Norway Rat
Identification and behavior: Norway rat guide
Maryland Rat and Mouse Control
Rodent Exterminators in Maryland
Rat and mouse control for Maryland homes, rentals and businesses: an inspection, trapping and removal, then sealing the gaps rodents use to get back in.
Your call reaches a trusted local rodent pro.
Free Inspection · Same-Day Service in Many Areas
Which rodent control services can you get in Maryland?
Six core services, each linked to its own guide.
Where should a Maryland rodent inspection look first?
At the gaps in older homes, and at the shared walls and utility runs between units in attached homes.
Where to look: Guide to rodent entry points in a house
26.2%
of Maryland housing units were built before 1960
10.7%
were built before 1940
21.3%
are single-family attached units
22.6%
are in buildings with five or more units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024
Baltimore-Washington International Airport
Average low at or below 40F
January, February, March, November and December
Highest average highs
July and August
Salisbury Wicomico Regional Airport
Average low at or below 40F
January, February, March, November and December
Highest average highs
July and August
Cumberland 2
Average low at or below 40F
January, February, March, November and December
Highest average highs
July and August
Oakland 1 SE
Average low at or below 40F
January, February, March, April, October, November and December
Highest average highs
July and August
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020
Oakland 1 SE is the highest of the four stations, at 737.6 m, and it is the one that adds April and October to the months with average lows at or below 40F.
Seal gaps before the first cold month. Rodents in fall and winter
Which rodents cause problems in Maryland?
Maryland's pesticide applicator training manual for rodent control describes the Norway rat, the roof rat and the house mouse as the most common pest rodents in general, though the same manual says the roof rat is rare in Maryland.
Source: Maryland Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation Section, accessed 2026
House Mouse
Maryland's rodent control manual says the house mouse occupies urban areas.
Identification and behavior: house mouse guide
Deer Mouse
Maryland's rodent control manual says the deer mouse is mostly restricted to central, northern and western Maryland and is more common in rural or semi-rural areas. Cabins, sheds and outbuildings in those areas are worth checking.
Identification and behavior: deer mouse guide
Not sure which rodent you have? Compare rat and mouse droppings or see all rodent species.
Do Maryland cities and counties help with rats?
Some do, and others put the job on the property owner.
Baltimore City
Residents can call 311 or file an online request for the Department of Public Works Rat Rubout program to inspect and possibly bait the area. Workers bait only where a burrow is present, and a right of entry form is required before they go onto private property.
Source: Baltimore City Department of Public Works, accessed 2026
The City says a trash can with a tight-fitting lid is the law, and it asks residents not to set out bagged trash because rats chew through bags.
Baltimore County
The County's Rat Control and Treatment Program makes each resident responsible for keeping their property free of rat harborage, citing Sections 13-7-305 and 13-7-306 of the County Code. Residents can report rats on another property, and community associations can request neighborhood rat eradication.
Source: Baltimore County Government, Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections, accessed 2026
Montgomery County
The County makes rat control the property owner's responsibility and quotes Chapter 39 of its code, which makes it unlawful to let a property be infested with rats. After an inspection finds a rat problem, the owner or tenant gets a written notice with a deadline.
How does professional rodent control work in Maryland?
Inspect, remove, seal, then check again.
A local rodent pro usually follows these steps. How a call works
1.Call
Say what you have seen or heard, and where.
2.Inspect
Ask to be shown the entry points and signs found.
3.Remove
Trapping, and baiting where it suits the site.
4.Seal
Closing the entry gaps the rodents used.
5.Check
A return visit shows whether the work held.
How much does rodent control cost in Maryland?
The provider sets the price after an inspection.
Ask for the price in writing before work starts. How each part of a job is priced
- 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
Which parts of Maryland does this guide cover?
This guide covers the whole state. Browse every state guide
Two metro areas hold most Maryland residents. The Baltimore metro accounts for about 45.6% of the state's July 2025 population estimate of 6,265,347, and the four Maryland counties in the Washington metro (Frederick, Montgomery, Charles and Prince George's) account for about 40.3%.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2025
When should Maryland property owners call a professional?
When rodents keep coming back or are out of reach.
Activity returns after trapping
How to know rodents are goneSounds in walls or the attic
Scratching noises guideBurrows along the foundation
Rodent exclusionA business, rental or food area
Commercial rodent controlDroppings to clean up
Safe droppings cleanupGaps you cannot safely reach
Attic rodent removal
Maryland FAQs About Rats and Mice
Are roof rats common in Maryland?
No. Maryland's rodent control manual says the roof rat is rare in Maryland, though occasional infestations may be introduced into Baltimore and other commercial harbor areas. Compare it with the Norway rat on the roof rat page before deciding an attic rat is one.
Source: Maryland Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation Section, accessed 2026
What do yellow flags on Baltimore City rat burrows mean?
They mark burrows that the Department of Public Works Rat Rubout program has treated. Baltimore City says its workers place the bait deep in the burrow.
Source: Baltimore City Department of Public Works, accessed 2026
Will Baltimore County treat a property for rats?
Sometimes. Baltimore County's Rat Control and Treatment Program says that where the County decides extermination is needed, a licensed extermination company treats only properties with visible signs of rat infestation.
Source: Baltimore County Government, Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections, accessed 2026
Does Montgomery County bait for rats?
No. Montgomery County says its Licensure and Regulatory Services does not bait or provide bait to property owners.
Is the white-footed mouse the same as the deer mouse?
No. They are different species, Peromyscus leucopus and Peromyscus maniculatus, and Maryland's rodent control manual says the white-footed mouse is found throughout Maryland.
Source: Maryland Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation Section, accessed 2026
Sources for This Maryland Guide
- Rodent Control: Maryland Pesticide Applicator Training Manual, Category 7D (Maryland Department of Agriculture, Pesticide Regulation Section, accessed 2026)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USC00186620 OAKLAND 1 SE, MD US (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USW00093721 BALTIMORE WASH INTL AP, MD US (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USW00093720 SALISBURY WICOMICO RGNL AP, MD US (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USC00182282 CUMBERLAND 2, MD US (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020)
- Rat Control (Baltimore City Department of Public Works, accessed 2026)
- Rat Control and Treatment Program (Baltimore County Government, Department of Permits, Approvals and Inspections, accessed 2026)
- Vector Control (Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Health and Human Services, Licensure and Regulatory Services, accessed 2026)
- CBSA-EST2025-ALLDATA: Annual Resident Population Estimates and Estimated Components of Resident Population Change for Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas and Their Geographic Components: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2025)
- NST-EST2025-ALLDATA: Annual Population Estimates, Estimated Components of Resident Population Change, and Rates of the Components of Resident Population Change for the United States, States, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2025 (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, Vintage 2025)
- B25034: Year Structure Built, 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024)
- B25024: Units in Structure, 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024)
Get Help With Rats or Mice in Maryland
Describe what you found and where in the building.
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