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VA Rodent Control

Rodent Exterminators in Chesterfield, VA

Rodent exterminators across Chesterfield County deal with rats and mice in houses, garages and apartment buildings: an inspection to find how they get in, trapping and removal, then sealing the gaps. Below, what the county's own rules say about trash haulers and trash left on a lot, and about run-down property that harbors rats.

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Statewide rules and background: Virginia rodent guide

One county, private trash service, one rodent rule

This page covers all of Chesterfield County, VA. Virginia Tech's school rodent guide calls garbage often the main food source for rats and mice. The fix starts with rat control or mouse control and ends with rodent exclusion, which closes the openings so new animals cannot follow.

Local rules shape the job in two ways. The county does not pick up household trash, so bins depend on a private hauler licensed under county code Section 11-12 or a trip to a convenience center. And the county's spot-blight ordinance, Section 5-7.3, lists evidence of rat or rodent infestation or harborage among the factors it weighs. The county has 13 Census places and no incorporated town, so these county rules cover Midlothian and the county's other unincorporated communities too.

Blight, trash and the county code

Run-down property and the blight ordinance

Chesterfield County's spot-blight ordinance, Sections 5-7.3 and 5-7.4, covers a structure that endangers health, safety or welfare because it is dilapidated, deteriorated or below minimum health and safety standards. It is a process for seriously neglected property, not a complaint route for a neighbor with a few mice.

Situation: Conditions on the property cause evidence of rat or rodent infestation or harboragesWho must act: The county may weigh this as one factor in deciding the structure is blightedCode section: 5-7.3(b)(2)
Situation: The building official makes a preliminary blight determination and notifies the ownerWho must act: The owner has 30 days to send a written plan to cure the blight, acceptable to the director of community enhancementCode section: 5-7.4
Situation: The owner's plan is approvedWho must act: The owner has up to 90 days to finish the work; the building official may extend that if much of the work is done to planCode section: 5-7.4
Situation: The owner sends no acceptable plan within 30 days, or does not finish the approved work and has no extensionWho must act: The director of community enhancement may ask the Board of Supervisors to declare the property blighted by ordinanceCode section: 5-7.4(c)

For a property maintenance, tall grass or trash concern, Chesterfield County Community Enhancement takes reports at 804-748-1500 or through its online ELM citizen access portal. This table summarizes the code; it is not legal advice.

No county pickup: who handles household trash

Chesterfield County does not collect household trash. Residential trash and recycling service comes from private waste management companies, and the county runs two convenience centers, Northern Area and Southern Area, open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for household waste and recycling.

Situation: A company is paid to collect, haul or dump garbage, refuse or trash in the countyWho must act: It must hold a license from the county's director of general servicesCode section: 11-12
Situation: A licensed collector serves its customersWho must act: It must give reasonable service and collect without creating a nuisance or harming public health; violations can lead to suspension or revocationCode section: 11-17
Situation: Trash or litter that could endanger health sits on a lotWho must act: The owner keeps it in private receptacles or authorized facilities; after written notice the owner has ten days, then the county may correct it and bill the costCode section: 11-31
Situation: Motels, apartment houses and shopping centersWho must act: The owner or operator must provide adequate, tightly covered, leak-proof containers and collection serviceCode section: 11-6

None of these trash sections mentions rodents; the checklist below covers the rodent side of trash.

Keeping bins from feeding rats

Virginia Tech's rodent guide was written for schools, but its trash advice applies to a home as well.

  • Hard cans with tight lids: Keep trash in cans with tightly covered lids and have them emptied often. Virginia Tech warns that plastic trash bags will not keep rodents out.
  • Overflow before pickup day: If trash builds up before the hauler comes, take it to a county convenience center between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. rather than leaving it outside. Trash drop-off there carries a per-load fee.
  • Wood and rock piles: Virginia Tech also advises removing wood piles, rock piles and other outdoor heaps where rats or mice can shelter near a building.

Home ages across the county

About 77.7% of homes in Chesterfield County are single-family detached houses. Census estimates put the county's median year built at 1990, against 1984 for Virginia as a whole and 2001 for the Midlothian CDP, a Census place. Build year is background for an inspection, not a verdict on any one house.

Mobile homes are about 1.0% of the county's housing units, against about 5.4% in the Chester CDP, a Census place: roughly one home in twenty there. If yours is one, ask for the skirting and the underside to be checked too.

Census estimates for some of the county's Census places: the median year built, its margin of error, and which way each place's Census map point lies from the county's.

  • Bensley CDP: Median year built 1968, plus or minus 4. North-east of the county point.
  • Bon Air CDP: Median year built 1976, plus or minus 2. North of the county point.
  • Ettrick CDP: Median year built 1978, plus or minus 6. South-east of the county point.
  • Meadowbrook CDP: Median year built 1980, plus or minus 3. North-east of the county point.
  • Enon CDP: Median year built 1981, plus or minus 7. East of the county point.
  • Brandermill CDP: Median year built 1987, plus or minus 2. North-west of the county point.
  • Woodlake CDP: Median year built 1988, plus or minus 2. North-west of the county point.
  • Midlothian CDP: Median year built 2001, plus or minus 2. North-west of the county point.

These are Census estimates for whole areas, and directions compare map points, not boundaries. Let the inspection judge your own house.

Sealing, trapping or both

  • Rodent Exclusion

    Most houses here stand alone: 77.7% of the county's homes are single-family detached. Every wall, the foundation and the roofline belong on the sealing list, so ask for each opening found and how it will be closed, in writing.

  • Rat Extermination

    Household trash pickup here is left to private haulers licensed under Section 11-12, so how your bins are kept between pickups is part of any rat plan. The Norway rat guide helps you confirm what you are dealing with.

Related services

Openings to check from ground to roof

Virginia Tech's guide warns against checking only the lowest three feet of a wall, since rats and mice also get in by the eaves, the roof and attic vents. It advises keeping plants 12 to 18 inches from the building.

  1. Eaves, roof edges and attic vents

    Look up as well as down. An inspection of a detached house should take in the eaves, the roof edges and every attic vent.

  2. Where pipes and wires pass through

    Each pipe, cable or wire that runs through a wall or the roof leaves a gap around it. Ask for every one to be sealed tight.

  3. Shrubs and vines against the siding

    Keep planting beds, vines and branches back from the siding by the gap the guide gives, so nothing touches the walls or roof.

Rodent exclusion · Guide to rodent entry points in a house

What Affects Rodent Control Cost in Chesterfield?

  • Clutter to clear outside

    If wood piles, rock piles or other heaps near the house are giving rats cover, ask whether clearing them is in the quote or left to you.

  • How far the sealing goes

    On a detached house the gaps can be anywhere from the foundation to the roof edge. How many there are, and how high the work has to go, moves the price.

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 Chesterfield Rodent Control

  • Keep household trash in a hard can with a lid that shuts tight rather than in bags on the ground, and ask your hauler how often it collects. If trash piles up before pickup day, take it to a county convenience center instead of storing it outside. The trash section above has the details.

  • Yes. The trash table above shows the county's licensing rule for paid collectors and the service standard they must meet. When you choose a hauler, ask whether it holds that county license and how it handles a missed pickup.

  • The blight table above gives the steps: a set period to send a written plan to cure the blight, and a longer one to finish the approved work, which the building official may extend if much of it is done to plan. If the owner does not act, the matter can go to the Board of Supervisors.

  • Only in serious cases. The spot-blight ordinance set out above treats evidence of rat or rodent infestation or harborage as one factor in finding a deteriorated structure blighted. For everyday problems such as tall grass or trash left on a lot, contact Community Enhancement, whose details are in the same section.

  • The list above gives Census estimates of the median build year for several of the county's Census places, with each margin of error and its direction from the county's map point. The estimates describe whole areas, not your street, so treat them as background and let the inspection judge your own house.

  • Virginia's landlord and tenant law, Va. Code 55.1-1227, has you keep the area you occupy clear of insects and pests and report any to the landlord promptly. An unreasonable delay in reporting can leave you paying the added treatment cost it causes, and if your own fault let the infestation happen, that cost can be yours. Under 55.1-1220 the landlord must keep the premises fit and habitable, and in multifamily buildings keep shared common areas clean and structurally safe. Read your lease; this is general information, not legal advice.

Nearby City Guides

Free Chesterfield Rodent Inspection

When you call, say whether the house is detached or attached, roughly when it was built, and whether you are seeing rats around the trash cans, mice indoors, or both.

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. Schools Integrated Pest Management (IPM) for Rats and Mice. Virginia Tech Department of Entomology, School IPM program (Virginia Cooperative Extension site). Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  2. Chapter 11 - Garbage, Refuse and Weeds, Article II. Compensated Collectors. Chesterfield County, Virginia, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  3. Chapter 5 - Buildings (Secs. 5-7.1 to 5-7.6, spot blight abatement). Chesterfield County, Virginia, Code of Ordinances (Municode Library); text read through the Municode API (job 491370, product 10531). Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  4. 2020 Census Place Codes: Virginia (st51_va_place2020.txt). U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  5. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  6. Enforcement. Chesterfield County, Virginia, Community Enhancement. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  7. Waste and Resource Recovery Division. Chesterfield County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  8. Convenience Centers. Chesterfield County, Virginia. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  9. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  10. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  11. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  12. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables. U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  13. B25024: Units in Structure - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Chester CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-27.
  14. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Bensley CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  15. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Bensley CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  16. 2024 Gazetteer Files: Places, Virginia. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  17. 2024 Gazetteer Files: Counties. U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  18. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Bon Air CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  19. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Bon Air CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  20. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Ettrick CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  21. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Ettrick CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  22. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Meadowbrook CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  23. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Meadowbrook CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  24. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Enon CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  25. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Enon CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  26. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Brandermill CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  27. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Brandermill CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  28. B25035: Median Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Woodlake CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  29. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Woodlake CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  30. B25034: Year Structure Built - 2024 ACS 5-Year Estimates Detailed Tables (Midlothian CDP, Virginia). U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  31. Virginia Master Naturalist, Basic Training Course, Mammals in Virginia (465-314, CNRE-176P). Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  32. Code of Virginia 55.1-1227. Maintenance of dwelling unit by tenant. Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Information System. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  33. Code of Virginia 55.1-1220. Landlord to maintain fit premises. Virginia General Assembly, Legislative Information System. Retrieved 2026-09-26.

Related guides

Editorial policy · How it works · Virginia guide

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