Need Recommendation for Really Good Exterminator

Would greatly appreciate recommendations for someone effective with mice and roaches. Nothing we’re bought at the hardware store has done the job.

Kingsway Exterminating!! I used them to exterminate bedbugs, as well as, trapping squirrels in attic!! Extremely satisfied with their service. 718-859-8448

I have vanquished an infestation or two in my day. I think with the mouse project you have an advantage as a DIY since you are there every night to monitor activity and take action, whereas the exterminator can only come occasionally. You can do this.

To eliminate mice:
1. Seal any entry points. If you have mice, they usually live within 20 feet of the food source, so it’s not that hard to seal up entrances in that range. Use steel wool or similar material to plug holes/gaps. You can use motion sensor webcams to view where the mice are coming and going, and there are other products to track mice, but searching and observing has always worked for me. You must be through and really figure out anywhere they can move into the walls or under cabinets etc. Plug any opening greater than 1/4 inch. Adhesive door sweeps are a good choice for doors that mice can crawl under, which is most doors.

2. Eliminate food sources. Put absolutely all food into mouseproof containers. Hard plastic, sterilite or tupperware type containers, metal, or ceramic should work. Plastic bags and card board are not mouseproof. The fridge is fine, and some cabinets might be safe if there’s no holes and mice have never entered. The floors and surfaces should be cleaned of all crumbs as often as possible, but at least once before sundown. Dirty sponges should be put in a sealed container of some kind. Keep the stovetop clean. Mice love to get inside stoves for some reason.

3. Deploy traps. Traps are useless if mice are continuing to enter from outdoors, another building, or another apartment, so it’s crucial to seal up passageways used by mice first. Then use a trap of your choosing. As much as we all hate to kill them, live catching mice for release is not generally practical as the mice rarely survive, and may suffer greatly in the trap. Use many traps, say at least 12-20. The goal is to reduce the mice in your home quickly, not to catch one a day for the next year. Mice can multiply, so you really want to reduce the population as quickly as possible. Traps should be checked at least daily. Bate should be something you have seen them eat, or peanut butter is a popular choice.

4. Repeat or recheck these steps until there are no catches or mouse sightings for at least a week. It will probably take at least a few weeks to get rid of the mice, but during that time you must keep checking for holes, food sources, and adjusting, replenishing, or changing the traps and their bate. Mice can chew new holes or find other routes, so I suggest you allocate a few minutes every now and then to look around the space and think about where they might be getting in, and re-fortify. Think of it as an ongoing effort until the mice are gone, not a one time fix up.

5. You may want to keep some of these precautions in place after the mice are gone. As wood expands and contracts with the seasons or the house settles, or various other things happen, mice can re-enter. However keeping food in mouseproof container and keeping floors and surfaces free of crumbs will discourage future infestations. I’d also advice maybe once a year to check for mouse holes or gaps and fill them up, or at least if you see one incidentally, make a point to repair it.

Roaches you can deal with to, but usually that is something the exterminator may have an easier time with. Eliminating food sources and cleaning floors will make a difference. Small gaps into the wall voids should be caulked. Leaks, drips, or condensation on pipes that creates wet areas should be addressed. Insulate the pipes, or fix the leaks. The roaches like water. Then put out the hardware store bate stations.

Good Luck.