With 600+ Reviews!Scott’s Turf and Pest Services gets mice and rats out of Durham homes and seals the gaps they use to get back in. Scott’s is a family-owned pest control company that has served Durham and the Triangle since 1997. It is owned and run by Steve and Emily Scott, and every job is handled by NC-licensed applicators.
Scratching in the walls at 2 AM, droppings in the pantry, a chewed bag of rice under the sink: call 919-923-2361. Same-day service is often available, and Scott’s gives free estimates over the phone.
Scott’s Rodent Service at a Glance
- What Scott’s does: inspects the house, traps and removes the mice or rats inside, seals the entry points, and comes back to check.
- Rodents covered: house mice, Norway rats and roof rats. Scott’s does not do wildlife removal, such as raccoons, opossums, skunks, snakes or bats.
- Pricing: a free estimate by phone, then an exact price once the technician has seen how many entry points need sealing.
- Scheduling: call 919-923-2361 or request a quote online. Same-day service is often available.
- Pet and kid friendly: traps go in places children and pets can’t easily reach, and bait goes only in locked, tamper-resistant stations.
- Service area: all of Durham, including ZIP codes 27701, 27703, 27704, 27705, 27707, 27710, 27712 and 27713, from Scott’s base in Hillsborough.
How Scott’s Gets Rid of Mice and Rats
1. Inspect the house
A Scott’s technician checks the attic, crawl space, garage, foundation and roofline, plus the spots where pipes and wires come into the house. You find out which rodent you have, where it is nesting and how it is getting in.
2. Trap and remove
Professional traps go along the paths rodents travel, and any bait goes in locked stations. Placement matters more than the number of traps, which is why store-bought traps so often catch nothing.
3. Seal the entry points
This is the step most people skip, and it matters most. Scott’s seals the gaps, cracks and openings rodents use with steel wool, metal flashing, hardware cloth and sealant. If the holes stay open, new rodents simply replace the ones you catch.
4. Come back and check
Scott’s returns to check the traps, confirm the sealing is holding and look for any new activity.
Rats in the Crawl Space
Norway rats burrow along foundations and under decks, and they move into crawl spaces when the weather turns cold. A rat can squeeze through an opening about the size of a quarter, and a mouse through a gap about the size of a dime. Many older Durham homes sit on crawl spaces with gaps around pipes and along the foundation. Scott’s traps the rats in the crawl space and seals those gaps so new rats can’t follow.
Scratching in the Attic
Quick, light scratching at night usually means mice. Heavier thumping or running often means rats. Roof rats climb trees and fences and get in up high, which is common in older Durham neighborhoods with big trees close to the house. Scott’s inspects the attic, traps along the runways and seals the entry points it finds. Roof and chimney repairs are outside Scott’s work, so if a gap needs one, the technician will point it out.
What Rodent Control Costs in Durham
Every house is different, so Scott’s starts with a free estimate by phone and gives an exact price after the inspection. As a general guide for the Durham area, trapping and basic sealing typically runs $200 to $600, and sealing an entire house can run $500 to $2,000 or more, depending on how many entry points there are and how hard they are to reach.
Waiting usually costs more. Mice and rats chew wiring, insulation and drywall, and replacing contaminated insulation adds up fast. Ask about Scott’s current new-customer offer when you call 919-923-2361.
Same-Day Rodent Service in Durham
Mice and rats don’t wait for a convenient week, and Scott’s can often get to a Durham home the same day you call. Until the technician arrives, keep food in sealed containers and don’t sweep or vacuum droppings dry. The CDC advises wearing rubber or plastic gloves, spraying droppings with a disinfectant and letting it soak as the label directs before you wipe them up.
Pet and Kid Friendly Rodent Control
Scott’s plans every rodent job around the people and pets in the house. Traps go in places children and pets can’t easily reach, bait goes only in locked, tamper-resistant stations, and your technician shows you where everything is. Sealing the entry points does most of the long-term work, so the house needs fewer traps over time. The goal is to remove the rodents quickly and humanely, then help keep them out.
Durham Areas with Heavy Rodent Activity
Rodents follow food and shelter. Older neighborhoods such as Old North Durham, Trinity Park and Watts-Hillandale have older homes with more entry points and mature trees that roof rats use to reach the roofline. Homes in Woodcroft, Hope Valley and Southpoint that border wooded areas see mice move in every fall. Properties near Duke Forest, the Eno River and Falls Lake see more rodent pressure from the surrounding woods, and downtown Durham sees more rats near restaurants and commercial buildings.
What Durham Customers Say About Scott’s
“Scott’s have always provided dependable service for our homes since we moved to Durham. Highly recommended.” Peter Holsapple, Google review
“Steve provided great same day service. Highly recommend. Thanks Steve!” Ian Edgington, Google review
Scott’s has more than 600 Google reviews across its profiles, averaging 5.0 stars.
Durham Rodent Control Questions
How do I know if I have mice or rats?
Droppings tell you fastest. Mouse droppings are about the size of a grain of rice, and rat droppings are closer to the size of a raisin. Light scratching usually means mice, while heavier thumping in the ceiling usually means rats. A Scott’s technician confirms which one during the inspection.
Why do I still have mice after setting traps?
Traps catch the mice already inside, but if the entry points stay open, new ones keep coming in. Scott’s pairs trapping with sealing the gaps, which deals with the reason they keep coming back.
Does Scott’s offer same-day rodent service in Durham?
Often, yes. Call 919-923-2361 and the office will give you the earliest opening. Scott’s serves every Durham ZIP code from its base in Hillsborough.
How much does it cost to get rid of mice in Durham?
Scott’s gives a free estimate by phone and an exact price after the inspection. As a general guide, trapping and basic sealing runs about $200 to $600 in the Durham area, and sealing a whole house can run $500 to $2,000 or more, depending on the number of entry points.
What is rodent exclusion?
Exclusion means sealing the gaps rodents use to get inside. Scott’s finds them during the inspection and closes them with steel wool, metal flashing, hardware cloth and sealant. Trapping removes the rodents already in the house, and exclusion helps keep new ones from getting in.
Is Scott’s rodent control pet and kid friendly?
Scott’s plans each visit around children and pets. Traps go in places they can’t easily reach, bait goes only in locked, tamper-resistant stations, and your technician explains anything to keep kids and pets away from.
When is rodent season in Durham?
Rodent activity climbs from October through March, when mice and rats look for warm shelter. Colonies that are already inside stay active all year, so activity you hear in summer usually means an established problem.
Can mice and rats make my family sick?
They can. Mice and rats can carry hantavirus, salmonella and leptospirosis in their droppings, urine and saliva. Wear rubber or plastic gloves, spray droppings with a disinfectant and let it soak as the label directs before cleaning up, rather than sweeping or vacuuming them dry.
Does Scott’s remove raccoons, snakes or bats?
No. Scott’s handles house mice, Norway rats and roof rats. For raccoons, opossums, skunks, snakes or bats, call a wildlife removal company.
Sources
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Preventing hantavirus and cleaning up after rodents
Get the Rodents Out of Your Durham Home
Call 919-923-2361 or request a free quote online. Ask about Scott’s current new-customer offer when you call.
Scott’s also serves Chapel Hill, Hillsborough, Mebane and the rest of the Triangle. See pest control in Durham, Scott’s rodent control and termite control in Durham. Further reading: Are rats a common problem in Durham? and What to do about mice in a Durham home.