House Mouse
Identification and behavior: house mouse guide
West Virginia Rodent Control
Rodent Exterminators in West Virginia
Rat and mouse control for West Virginia houses, mobile homes, outbuildings 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.
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Which rodent control services can you get in West Virginia?
Six core services, each linked to its own guide.
What should a rodent check cover on a West Virginia property?
The whole outside of each building, from the foundation or skirting up to the roofline, plus the woodpile, sheds and anything stored against a wall.
Where to look: Guide to rodent entry points in a house
31.8%
of West Virginia housing units were built before 1960
70.9%
are single-family detached homes
13.6%
are mobile homes
7.8%
are in buildings of five or more units
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024
Mobile homes: check the skirting and floor openings.
In an older house, start with the basement or crawl space walls and every place a pipe, wire or duct passes through them.
The West Virginia Division of Forestry says the state is 78 percent forested. On a wooded lot, keep firewood, brush and stored lumber off the walls of the house so the gaps behind them can be seen and sealed.
Charleston Yeager Airport
Average low at or below 40F
January, February, March, November and December
Highest average highs
July and August
Huntington Tri-State Airport
Average low at or below 40F
January, February, March, November and December
Highest average highs
July and August
Elkins Randolph County Airport
Average low at or below 40F
January, February, March, April, October, November and December
Highest average highs
July and August
Martinsburg Eastern WV Regional Airport
Average low at or below 40F
January, February, March, November and December
Highest average highs
July and August
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020
At Elkins Randolph County Airport, a mountain station at 603 m, seven months average a low of 40F or colder, April and October included. NOAA's state climate summary says the rugged topography makes conditions vary considerably across the state.
Seal gaps before the first cold month. Rodents in fall and winter
Which rodents does West Virginia's wildlife agency list?
The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources field checklist of the state's mammals lists the house mouse, the Norway rat, the black rat (also called the roof rat) and the deer mouse. It marks the first three as exotic.
Source: West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, accessed 2026
Norway Rat
Identification and behavior: Norway rat guide
Deer Mouse
The WVDNR checklist rates the deer mouse common in suitable habitat.
Identification and behavior: deer mouse guide
Not sure which rodent you have? Compare rat and mouse droppings or see all rodent species.
How does professional rodent control work in West Virginia?
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 West Virginia?
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 West Virginia does this guide cover?
This guide covers the whole state. Browse every state guide
The largest metro area entirely within West Virginia is Charleston, with 202,091 residents in the Census estimate for 2024. The Morgantown metro area had 142,752.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, accessed 2026
When should West Virginia 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
West Virginia FAQs About Rats and Mice
Can a mouse problem bring snakes around a West Virginia home?
WVU Extension says to be alert for snakes if you have a mouse infestation, because snakes prey on mice and small mammals. The mouse control page covers what clearing and sealing out mice involves.
Are house mice and Norway rats native to West Virginia?
No. The WVDNR mammal checklist says the black rat (roof rat), the Norway rat and the house mouse all came to the continental United States with settlers and traders.
Source: West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, accessed 2026
How many kinds of rodents live in West Virginia?
WVDNR says 74 mammal species currently occur in West Virginia and that rodents are the most diverse group, with 26 species in 5 families. The species cards above cover the ones this guide deals with.
Source: West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, accessed 2026
Do the mountains change when to seal a West Virginia home?
They can. NOAA's state climate summary puts winter average minimum temperatures in the low 20s F in the mountainous central and northeastern parts of the state and around 30F in the far south, so plan exclusion work earlier in the fall at higher elevations.
Does this guide cover Huntington and Martinsburg?
Yes. Both sit in metro areas that cross state lines: Huntington-Ashland, with 366,920 residents in 2024, includes Kentucky and Ohio counties, and Hagerstown-Martinsburg, with 311,295, includes Washington County, Maryland.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, accessed 2026
Which rodent does West Virginia link to hantavirus?
Deer mice, primarily. The West Virginia Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services says hantavirus is carried by infected wild rodents, primarily deer mice, so use the safe cleanup method for their droppings and nests.
Source: West Virginia Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, accessed 2026
Sources for This West Virginia Guide
- P2: Urban and Rural - 2020 Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics File (U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census, accessed 2026)
- Why Forests Matter (West Virginia Division of Forestry, accessed 2026)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USW00013729 ELKINS RANDOLPH CO AP, WV US (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020)
- West Virginia - State Climate Summaries 2022 (NOAA National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 150), accessed 2026)
- Mammals of West Virginia Field Checklist (West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, accessed 2026)
- Annual Resident Population Estimates for Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024 (CBSA-EST2024-ALLDATA) (U.S. Census Bureau, Population Division, accessed 2026)
- Avoiding Snake Encounters (West Virginia University Extension, accessed 2026)
- WV Mammals: 74 Species Guide and Facts (West Virginia Division of Natural Resources, accessed 2026)
- Hantavirus Disease (West Virginia Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services, accessed 2026)
- 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)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USW00013866 CHARLESTON YEAGER AP, WV US (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USW00003860 HUNTINGTON TRI STATE AP, WV US (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020)
- U.S. Climate Normals 1991-2020: Monthly Normals, Station USW00013734 MARTINSBURG E WV RGNL AP, WV US (NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), 1991-2020)
Get Help With Rats or Mice in West Virginia
Describe what you found and where in the building.
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