Rat & Mouse Removal

Pest & Wildlife Control in the Kansas City Metro Area

Rats and mice. They gnaw on wiring and wooden home joist. They contaminate your home with their urine and feces. They are the number one problem in the world, dollar-wise, for damage.

Helping You Get Rid of Mice or Rats 

We can solve your rodent problem. There are actually two different species of mice that enter a structure. One is the House mouse, gray in color with lighter gray hair on its belly, one of the areas most common mouse species. Also there is the White-footed Deer mouse, found more in areas that have homes closer to overgrown fields and woodlots. Both species adapt readily to living in your basement, cabinets, crawlspaces or quite commonly the attic.

The Norway rat is the species that thrive here in the Kansas City Metro Area. They are very happy to live in your basement or behind the kitchen cupboards. Norway rats are very adaptable to any environment. Outside of the home they will live in the ground burrowing around the foundation of the home. For non-stop control, we offer exterior rodent bait stations that are locked and anchored to the ground for safety from pets and children.

“Catch-It Wildlife responded quickly when a rat was able to get into my basement. I was horrified but within a few days the rat was caught and then they sealed the several openings and I’ve have not even had a mouse since then (previous battle). Well worth having someone knowledgeable take care of it so thoroughly. We like the wildlife to stay outside."

Connie HauensteinEmerson

“Catch-it did a great job helping take care of a mouse problem for me. They take care of the point of intrusion, not just the actual pests already in the property, plus their no-poison tactics were nice considering we were worried about harming pets.”

Eric S

“We heard small scratching in the attic. We do not have a mouse problem in the garage or in the house proper. Mice were crawling up trees next to the house and getting into the attic. OMG!! Well Catch-it caught them and inspected and sealed the entry points. Great job!!!”

Paul

“We have use their service several times, in the past it was to handle moles and they caught quite a few over several years, we live on a golf course, but our latest was 2 (two) rats they were prompt and handled it professionally and kept us notified all the way thru !!”

Jerry Hodges

RAT/MOUSE STORIES

KCMO: National Franchise quotes $18k for attic insulation mice?! | Click to Expand

A KCMO homeowner called us because they wanted a second opinion before spending $18,000 with an unnamed National Franchise having their attic insulation replaced due to mouse droppings.

First, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. $18,000 for insulating a house? We've insulated businesses and churches that cost $18,000 or more, but a house? That sounds very high.

Second, mouse droppings?! Sure, no one likes droppings, but let's be reasonable here: mouse droppings are not hazardous. When we say that bat and raccoon droppings/feces/guano are hazardous, we're not simply promoting our services or trying to scare people into calling us - bat and raccoon droppings are hazardous to humans. The CDC lists those hazards on their website. But mouse droppings? First, ok, yes, make sure you don't have active mice. Then second, sure, clean that "stuff" up where you see the mess - but you don't have to throw out thousands of dollars of insulation in your attic and bring in new insulation due to mice.

As I said, the homeowner called us because they wanted a second opinion before spending $18,000 with the unnamed National Franchise. We offer free inspections for insulation estimates only. All our inspections include entering the attic to inspect for any signs of animal or pest activity as well as evidence of damage, such as wire damage, flex tube damage (very common if squirrels or raccoons are present), etc. Our job is to protect your home. Each technician will take pictures to show the homeowner what was found. We can email or text these pictures to the customer for future reference. 

We went out and inspected the attic and provided the homeowner with a report along with our recommendations.

What did we find? Two little mouse droppings. That's it. This is not what would be considered an infestation, and even if there was a larger quantity let's not forget that, despite any type of waste being unclean and unpleasant, mouse droppings are not hazardous. You don't have to throw EVERYTHING out. Only in EXTREME situations would we even consider removing attic insulation because of a mouse infestation. 

The homeowner called us up later in the day, expressing appreciation for the professionalism and expertise demonstrated by our technician, and saying that they are ending their business relationship with the unnamed National Franchise and will only call us in the future for any type of pest or animal control need.

What's sad about this situation is that this is not an isolated instance. We've heard and seen this before. It's too bad that not all businesses choose to conduct themselves in an ethical and honorable fashion. Whether the franchise was simply being greedy and purposely trying to take advantage of this homeowner, or whether the franchise innocently thought that mice droppings were hazardous and doesn't know what they are doing - neither one of those bodes well for the franchise.

For us? What more can we do besides be here, and available. We're continuing to conduct business the way we have for over 30 years. We might be considered "old school" because we're not greedy and are not quoting high prices for unnecessary work and have spent years studying and gaining knowledge and experience in this arena, but we believe that, in the long run, this is the proper way to do business.

Are Rats and Mice Really That Big of a Deal?

First, if you have to pick between rats or mice – hopefully it’s mice. While no rodent is pleasant and all rodents need to be removed from your home or business, mice are much cleaner and healthier than rats. Mice are also smaller and not as smart as rats – meaning mice are easier to deal with.

When it comes to health issues, rats are the bigger issue. While New York city is an extreme urban example, in April of 2024 the NYC Dept. of Health and Mental Hygiene released a health advisory about the significant increase of human Leptospirosis cases – a bacteria present in rat urine. Leptospirosis is tricky because it has a range of symptoms, and many of those symptoms are present in other diseases (i.e. hard to diagnose). In some people the disease doesn’t have any symptoms. Yet, according to the CDC, without treatment, Leptospirosis can lead to kidney damage, meningitis, liver failure, respiratory distress, and even death. Unfortunately, Leptospirosis is only one of many human-transmittable diseases that rats carry.

One pest control company handling approx. 85% of all pest control in Sweden, noted a 67% increase in the number of rat control activities over the last three years. The resistance against rodenticides is increasing in rats… More rats increase the probability of contact between humans and rats and accordingly the risk for transmission of severe infectious diseases.”

Dr. Tanja Strand (pictured) and Professor Åke Lundkvist

Researchers: Rat-borne diseases at the horizon. A systematic review on infectious agents carried by rats in Europe 1995–2016, Infection Ecology & Epidemiology Journal, Vol. 9, Issue 1, 2019

Do You Need Help With Rodent Control?

Are mice gnawing on your car wiring? Are rats eating the dog food in the kitchen? Do you heard faint scratching on your ceiling while your trying to sleep? We have been successfully dealing with rodents for decades. For non-stop control, we offer exterior rodent bait stations that are locked and anchored to the ground for safety from pets and children.

How Can You Get in Touch With Catch-it Wildlife?

If you have a wildlife or pest problem, contact us by filling out the form on the contact page or call us at (816) 769-3106 today!

We provide pest control, wildlife removal, and bird control services here in the Kansas City area.

Let's Connect

Hi there, I'm Steve, the Owner of Catch-It, and I personally handle all incoming inquiries from the website. If you have a question or need help, send me a message via the form below and I'll be in touch with you soon (often the same day). If your query is urgent, please give us a call at (816) 769-3106.

Steve Painter, Owner, Catch-It Wildlife and Pest