Basement and Crawl Space Rodent Control in Akron

Yes. If they're in the basement or the crawl space, a tech can trap them and seal the gaps at the foundation. Most Akron rodent problems begin down here.

Basements are where mice come in and where rats tend to stay. It's dark, it's quiet, and there's usually a water source, a furnace for warmth and a stack of cardboard boxes against the wall that make a perfect nest. In Akron's older homes, the foundation itself is often the way in.

Stone basements, block walls and Akron's old foundations

Homes built in Akron before the Second World War often sit on sandstone or fieldstone, or on early block with soft mortar. Decades of freeze and thaw have opened the joints. The tech will look closely at the sill line, where the wood framing sits on the top of the wall, because that's the most common entry in houses like these. Old coal chutes, cellar windows with rotted frames and the hole for the sewer cleanout come next.

Neighborhoods like Kenmore off the Boulevard, North Hill's older blocks and Highland Square have a lot of these basements, many partly finished over the years. Paneling and drop ceilings hide the sill line, so the inspection may take a bit of moving things around.

Crawl spaces under additions and porches

Many Akron houses have a full basement under the original house and a shallow crawl space under a later kitchen addition or enclosed porch. That joint between old and new is a favorite gap. Crawl spaces with dirt floors also hold moisture, which rats like, and the vents are often missing their screens. The tech will check the vents, the access door and the line where the addition meets the main foundation.

• Droppings along the top of the basement wall or on the furnace ducts
• Chewed cardboard boxes or holiday decorations
• Nest material in the corner behind the water heater
• A musty or ammonia smell that's worse near one wall
• Gnawed edges on a crawl space door or vent

Wet basements, floor drains and sump pits

Plenty of Akron basements take on water after a heavy spring rain or a fast snowmelt, and a damp basement draws rats in a way a dry one doesn't. A sump pit with a loose lid, a floor drain missing its grate, or a crack where water seeps in at the bottom of the wall can double as an entry or a place to drink. Rats living in a broken sewer lateral sometimes come up through an uncovered floor drain.

Tell the tech about any water trouble. They'll check the drains, the sump and the cleanout cap, and they may suggest a plumber look at the sewer line if rats keep showing up near a drain. Keep the sump lid on and the grates in place, and run a dehumidifier if the space stays damp.

Clearing out a basement problem

The tech traps along the walls and sets locked bait stations where they make sense, then closes the openings with mesh, sealant, metal and mortar. If the basement had a long-running problem, there may be droppings in the ceiling cavities or the insulation between the joists, and that needs proper cleanup. More on that on the attic and cleanup page.

Before the visit, pull boxes a foot or two away from the walls so the tech can see the sill line. Store birdseed, grass seed and pet food in metal or thick plastic bins. If you've had water in the basement after a heavy rain, mention it, since damp corners draw rats. The foundation sealing page explains the materials, and our old basement guide covers what to check yourself.

Price depends on the size of the basement, how many openings need closing and how much cleanup is involved. The tech gives you the number after looking. Call when you're ready and describe what you've found.

Related: Rodent Exclusion and Sealing, Mouse Control, Attic Rodent Cleanup and Sanitation

Serving Highland Square and West Akron, Firestone Park, Goodyear Heights, Kenmore, North Hill, Ellet, Merriman Valley, Cuyahoga Falls, Stow, Barberton.