The five stages
Not every job uses all five, but most Hoboken homes with an active problem go through them in roughly this order.
You call and describe it
Ring (201) 534-3898. We will ask what you have noticed, where in the building, at what time of day and for how long. Scratching at night inside a ceiling points one way; droppings in a cabinet under the sink point another.
We inspect the building
A walk-through from the basement or lowest level up, looking at pipe penetrations, gaps behind appliances, door sweeps, vents, the rear yard and the base of the stoop. You get a plain account of what we found and what we suggest.
Trapping and removal
Traps go where the evidence says the animals travel, usually along walls and behind fixtures. We return to check and reset them and remove anything caught.
Sealing the way in
Once activity drops, we close the openings with materials rodents cannot chew through easily: metal mesh, sheet metal, hardware cloth and masonry patching where it is needed.
Cleanup and follow-up
Droppings and nesting material are removed with the surfaces disinfected. A follow-up visit confirms nothing new is getting in.
Why the order matters
At Hoboken Rodent Control we do not seal first, and people sometimes ask why. If you close every hole while mice are still living inside a wall, they either die there, which leaves an odor that lasts for weeks, or chew a new exit into your kitchen. Taking the population down before closing the building avoids both.
The opposite mistake is just as common. Traps alone will catch animals for as long as you keep setting them, because the gap they came through is still open. The steps exist to break that loop. For more on what each stage involves, see trapping and removal and cleanup.
Questions about the process
How many visits does a typical job take?
It depends on the building and how established the animals are. A single apartment with a few mice may need only a couple of trips; a whole row house with rats in the yard will take more. We tell you our expectation after the inspection.
Do I need to be home?
For the first inspection, yes, or someone who can let us into every floor and the basement. Later trap checks can often be arranged with a key or a super.
Do you use poison?
Our default is mechanical traps placed inside the living space, because a poisoned animal can die somewhere unreachable. Outdoor bait stations are a judgment call we discuss with you first.
What if I rent?
We are glad to talk to tenants, but most sealing work touches the structure, so we will usually need the owner or managing agent involved.