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FL Rodent Control

Rodent Control in Clearwater, FL

Clearwater's city code has its own rat control article. Section 24.41 says all business buildings in the city shall be ratproofed and freed of rats, and Section 24.21 counts hotels, roominghouses, offices and stores among them. For a hotel or store, ratproofing, the code's term for sealing out rats, belongs in the same plan as their removal, and a condo owner with mice in a cabinet can borrow the same standard.

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Statewide rules and background: Florida rodent guide

A rat code that starts with business buildings

Clearwater, FL governs itself inside Pinellas County: as an incorporated city, it writes its own rodent rules. Under Section 24.41 of its rat article, business buildings must be ratproofed and kept free of rats, and under Section 24.26 garbage that rats may feed on is stored in covered containers until the sanitation department collects it. Which service fits depends on the building: rat control or mouse control for animals already inside, and rodent exclusion for the openings.

The city's own Rodent Control Tips page adds a limit worth knowing: Clearwater Code Compliance cannot address rodents on private properties, though it takes complaints about overgrown vegetation, which may attract rodents.

Rat article duties for owners and occupants

Business buildings: owner and occupant duties

Section 24.21 defines a business building broadly; its list includes hotels, roominghouses, office buildings, churches, schools, hospitals, stores, theaters, workshops and factories. A lessee whose lease puts maintenance and repairs on the lessee is treated as the owner under this article. The health officer named throughout is, under Section 1.02, the county health director or another designated member of the county health department.

Situation: Any business building in the cityWho must act: Must be ratproofed, freed of rats and kept ratproof and ratfree under the health officer's supervision; this section names no single partyCode section: 24.41
Situation: The health officer serves written notice to ratproof the buildingWho must act: Owner, within the time the notice sets (never less than 15 days) or any written extension; an owner who fails is deemed guilty of an offenseCode section: 24.43
Situation: The health officer serves written notice to rid the building of ratsWho must act: Occupant: eradication work such as trapping or harborage removal until the building is free of rats; keeps it ratfree and acts again after any reinfestationCode section: 24.44
Situation: A break or leak opens in the ratproofingWho must act: Occupant repairs it, unless it comes from natural deterioration of the building; then the owner doesCode section: 24.45
Situation: Conditions in or under the building give rats extensive harborageWho must act: Owner, when the health officer requires it: cement floors in basements, replacing wooden first or ground floors, or correcting other harborage conditionsCode section: 24.46
Situation: Any new building, or an existing one undergoing major repairs (general rule)Who must act: The building must be made ratproof, and the property owner must get the health officer's approval of the ratproofing specificationsCode section: 24.22

Under Section 24.43 the health officer may also quarantine a building after finding evidence of rat infestation and bar entry. Section 24.42 provides for unannounced and periodic inspections but sets no schedule, and this page has no source on how often they happen today. This table summarizes Chapter 24 and is not legal advice.

Rules not limited to business buildings

Sections 24.25 to 24.27 sit in the article's general division and are not limited to business buildings; Section 24.25 reaches any premises in the city, improved or vacant. A fourth rule sits in Section 3-1503.B.5 of the Community Development Code.

  • Stored materials up on racks: Under Section 24.25, lumber, boxes, barrels, bricks, stones or similar materials allowed to accumulate on any premises must sit evenly stacked on open racks raised at least 18 inches.
  • Food waste kept covered: Section 24.26 has garbage that rats may feed on stored in covered containers until collection, and Section 32.274(2) makes it unlawful not to keep containers clean, tightly covered and in good repair.
  • Nothing left out as food: Section 24.27 bars leaving or dumping garbage, rubbish, dead animals or waste animal or vegetable matter in a building, on land or in a waterway so that rats may find food or harborage.
  • Overgrowth likely to hold rodents: Under Community Development Code Section 3-1503.B.5.a, weeds, debris, junk or untended growth on private property that contains or is likely to contain rodents is a public nuisance.

Code Compliance, at 727-562-4720, takes nuisance complaints; it says anyone filing a report must give a name and address, and that in most cases it cannot investigate anonymous claims. Complaints can go through the city's Clearwater Connect portal, the same portal the tips page links for overgrown vegetation.

Bins, dumpsters and enclosures

Under Section 32.272(1), the city government collects the refuse accumulated in Clearwater, with exceptions that include owners who haul their own waste and permitted roll-off and compactor haulers; Section 32.273(2) lets the solid waste director set container type, collection frequency and location. None of the items below mentions rodents; they set how waste is contained and how often it is collected.

  • A commercial trash bin or trash room needs the solid waste director's written permission, and no bin may be used unless it is completely enclosed and watertight, under Section 32.280(2)(c).
  • On nonresidential property, garbage goes only in dumpsters or cans secured at all times with a tight fitting cover or lid, under Community Development Code Section 3-1502.F.2.
  • Restaurants and other establishments with putrescible waste are collected at least once a week, and hotels, motels and restaurants may have daily collection, under Section 32.281(1)(b) and (c).
  • The City of Clearwater's dumpster guidelines ask users not to overload containers or set objects on closed lids, and to drain and wrap wet garbage before it goes in. Solid Waste & Recycling is at (727) 562-4920.
  • At home, the City of Clearwater asks for garbage in the city barrel with the lid closed, and raw garbage outside the black barrel is not picked up.

Business accounts and ratproofing come first

  • Commercial Rodent Control

    Sections 24.44 and 24.45 make the occupant of a business building free it of rats and keep it ratfree, act again after any reinfestation, and repair ratproofing breaks not caused by natural deterioration. For a hotel, restaurant or store, ask whether the service covers the dumpster enclosure and leaves dated notes from every visit.

  • Rodent Exclusion

    Section 24.21 of Clearwater's code, written for business buildings, defines ratproofing as closing all openings that rats can reach from the ground, by climbing or by burrowing, in foundations, basements, ground or first floors, exterior walls and roofs, using material impervious to rat gnawing. For any building, use that list as a checklist: ask the pro to name each opening and the material for it.

Related services

  • Rat Extermination

    For roof rats in palms and along the roofline, or Norway rats near the bins.

  • Mouse Extermination

    For droppings along baseboards or inside a cabinet in one unit.

  • Attic Rodent Removal

    For scratching above a ceiling or nests pressed into attic insulation.

  • Rodent Removal

    Where animals already live in a unit, kitchen or storeroom and must be caught.

Roof rats, Norway rats and house mice here

UF/IFAS Extension's guide ENY-224 notes that Norway rats and roof rats are seldom found in the same building, so knowing which one you have tells the inspection whether to start high or low.

  • Roof Rat

    UF/IFAS lists palm trees, ornamental shrubbery, attics and roof spaces as places roof rats thrive, and says they prefer to nest off the ground. The City of Clearwater's tips page adds that dates and seed pods are a rodent food source, and that the city does not prune palms in the right-of-way.

  • Norway Rat

    UF/IFAS says Norway rats thrive particularly where garbage is not properly stored, and often dig under buildings or concrete slabs. In Clearwater that puts the bin area first: Section 32.280(2)(c) wants commercial bins completely enclosed and watertight, and Section 32.274(2) wants containers kept clean and tightly covered.

  • House Mouse

    UF/IFAS says the house mouse, once indoors, lives behind walls and in cabinets and furniture. About 18.2% of Clearwater's homes are in buildings of 50 or more units, so in a large building ask the manager whether neighboring units, trash rooms and shared chases are part of the plan.

Openings to check on large buildings, homes and shops

The City of Clearwater's tips page tells residents to inspect for cracks, gaps and holes around doors, windows, pipes and vents, and warns that overhanging branches can give rodents easy access to the roof. Section 24.21 defines ratproofing for business buildings; used here only as a checklist, its list adds foundations, basements and ground or first floors.

  1. Plumbing and wiring chases

    Check where plumbing and wiring pass through cabinet backs and walls. With 42.9% of Clearwater's homes in buildings of 5 or more units, one unsealed chase can link several units.

  2. Limbs and fronds at the roof

    Note every limb or frond that touches the roof or gutters. The City of Clearwater says overhanging branches can give rodents easy access to the roof, and it does not prune right-of-way palms.

  3. Back doors and the foundation near the bins

    At a restaurant or shop, check the back door that faces the dumpster: the sweep, frame and threshold. Then walk the foundation nearby for fresh soil or burrow holes. The business-building ratproofing definition in Section 24.21 covers exterior walls, ground or first floors, foundations and openings rats reach by burrowing.

  4. The enclosure gate and concrete pad

    Section 32.284(1) generally has a customer with containerized service keep the receptacle in a gated enclosure on a six-inch-thick reinforced concrete pad. It is an appearance and access rule, not a rodent rule, but ask the pro to check the pad edges and the gap under the gate.

  5. New openings after a remodel

    Section 24.22 says an existing building undergoing major repairs shall be made ratproof, and Section 24.23 bars leaving new openings unsealed against rats. Have new pipe and wire holes checked afterward.

Rodent exclusion · Guide to rodent entry points in a house

Hotels, restaurants and large buildings, counted

Lodging and restaurant counts

The 2022 Economic Census counted 60 accommodation establishments in Clearwater, against Saint Petersburg's 50 and Pinellas County's 243, and 306 restaurants and other eating places in the city. The counts are not a rodent measure; they show how much lodging and food business the rat article's business-building rules touch.

More homes in large buildings than the county

Census estimates count 42.9% of Clearwater's homes in structures with 5 or more units, compared with 30.1% for Pinellas County as a whole and 30.2% for Largo. Buildings of 50 or more units hold 18.2% here, compared with 11.0% for Pinellas County. Detached single-family houses make up 38.1% of the city's homes, compared with 48.0% county-wide.

Renter households hold 41.4% of occupied homes in the city, compared with 30.5% for Pinellas County. In a rental or a condo, report droppings to the manager or association in writing, and ask who arranges service in hallways and trash rooms.

Year built, share of housing units

  • 16.1%

    Built before 1960

    ±1.3 points

  • 39.8%

    Built 1960 to 1979

    ±1.7 points

  • 28.2%

    Built 1980 to 1999

    ±1.5 points

  • 15.9%

    Built 2000 or later

    ±1.3 points

Building type, share of housing units

  • 38.1%

    Single-family detached

    ±1.4 points

  • 42.9%

    Buildings of 5+ units

    ±2.0 points

What Professional Rodent Control Covers

Your call reaches a trusted local pro. Ask how they handle each step.

  1. 1. Inspection

    A trusted local pro checks inside and out. Ask about a free inspection.

  2. 2. Identification

    Droppings, tracks and gnaw marks show whether rats or mice are inside.

  3. 3. Trapping and removal

    Trapping removes the rodents already in the building.

  4. 4. Entry points

    The gaps and openings rodents use are found and marked.

  5. 5. Exclusion

    Sealing those openings keeps new rodents from following.

  6. 6. Cleanup

    Ask what cleanup of droppings and nesting material the pro recommends.

  7. 7. Monitoring

    Follow-up checks confirm the activity has stopped.

How a call works

What Affects Rodent Control Cost in Clearwater?

  • One cleanout or a standing plan

    Section 24.44 has the occupant of a business building keep it rat-free after the first cleanout and act again after a reinfestation. Ask whether a quote is a single visit or a recurring plan, and what each visit report includes.

  • Check the lease before sealing

    Section 24.21 treats a business tenant as the owner when the lease puts maintenance and repairs on the tenant, and Section 24.45 splits ratproofing repairs by cause. Read the lease before approving structural sealing.

  • Repairs beside the sealing

    A broken enclosure gate, a cracked pad or a worn back-door sweep may need a contractor as well as the rodent pro. Ask for sealing and repairs to be priced as separate lines.

The provider sets the price after an inspection.

  • Building size, home or commercial
  • Rats or mice, and how widespread
  • Number of entry points and how hard to reach
  • Attic, crawl space or wall access
  • Trapping visits and dead rodent removal
  • Exclusion materials and amount of sealing
  • Droppings, nesting and insulation cleanup

How each part of a job is priced

Common Questions About Clearwater Rodent Control

  • Not directly. The city's Rodent Control Tips page says Code Compliance cannot address rodents on private properties. It does take complaints about overgrown vegetation, which may attract rodents, and Community Development Code Section 3-1503 treats growth or junk likely to contain rodents as a nuisance. Citing Florida Statute 162, Code Compliance says to expect to give your name and address.

  • The code splits it. On written notice from the health officer, Section 24.43 puts ratproofing the building on the owner. Section 24.44 makes the occupant responsible for freeing it of rats and keeping it ratfree, and Section 24.45 has the occupant repair breaks in the ratproofing unless they come from natural deterioration, which is the owner's job. If your lease makes you responsible for maintenance and repairs, Section 24.21 treats you as the owner as well. These sections assign duties; read your lease for how costs are split.

  • Look at where the signs are. UF/IFAS Extension describes roof rats as climbers that nest off the ground, in palms, shrubbery and attics, and Norway rats as burrowers that dig under slabs and do well where garbage is not properly stored. It also says the species are seldom found in the same building. Droppings up high point one way, burrows by the bins the other.

  • The City of Clearwater says they do. Its tips page calls dates and seed pods a food source for rodents, notes that the city does not prune palm trees in the right-of-way, and encourages residents to remove dead fronds, branches and pods. It also asks you to keep limbs trimmed away from the house.

  • They can. The house mouse lives behind walls and in cabinets, and in a building with many units the gaps around plumbing and wiring can run between homes. Write to the association or manager with the dates and places you found droppings, and find out whether the inspection covers the units beside yours and the trash rooms as well as your kitchen.

  • Because a business building is ongoing work: Section 24.44 has the occupant keep it ratfree after the first cleanout and act again if rats return. So ask whether the quote is a single visit or a recurring plan with scheduled visits and written notes. For a house, compare quotes on the inspection, the trapping visits and each opening to be sealed.

Nearby City Guides

Free Clearwater Rodent Inspection

Say whether the property is a house, a unit in a tall building, or a business with a dumpster enclosure, and whether palms or limbs touch the roof, so the first visit covers the right openings.

What happens next

  1. Call and describe what you have seen and where.
  2. A trusted local pro can set up an inspection and confirm whether you have rats or mice.
  3. Ask them to explain trapping, removal and sealing, and what the work involves, before any work starts.
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Sources

  1. Sec. 24.41. Ratproofing required. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  2. Sec. 24.42. Inspections by health officer. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  3. Sec. 24.21. Definitions. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  4. 2020 Census Place Codes: Florida (st12_fl_place2020.txt). U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  5. Sec. 24.26. Garbage, refuse to be stored in receptacles. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  6. Sec. 24.27. Dumping garbage on premises, etc. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  7. Rodent Control Tips. City of Clearwater. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  8. Clearwater Connect. City of Clearwater. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  9. Sec. 1.02. Definitions and rules of construction generally. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  10. Sec. 24.43. Notice to ratproof; failure to comply with notice; quarantine. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  11. Sec. 24.44. Method of work; reinfestation. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  12. Sec. 24.45. Duty of occupants to maintain premises in ratproof condition; exception. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  13. Sec. 24.46. Duty of owner to install cement floors, etc. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  14. Sec. 24.22. Ratproofing required for new buildings and major repairs to existing buildings. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  15. Sec. 24.23. Unlawful to remove ratproofing from buildings. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  16. Sec. 24.25. Unlawful accumulation of lumber, boxes, etc. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  17. Section 3-1503. Nuisances. City of Clearwater, Florida, Community Development Code (Municode Library), Supp. No. 55, codified through Ord. No. 9857-25 (Dec. 4, 2025); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 13398, job 488301). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  18. Sec. 32.280. Duty of property owner; precollection practices. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  19. Sec. 32.274. Unlawful practices generally. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  20. Code Compliance. City of Clearwater, Planning & Development. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  21. Sec. 32.272. Collection by city; exceptions. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  22. Sec. 32.273. Director of solid waste/general services; powers; appeals from action. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  23. Section 3-1502. Property maintenance requirements. City of Clearwater, Florida, Community Development Code (Municode Library), Supp. No. 55, codified through Ord. No. 9857-25 (Dec. 4, 2025); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 13398, job 488301). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  24. Sec. 32.281. Duty of property owner; collection practices. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  25. Commercial Trash Collection Information. City of Clearwater, Solid Waste & Recycling. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  26. Residential Trash Collection Information. City of Clearwater, Solid Waste & Recycling. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  27. ENY-224: Rat and Mouse Control (P. G. Koehler and W. H. Kern, Jr.; revised October 2013). UF/IFAS Extension, Entomology and Nematology Department (EDIS). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  28. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Clearwater city, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  29. Sec. 32.284. Waste receptacle. City of Clearwater, Florida, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library), Supp. No. 90, codified through Ord. No. 9859-26 (Jan. 15, 2026); text read through the Municode API (client 1675, product 10148, job 485266). Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  30. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Clearwater city, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  31. EC2272BASIC: Accommodation and Food Services: Summary Statistics for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2022 (Clearwater city, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  32. EC2272BASIC: Accommodation and Food Services: Summary Statistics for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2022 (St. Petersburg city, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  33. EC2272BASIC: Accommodation and Food Services: Summary Statistics for the U.S., States, and Selected Geographies: 2022 (Pinellas County, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Economic Census. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  34. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Pinellas County, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  35. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Largo city, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  36. B25003: Tenure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Clearwater city, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.
  37. B25003: Tenure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Pinellas County, Florida). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-28.

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