Rodent Work That Seals the Wall, Not Just the Trap

Roof rats find their way in along the roofline. Mice slip through a dime-sized gap. Exclusion-first service for Fresno, Clovis, Hanford, and Visalia that closes the entry points so the population can't replenish.

Rodent Control treatment by Fortis Pest Control in the Central Valley.

Why rodent control is exclusion work, not a bait problem

Most homeowners who call about rats or mice start the same way. They've put out snap traps. They've tried the bait packets from the hardware store. The population drops for a week, then a new one shows up. The reason is simple: as long as the entry points into the structure are open, the rodents you remove get replaced by the next ones in line.

The visible problem (the droppings, the noise in the attic, the rat in the garage) is the population already inside. The long-term fix is sealing the holes they're using to get in. Trapping and baiting handle the rodents that are already here. Exclusion closes the door behind them. That's the order Fortis works in, and it's the difference between ending the problem and renting a temporary pause.

Rats in Central Valley homes

The two rat species in the Central Valley are the roof rat and the Norway rat. Roof rats are the more common of the two in Fresno, Clovis, Hanford, and Visalia. They’re agile climbers and they nest high.

Signs of rats: droppings the size of a raisin, often along the back of garages, in attic insulation, or in the corners of storage sheds. Gnaw marks on wood beams, plastic irrigation lines, or electrical wiring. Dark grease smudges where they’ve been running the same path against a wall or rafter. Scratching or thumping in the attic or eaves at night.

Where they nest in Central Valley homes: attics, eaves, soffit voids, the underside of solar panels, palm tree fronds near the roofline, and exterior storage. Roof rats follow utility lines, fence tops, and tree branches that touch the house. They enter through unscreened roof vents, gaps where the roofline meets the wall, and around plumbing or HVAC penetrations.

Treating rats means working at the roofline as much as the ground. Exclusion on a roof-rat problem usually involves sealing roof and gable vents, capping plumbing stacks, and trimming back vegetation that gives them a bridge onto the structure.

Mice in Central Valley homes

Mice are a different problem in a smaller package. A mouse needs a hole the size of a dime to get into a house. They reproduce faster than rats, and a single pair becomes a population in a season.

Signs of mice: droppings the size of a grain of rice, scattered in pantries, kitchen drawers, under sinks, in laundry rooms, and along garage baseboards. Shredded paper, fabric, or insulation in nesting spots. A faint musty odor in enclosed spaces. Food packaging with small gnaw holes in the corners.

Where they nest in Central Valley homes: wall voids, garage clutter, kitchen cabinets, pantries, behind appliances, in stored boxes, and under water heaters. Mice enter through gaps around garage doors, dryer vents, weep holes, gaps around pipes under sinks, and any opening larger than a quarter inch.

Treating mice means a finer inspection. The entry points are smaller, the runways are tighter, and interior snap-trapping plays a bigger role because mice don’t travel far from the nest to feed.

Pricing Made Simple

Pricing scales with home size.
Quotes are free.

HomeShield

Proactive residential service

Starting at

$49 /month

  • Proactive, recurring visits throughout the year
  • Covers Central Valley's most common pests
  • Establish a pest barrier around your home
  • Re-services between visits included

HomeShield+

HomeShield with expanded mosquito treatment.

Starting at

Add-on

  • Everything in HomeShield
  • Expanded with targeted mosquito treatments
  • Yard-focused coverage through warm months
  • Best for outdoor entertainment!!

EcoShield

HomeShield with an eco-friendly product line.

Starting at

Add-on

  • Everything in HomeShield
  • Eco-friendly active ingredients
  • Same coverage, gentler products
  • Complete peace of mind for your family and pets
See full plan comparison

What you can do before we arrive

A few things make rodent service work better.

Skip the DIY poison

Loose bait can be carried into wall voids where a dead rodent causes odor issues, and it puts pets and wildlife at risk.

Document what you see

Photos of droppings, gnaw marks, and runway locations help the technician focus the inspection.

Seal food in solid containers

Store food and pet food in metal or thick plastic. Cardboard and thin bags don't hold.

Clear perimeter clutter

Pull stacked boxes and yard debris off the exterior foundation. They give rodents cover to reach entry points unseen.

How Fortis Treats Rodents

A rodent service is structured around inspection and exclusion first, then population control.

01

Inspection

Exterior and interior pass to identify active runways, droppings, nesting areas, and entry points. We work the roofline for rats and the ground level for mice.

02

Exclusion work

Sealing the gaps, vents, and penetrations the rodents are using. This is the step that makes the rest of the work hold long-term.

03

Exterior bait stations

Tamper-resistant locked boxes anchored along the foundation in spots that intercept rodent travel paths.

04

Interior snap-trapping

Where appropriate, placed in voids and along runways out of reach of kids and pets.

05

Follow-up visits

To check trap activity, refresh bait, and verify the exclusion work is holding. Re-services included if you see activity between visits.

Frequently
Asked Questions

Most homes see a sharp drop in activity within the first two to three weeks, once trapping and exterior bait stations have cycled through the active population. Full resolution depends on how thorough the exclusion work is. If we seal the entry points on the first visit, the population inside has nowhere to be replenished from and the problem ends. If gaps are left open, rodents will keep finding their way back, no matter how much you trap. That's why we lead with inspection and exclusion.

Poison bait kills the rodents already inside, but it doesn't fix the reason they got in. As long as the holes, vents, and gaps in the structure are open, new rodents move in to fill the space the dead ones left behind. Exclusion (sealing the entry points) is the only step that ends the cycle. Bait stations and trapping handle the population that's already here. Exclusion makes sure the next one can't get in.

Droppings are the clearest sign. Rat droppings are about the size of a raisin, dark and capsule-shaped, often found along walls or under sinks. Mouse droppings are smaller, the size of a grain of rice, and show up in pantries, drawers, and along baseboards. Other signs: gnaw marks on wood or wiring, dark grease smudges along baseboards (runways), shredded paper or insulation used for nesting, and scratching or scurrying sounds in walls or attics at night.

Yes. Exterior bait stations are tamper-resistant locked boxes anchored in place. Kids and pets can't open them, and the bait is held inside the station. We place them along the exterior foundation in spots that intercept rodent travel paths, not in living areas. Interior work relies on snap traps placed in voids and behind appliances, where pets and kids don't have access.

Yes. Rodent service includes follow-up visits to check trap activity, refresh exterior bait, and review the exclusion work. If you see fresh droppings or hear noise after we've completed the initial treatment, call or text us and we'll come back out.

No. Rats and mice are handled as a dedicated specialty service, separate from the HomeShield base plan. The work involves inspection, exclusion (sealing entry points), trapping, and exterior bait stations, which is a different scope from the quarterly general-pest visits. We can quote rodent service on its own or alongside an active HomeShield plan.

Get your Rodent Control quote

Share a few details about your pest problem and we'll get back to you with a free quote, usually within the same business day.

  • Free consultation

    Walk through your pest problem with a real Fortis tech, not a sales script.

  • Same-day quotes

    Most requests get a response within the same business day.

  • Family-friendly service

    Treatments are family-friendly once dry, typically 30 to 60 minutes after application.

  • Local and licensed

    Family and veteran owned. California license PR 9962.

Hours

Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm Pacific

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