in. Health Canada notes deer mice move into buildings near fields and woodlands in the fall.

How do you know when the mice are all gone?

Check traps every day, as Health Canada advises, and watch for fresh signs. Ottawa Public Health says moist, dark droppings mean rats are active, and it tells companies to leave bait stations in place for at least two weeks after all rat activity stops, then monitor monthly.

Who pays for rodent control in an Ottawa rental?

The landlord treats it. The City of Ottawa says pest treatment is the landlord's responsibility under the Rental Housing Property Management By-law, which also requires an integrated pest management plan. Tenants must not cause conditions that attract pests and must follow the treatment plan. Report an infestation to your landlord; the City also takes a tenant service request to report an infestation or a suspected one.

Do I need a licence to put down mouse poison in my own home?

Not for a domestic product. Ontario says Class D pesticides are made for the general public to use in and around their own homes, while Class C commercial products can only be used by trained persons such as licensed exterminators. Health Canada adds that domestic poison baits go in a tamper-proof bait station wherever children or pets could reach them.

Guide

Rodent Control in Ottawa

Sources and prices read 2 November 2026. Last reviewed November 2026.

Rodent control in an Ottawa home starts with sealing gaps: Health Canada says a mouse fits through a crack the size of a dime. Traps deal with the ones already inside. If they keep coming, three pest control companies in Ottawa publish one-visit prices from $249 to $499 for mice.

On this page

Signs of mice and rats in your home
Why mice come inside in the fall
How to get rid of mice yourself
What Ontario lets you use yourself, and what needs a licensed exterminator
Rats outside: Ottawa Public Health's steps
How to clean up mouse droppings safely
What rodent control costs in Ottawa
Choosing a rodent control company
Common questions

Signs of mice and rats in your home

Health Canada and Ottawa Public Health list the same evidence. You rarely see the animal first; you see what it leaves:

scampering and scratching in the walls at night
droppings, which Ottawa Public Health says are a sign of active rats when moist and dark
gnaw marks on wood, plastic bins and wiring
tracks on dusty surfaces, and dark greasy marks along walls where rats run the same path
outside, burrows 2.54 to 10.16 cm wide with smooth edges, often under bushes, with an entrance and an exit

Size tells mice from rats. The City of Ottawa's pest infestations page gives a mouse as 15 to 20 cm long and a rat as 16 to 40 cm. A rat also needs a bigger gap: a quarter-sized hole, against a dime for a mouse.

Why mice come inside in the fall

Ottawa cools fast. Environment and Climate Change Canada's 1991 to 2020 normals put the average at 15.6 °C in September, 8.8 °C in October and 2.0 °C in November. Health Canada's rats and mice page says the deer mouse may move into buildings near fields and woodlands in the fall.

It matters for more than the noise. Health Canada says mice and rats carry disease and damage property, and it names the deer mouse as the most common carrier of hantavirus. Ottawa's Property Standards By-law also requires a home to be kept free of vermin, rats and mice included; our guide on when to call an exterminator in Ottawa covers what it says about screening basement openings and drains.

How to get rid of mice yourself

Health Canada's method has two halves, and it says poison should never be the only one. Close the way in, then trap what is already inside.

Seal the gaps

Work from the basement up and the outside in. From Health Canada and the City of Ottawa's vermin control page:

stuff steel wool around pipes where they enter walls, then caulk or plaster over it
fit metal weather stripping or a metal door sweep under exterior doors
cover drain pipes, dryer, fresh air and attic vents with fine metal screening
repair cracks in the foundation
keep tall grass and weeds back from the foundation, and lift wood piles 30 cm off the ground, away from the house

Ottawa Public Health says most of these repairs can be done by a handy person with inexpensive hardware store materials. If the gaps are high or behind finished walls, a handyman in Ottawa can do the sealing once you know where the mice get in.

Set traps the way Health Canada says

Use snap traps or electronic traps. Health Canada calls both very effective when well placed and set properly.
Place one trap per metre along the walls where you see droppings, or 5 to 10 traps at a hole you can see.
Bait the traps but do not set them for 3 to 4 days, so the mice get used to feeding there.
Set them, check them every day, and move any trap where the bait keeps vanishing without a catch.
Keep every trap and bait away from children and pets.

Take away food, water and cover

The City of Ottawa's list: garbage and compost in plastic or metal bins with tight lids, indoors and out; pet food picked up right after feeding; leaky taps and standing water fixed; and bird feeders taken down while there is a rodent problem. Clutter in the house, garage and shed goes too.

What Ontario lets you use yourself, and what needs a licensed exterminator

Ontario sorts pesticides, rodent poisons included, by class. Using pesticides in Ontario describes Class D domestic products as made for the general public to use in and around their homes. Class C commercial products can only be used by trained people such as licensed exterminators, certified farmers and permit holders.

Hiring it out brings in licences. Ontario's pesticide licences page says anyone applying pesticides commercially on property they or their employer do not own needs an exterminator licence, and a pest control business needs an operator licence.

Health Canada adds the product rules. A domestic poison bait goes in a tamper-proof bait station wherever children or pets could reach it, and commercial products are applied by a certified professional.

Ottawa Public Health is blunter: applying rodent poison is a job for professionals. If you buy any product, look for a PCP number on the label, which shows Health Canada registered it.

Rats outside: Ottawa Public Health's steps

Rats are mostly a yard problem first. Ottawa Public Health's rat control page sets out five steps:

Look for evidence. Walk the yard with a flashlight after dark, then find the burrows in daylight.
Clean up. Clear clutter, and keep grass, shrubs and mulch away from the foundation.
Starve them. Bins out as close to pickup as possible, lids tight, no food left for birds or strays.
Shut them out. Rats get through holes as small as 1.25 cm, so seal cracks and keep door gaps under a quarter inch. Fill inactive burrows with soil and tamp them down.
Wipe them out, with bait blocks in tamper-resistant stations along the paths rats use, which it calls a job for professionals.

Rats move between yards, so it suggests working with your neighbours. To tell the City, use the 311 rat sighting report; for an immediate hazard to people or property, call 3-1-1.

If you rent

The City of Ottawa says pest treatment is the landlord's responsibility under the Rental Housing Property Management By-law. The landlord must keep an integrated pest management plan and give you a copy of the treatment plan before treating your unit. Your part is not to attract pests and to follow that plan.

How to clean up mouse droppings safely

Do it wet. The Public Health Agency of Canada's hantavirus prevention page says infection comes from breathing in particles from droppings, urine or saliva that get stirred into the air. Its steps:

wear rubber or plastic gloves, and an N95 respirator in a confined space
never sweep or vacuum the droppings
spray the droppings and the area around them with an approved disinfectant or 1 part bleach to 9 parts water
let it soak for 10 minutes, then wipe up with paper towels or a wet mop
seal everything in double plastic bags for the garbage, then wash the gloves and your hands

It names the deer mouse, white-footed mouse and red-backed vole as the carriers found in parts of Canada. For a heavily infested building, it suggests a professional cleaning company.

What rodent control costs in Ottawa

Three Ottawa companies publish a price for a mouse treatment, each read on 2 November 2026. They price different things, so read what each one buys:

Published by	Price	What it covers
Pestend Pest Control Ottawa	from $250	Mice and rats. Inspection, bait or traps, and recommendations for blocking entry points. First-time customer rate, before tax.
PestPass	$249 a visit	One-time treatment covering rats and mice among other pests. Free return visit if they come back within 30 days.
Provincial Pest Control	$275 to $499	Mice, depending on the size of the infested area and how far the infestation has gone.
Provincial Pest Control	$445 to $645	Rats, on the same basis.

These are the companies' own prices, not this directory's. Rats run higher at the one company that prices them apart from mice. Pestend notes that unfinished basements, older foundations and multi-unit buildings may need extra proofing such as barriers or sealing.

Ottawa Public Health warns against flat fees: a good company inspects first and quotes on what it finds. Our pest control cost guide for Ottawa has the full price tables for other pests and annual plans.

Choosing a rodent control company

Ottawa Public Health's checklist for a good company:

inspects your property before giving a price
gives you a written inspection report and an action plan
puts bait in tamper-resistant containers
refers structural repairs when the gaps need them
visits until the job is done, and shows you how to prevent a return

Ask for the technician's exterminator licence and the company's operator licence, what will be applied, how many visits the price covers, and whether sealing is done or only recommended. Then compare Ottawa pest control companies and their sourced public ratings.

Common questions

How much does a mouse exterminator cost in Ottawa?: Three Ottawa companies publish a price for one mouse treatment, read on 2026-11-02. Pestend Pest Control Ottawa starts at $250 for mice and rats, before tax, at its first-time customer rate. PestPass charges $249 for a one-time visit that covers rats and mice. Provincial Pest Control puts mice at $275 to $499, depending on the size of the area and the infestation.
How much does pest control cost for rats in Ottawa?: Provincial Pest Control publishes $445 to $645 for rat extermination in Ottawa, more than its range for mice. Pestend's starting price of $250 and PestPass's $249 one-time visit are each one price for rats and mice together. Expect outdoor rat work to need bait stations left out and visits until activity stops, which Ottawa Public Health says is at least two weeks after the last sign.
How do I get rid of mice or rats permanently?: Shut them out and starve them. Health Canada says poisons should never be the only method; seal gaps with steel wool and caulk, metal weather stripping and fine metal mesh, and keep food in sealed containers. Ottawa Public Health's rat steps run the same way: look for evidence, clean up, starve them, shut them out, and only then wipe them out.
What is the 5 day mouse rule?: No government source read for this guide defines one. The closest real rule is Health Canada's: bait your traps but do not set them for 3 to 4 days, so mice get used to feeding there, then set them and check them every day.
Can an exterminator get rid of mice?: Yes, and the published Ottawa services show what that buys. Pestend's mouse service is an inspection, bait or traps, and recommendations for blocking entry points, with follow-up visits sometimes needed. PestPass returns free if covered pests come back within 30 days of its one-time visit. Ask whether sealing the gaps is included or only recommended.
Is there a rat problem in Ottawa?: Rats are a known City matter: the City of Ottawa runs a rat sighting report on 311 and Ottawa Public Health publishes a rat control guide. Neither page gives a count of rats or complaints, so this guide does not say whether numbers are rising. To report rats, use the 311 form; for an immediate hazard to people or property, call 3-1-1.
Does seeing 2 mice mean an infestation? How many mice are there if you see one?: No government source gives a number. Health Canada calls mice and rats prolific breeders, and its trap advice assumes more than one: a trap every metre along the walls, or 5 to 10 at a hole you can see. Fresh droppings, gnaw marks and scratching in the walls at night tell you they are still active.
What month are mice the worst in Ottawa?: Autumn into winter. Ottawa's average temperature falls from 15.6 degrees in September to 8.8 in October and 2.0 in November, by Environment and Climate Change Canada's 1991 to 2020 normals, and Health Canada says the deer mouse may move into buildings near fields and woods in the fall. Seal gaps before that drop if you can.
Do dryer sheets, peppermint oil, coffee grounds or Vicks keep mice away?: None of the Health Canada, Public Health Agency of Canada, Ottawa Public Health or City of Ottawa pages read for this guide lists a smell as a way to control mice or rats. What they list is sealing gaps with metal and caulk, removing food, water and clutter, traps, and bait stations. Put the money into steel wool and door sweeps instead.
What kills mice or rats fastest?: Health Canada calls snap traps and electronic traps very effective when they are well placed and set properly. For poison, Ottawa Public Health says applying it is a job for professionals. If you buy any product, look for a PCP number on the label, which shows Health Canada has registered it, and keep poison baits inside a tamper-proof bait station.
Is it safe to sleep in a house with mice?: Health Canada says mice and rats carry disease and damage property, so treat it as a problem to fix now. Keep food sealed, set traps away from children and pets, and clean droppings wet, never by sweeping or vacuuming. The Public Health Agency of Canada names the deer mouse as a hantavirus carrier; ask your doctor about any health concern.
Where do mice get into a house?: Through any gap at least the size of a dime, Health Canada says, and a rat needs only a quarter-sized hole. The City of Ottawa's list of places to close: foundation cracks, the gap under exterior doors, and drain pipes, dryer, fresh air and attic vents, which it says to cover with fine metal screening.
Where do rats hide during the day?: In nests and burrows. Ottawa Public Health says rats come out at night and most live in burrows: holes in dirt or concrete 2.54 to 10.16 cm wide with smooth edges, often under bushes, with an entrance and an exit. Walk the yard with a flashlight after dark to see where they run, then look for burrows in daylight.
Is my house dirty if I have mice?: Not necessarily. The City of Ottawa's prevention list starts with food, water and clutter, but it also includes repairing foundation cracks and screening vents, because a clean house with an open gap can still let mice in. Health Canada notes deer mice move into buildings near fields and woodlands in the fall.
How do you know when the mice are all gone?: Check traps every day, as Health Canada advises, and watch for fresh signs. Ottawa Public Health says moist, dark droppings mean rats are active, and it tells companies to leave bait stations in place for at least two weeks after all rat activity stops, then monitor monthly.
Who pays for rodent control in an Ottawa rental?: The landlord treats it. The City of Ottawa says pest treatment is the landlord's responsibility under the Rental Housing Property Management By-law, which also requires an integrated pest management plan. Tenants must not cause conditions that attract pests and must follow the treatment plan. Report an infestation to your landlord; the City also takes a tenant service request to report an infestation or a suspected one.
Do I need a licence to put down mouse poison in my own home?: Not for a domestic product. Ontario says Class D pesticides are made for the general public to use in and around their own homes, while Class C commercial products can only be used by trained persons such as licensed exterminators. Health Canada adds that domestic poison baits go in a tamper-proof bait station wherever children or pets could reach them.

Rats in the yard or near your building? Tell the City through 311.

Report a rat sighting