Mice Exterminator in Oshawa
If you need a mice exterminator in Oshawa, AstraHive Pest Control inspects the whole property, seals the exterior entry points, then traps and follows up, backed by a 90-day warranty. Oshawa's own by-law and rodent guidance spell out what owners must do, and this page turns them into a plan for your home.
What Oshawa's property standards by-law requires of owners
| By-law 1-2002 section | What it requires | What it means for mice |
|---|---|---|
| 5.12.1 Pest prevention and control | All properties must be kept free of pest infestation, including rodents, vermin and insects, and of conditions that may promote an infestation, at all times. | Owners carry the duty, and it covers rented properties too. |
| 4.5.2 Garbage receptacles | Every receptacle must be watertight, built and maintained to prevent the entry of insects and rodents and the escape of odours, and kept closed except when waste is put in or taken out. | A loose lid or a cracked bin is a feeding station. |
| 5.5.4 Openings in exterior walls | An opening used for ventilation or light that is not closed by a door or window must be protected with a metal grill or an equivalent durable material that effectively prevents entry by birds, rodents or vermin. | This is the by-law behind covering vents and weep holes with mesh. |
Source: City of Oshawa Property Standards By-law 1-2002.
Residents can report rats in their neighbourhood to Service Oshawa. If the source is known, the City creates a Property Standards By-law complaint. If it is not known, the information is used to try to find the source and understand the extent of the problem.
What the City of Oshawa tells residents about mice and rats
The City's rodent page opens with a local cause: construction activity across Oshawa, and the changing seasons, displace mice and rats so they look for shelter indoors. It lists the signs to look for.
| Sign | Mice | Rats |
|---|---|---|
| Droppings | About the size of rice grains | About the size of black beans |
| Sightings | More common in the daytime | More active at night |
| Burrows | Not listed | Digging around foundations, into walls, under sheds and fences |
| Runs and gnawing | Dust-free paths along walls and floors, gnaw marks | Dust-free paths along walls and floors, gnaw marks |
Source: City of Oshawa, Rodents page.
The same page says mice need only a six millimetre space and rats a 12 millimetre space to get through an opening, and that a pair of mice can eat over four kilograms of food and leave about 36,000 droppings in a year. Its prevention list is concrete: seal outside openings with coarse steel wool and sheet metal around pipes and electrical conduits, clear brush, tall grass and trash, keep stored items 24 to 30 centimetres off the floor, fix water leaks, and put garbage out at the curb the morning of collection and no later than 7 a.m.
Mice in your Oshawa home or building?
Our licensed technicians start with an inspection and a clear plan for your property.
Call 905-925-8427How AstraHive Pest Control gets rid of mice in Oshawa
- Inspection. We look at the foundation, penetrations, doors, roofline and the inside of the property to find where mice enter and travel.
- Exterior sealing. We close entry points from the outside with steel wool or copper mesh locked in with sealant or foam, and hardware cloth for large gaps. We never seal interior gaps. Weep holes and vents are covered with breathable mesh only (steel wool, copper mesh or excluder mesh), never sealant, foam or mortar, because the wall is hollow and needs them to let moisture and warm air out.
- Interior trapping. We trap the mice already inside. Where bait is needed we use tamper-resistant bait stations.
- Follow-up. We return to check the traps, confirm the seals held and close anything missed.
All products we use are Health Canada approved and applied according to the product label. Our technicians are licensed by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP). Our mouse work is backed by a 90-day warranty.
Why vents and weep holes get mesh, not sealant or a bare opening
By-law section 5.5.4 requires ventilation openings to be guarded so rodents cannot get in. Weep holes and vents also let moisture and warm air out of a hollow wall, so we do not fill them with sealant, foam or mortar, which would trap moisture and can lead to mould. We cover them with breathable mesh instead: steel wool, copper mesh or excluder mesh. Air and moisture still pass, and mice do not. Leaving them open fails the by-law's test, and sealing them solid fails the wall.
Our guides go deeper: entry points we find on Ontario inspections and does steel wool stop mice.
Frequently asked questions: Oshawa
Who is responsible for mice in an Oshawa rental?
Section 5.12.1 of Oshawa's Property Standards By-law requires every property to be kept free of pest infestation, including rodents. Tell your landlord in writing. Residents can also report rats to Service Oshawa, and the City creates a by-law complaint when the source is known.
How small a gap can a mouse use to get in?
The City of Oshawa says mice need only a six millimetre space and rats a 12 millimetre space. Health Canada puts it as a crack as small as a dime for mice and a quarter-sized hole for rats.
How do I tell mouse droppings from rat droppings?
The City of Oshawa says mouse droppings are about the size of rice grains and rat droppings about the size of black beans. Mice are more often seen in the daytime and rats are more active at night.
What time does garbage have to be at the curb in Oshawa?
The City asks residents to put garbage and recycling out the morning of collection and no later than 7 a.m., and to store garbage in rodent-proof containers with tight-fitting lids until then.
When should I call a professional?
The City of Oshawa advises contacting a licensed pest control operator for heavy infestations. We start with an inspection of the exterior and interior, then seal, trap and follow up.
Sources
- City of Oshawa: Property Standards By-law 1-2002 . sections 4.5.2, 5.5.4 and 5.12.1
- City of Oshawa: Rodents . signs, entry sizes, prevention, reporting
- Health Canada: Rats and mice (pest control tips) . crack size, sealing, traps, cleanup