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WV Rodent Control

Rodent Control in Martinsburg, West Virginia

Help with rats and mice in Martinsburg houses, rentals and apartment buildings: an inspection, trapping and removal, then sealing the gaps they use to get back in. Renters and landlords will also find what the City's rental Housing Code says about who must treat an infestation.

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Statewide rules and background: West Virginia rodent guide

Removal first, then closing the way in

Rodent control in Martinsburg is two jobs: removing the mice or rats already inside, then sealing the openings they used. Traps come first, through mouse control or rat control, and rodent exclusion closes the gaps so new ones cannot follow.

Two things set the city apart. About 42.3% of its homes were built before 1960, against about 13.7% across Berkeley County. And rentals fall under the City's own Housing Code, Chapter 1781, which says who must treat an infestation. The table below sets out each case.

Rental rules and an old city core

Who must treat mice and rats in a rental

The City's rental Housing Code, Chapter 1781, covers rental dwellings only. An owner-occupied single-family home is outside it unless more than one roomer, or lodger, lives there. Rentals must be registered with the Planning Department, (304) 264-2131, and units that pass inspection get a Letter of Compliance valid for three years.

Situation: The infestation comes from the dwelling not being kept rodent-proofWho must act: The owner or operator must exterminateCode section: 1781.18(b)
Situation: Rodents are in two or more units, or in the shared or public parts of the building or groundsWho must act: The owner or operator must exterminateCode section: 1781.18(b)
Situation: Your unit is the only one infestedWho must act: The tenant must exterminate, unless the owner has agreed in writing to do itCode section: 1781.19(f)

Both rules can fit one case: a single infested unit where the infestation is caused by the dwelling not being kept rodent-proof meets 1781.18(b) and 1781.19(f). Ask the Planning Department how the City applies them. This is a summary of the code, not legal advice.

An old city inside a newer county

  • About 42.3% of homes in Martinsburg were built before 1960, against about 13.7% across Berkeley County as a whole.
  • Buildings of 2 to 4 units hold about 10.5% of city homes, against about 2.9% countywide.
  • Buildings of 5 or more units hold about 18.1% of city homes, against about 6.4% countywide.

In an older house or a building with several units, ask the pro to inspect for the gaps mice and rats use, not just to set traps.

Year built, share of housing units

  • 42.3%

    Built before 1960

    ±5.8 points

  • 13.6%

    Built 1960 to 1979

    ±3.2 points

  • 21.7%

    Built 1980 to 1999

    ±4.1 points

  • 22.3%

    Built 2000 or later

    ±4.3 points

Building type, share of housing units

  • 54.8%

    Single-family detached

    ±3.2 points

  • 18.1%

    Buildings of 5+ units

    ±4.0 points

The City's trash can rules

Section 951.02 of the City code sets these can rules. They do not mention rodents, but they limit what sits outside for rats to find.

  • Can type, size and lid: Metal or semi-rigid plastic, leakproof and watertight, no larger than 30 gallons, with a tight-fitting lid kept on at all times.
  • If you use bags: Bags can replace a can only if they are heavy duty, at least 3 mils thick, and securely tied.
  • Where to keep cans: Section 951.02 bars keeping cans in front of the front wall of the house.
  • Set-out and take-in times: Out no earlier than 5:00 p.m. the day before collection, and back in by 9 p.m. on collection day.
  • Apartment buildings: Under 951.02(e)(1), properties with three or more living units, such as apartment complexes and condominiums, use a dumpster instead of cans. Townhouses and row houses are not included.

The City's Planning Department FAQ says garbage and rubbish left to pile up may attract rodents. To report it on a property, call Code Enforcement at (304) 264-2131 ext. 266.

Gaps worth checking in an older house

  1. Pipe and wire openings

    In rental dwellings, Housing Code section 1781.12(c) requires openings for pipes and wires in walls and floors to be enclosed or sealed, to reduce the passage of vermin. In any home, check under sinks, behind the stove and where utility lines come through a wall.

  2. Basement hatchways and windows

    If the house has a basement hatchway, keep it tight against rodents. Basement windows that open need rodent shields, storm windows or other approved protection. The 2018 property maintenance code the City enforces asks for both.

  3. Door bottoms and vent screens

    Check exterior doors for daylight along the bottom edge, and look over vent covers for torn or missing screens. A pro can fit door sweeps and replace weak screens with sturdier mesh as part of the sealing work.

Rodent exclusion · Guide to rodent entry points in a house

Which service fits the problem

  • Rodent Exclusion

    With about 42.3% of Martinsburg homes built before 1960, sealing deserves as much attention as trapping. Ask for a written list of the openings found and how each one will be closed.

  • Mouse Extermination

    In a Martinsburg rental, sections 1781.18(b) and 1781.19(f) of the City's Housing Code, set out in the table above, decide who handles an infestation. Read them, and your lease, before booking treatment for house mice.

Related services

What Affects Rodent Control Cost in Martinsburg?

  • Historic overlay review

    In the City's Historic Overlay District, exterior changes to historic structures go through an extra review. Ask the City Planner's Office before outside sealing work, and ask the pro how that could affect the plan and timing.

  • How many openings to seal

    In an older house, ask how many openings need sealing and what each will be closed with, since that changes the scope of the job.

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 Martinsburg Rodent Control

  • Call the City's Planning Department and ask whether the unit is registered; the number is in the rental rules section above. It is worth asking before you sign a lease, and a viewing is a good moment to look under sinks and inside cabinets for droppings or gnaw marks.

  • The comparison above shows the city's housing is much older than the county's as a whole, with more homes in multi-unit buildings. Age alone does not tell you where mice get in, so ask for an inspection that lists each opening, not only traps.

  • Trapping removes the mice that are inside now, but it leaves open the gaps they came through, so new mice can follow the same route. In an older house, ask for an inspection that walks the foundation, doors, vents and pipe openings and lists each gap with how it will be closed. Removal plus sealing is the lasting fix.

  • Yes. The City's Planning Department asks residents to contact its Code Enforcement Officer about garbage and rubbish piling up, and the direct line is in the trash rules section above. A report deals with the food source next door. If rats are already using your own yard or house, a pro can trap them and seal the openings they are using.

  • The City's Planning Department says exterior changes to historic structures in the overlay go through an extra review, and it points owners to the City Planner's Office for the overlay map. It does not say whether small sealing repairs count, so ask that office before outside work, and have the pro plan around the answer.

Nearby City Guides

Free Martinsburg Rodent Inspection

If you rent, have your lease and the landlord's contact details handy when you call, along with notes on where and when you saw signs of mice or rats.

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. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 1781.01 Purpose; scope (Codified Ordinances of Martinsburg, WV). City of Martinsburg, WV, via American Legal Publishing. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  5. 1781.07 Grant of letter of compliance; expiration (Codified Ordinances of Martinsburg, WV). City of Martinsburg, WV, via American Legal Publishing. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  6. Rental Inspections. City of Martinsburg, WV. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  7. 1781.18 Owner and operator responsibilities (Codified Ordinances of Martinsburg, WV). City of Martinsburg, WV, via American Legal Publishing. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  8. 1781.19 Occupant responsibilities (Codified Ordinances of Martinsburg, WV). City of Martinsburg, WV, via American Legal Publishing. 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. 951.02 Container requirements; dumpster requirements (Codified Ordinances of Martinsburg, WV). City of Martinsburg, WV, via American Legal Publishing. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  11. Frequently Asked Questions (Planning, Zoning & Building Department). City of Martinsburg, WV. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  12. 1781.12 Structure and utilities (Codified Ordinances of Martinsburg, WV). City of Martinsburg, WV, via American Legal Publishing. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  13. Chapter 3 General Requirements, 2018 International Property Maintenance Code. International Code Council. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  14. 1711.01 Adoption (Codified Ordinances of Martinsburg, WV). City of Martinsburg, WV, via American Legal Publishing. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  15. Mammals of West Virginia Field Checklist. West Virginia Division of Natural Resources. Retrieved 2026-09-26.
  16. Hantavirus Disease. West Virginia Office of Epidemiology and Prevention Services. Retrieved 2026-09-26.

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