Rat & Mouse Control in Laois & the Irish Midlands
Rats or mice in the house, shed, or on the farm? CounterPest finds how they are getting in, clears the infestation, and proofs the building to help keep them out. Based in Borris-In-Ossory and covering Laois and the Midlands. Local, fully insured, and an NPTA member.
Rats and Mice in the Midlands
Rural counties like Laois are rodent country. Farms, grain and animal feed, older houses, hedgerows, and outbuildings mean rats and mice are never far away. Rodents can turn up all year round, but as the weather cools they move indoors looking for warmth and food, which is when many of our calls come in.
The two you will almost always be dealing with in Ireland are the brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) and the house mouse (Mus musculus). Brown rats often use drains and burrows, can be wary of unfamiliar objects like a newly placed trap, and can do real structural damage. Mice are small and easy to underestimate, but they breed quickly, so a small problem can grow if it is left untreated.
We cover Laois, Offaly, Tipperary, Kildare, North Kilkenny and Carlow. The important part is that we do not just put down bait and leave. As an NPTA member we clear the infestation and then find and seal the ways they are getting in, which greatly reduces the chance of the problem simply coming back. You can also explore our pest control services in Laois.
Why Rats and Mice Are Worth Sorting Early
A few rodents in autumn can become a household problem by winter.
They Spread Disease
Rats and mice contaminate food and surfaces with droppings and urine. Contact with infected rat urine can transmit leptospirosis, whose severe form is known as Weil's disease, and they can also spread salmonella. In a kitchen or food business, even a small infestation is a genuine health risk.
They Cause Damage and Fires
Rodents gnaw constantly to keep their teeth down - through cables, water pipes, insulation, and woodwork. Chewed wiring is a recognised cause of house and vehicle fires, and rat damage to pipes can flood a property.
They Breed Very Fast
Mice reproduce quickly, so a small problem can grow fast if it is left untreated. Fresh droppings, repeated sightings, and gnaw marks are all good reasons to act promptly rather than wait and see.
Signs You Have Rats or Mice
You will often hear or smell rodents before you see one. Watch for:
- Droppings - small dark grains near food, under the sink, or along skirting; mouse droppings are rice-grain size, rat droppings much larger
- Gnaw marks on food packaging, cables, skirting boards, pipes, and door frames
- Scratching or scurrying noises in walls, ceilings, or under the floor, usually at night
- A stale, musky ammonia smell in presses, lofts, or other enclosed spaces
- Greasy smear marks and runs along skirting, beams, and pipework where they travel the same routes
- Nests of shredded material behind appliances, in the attic, or in stored boxes
How do you get rid of rats and mice?
Treat the infestation, then proof the building to reduce the risk of them getting back in.
Call or Message
Tell us what you have seen or heard and where. We will give you a price over the phone and arrange a visit, usually quickly.
Survey the Property
On arrival we confirm whether it is rats or mice, find their runs and harbourage, and track down exactly where they are getting in.
Treat and Proof
We bring the infestation under control with the right method for the situation, using secured bait stations where bait is needed, and seal the entry points.
Follow Up
We return as needed to confirm the property is clear, and give you straightforward advice to help keep rodents out.
What is rodent proofing?
Rodent proofing means finding and closing the gaps that rats and mice use to get into a building. In practice that can mean fitting door brushes and seals, protecting air bricks and vents with suitable steel mesh, sealing around pipe and cable runs, and filling holes in brickwork. Proofing works alongside treatment and good food storage to reduce the chance of another infestation, and it is the part most DIY attempts miss.
For other household pests, see our residential pest control service.
Why DIY Bait Often Fails
Shop-bought bait and traps can knock the numbers back for a while, but they rarely fix the problem. If the entry points are not sealed, new rodents simply move in behind the ones you caught, and loose poison left around the house is a real danger to pets, children, and wildlife.
A professional job means the right treatment for rats or mice, bait used safely and only where needed, and the building proofed to reduce the chance of the same thing happening again.
- Correct identification and targeted treatment for rats or mice
- Tamper-resistant bait stations, positioned to reduce access by pets, children, and livestock
- Entry points proofed to reduce the risk of re-entry
- Local, fully insured, and an NPTA member
Responsible rodent control
Where poison is used, we follow CRRU Ireland best practice: secured, tamper-resistant bait stations, and trapping or proofing first wherever we can. We never leave loose bait lying around.
This matters beyond your home. Rodenticides can harm wildlife when animals such as owls, kestrels, and foxes eat a poisoned rodent. Secured bait stations reduce direct access to the bait but do not remove that risk entirely, so responsible use also means monitoring the treatment, searching for and removing dead rodents, and taking up any remaining bait once the job is done.
If you would rather keep chemicals to a minimum, tell us - we will always talk through trapping and proofing options first.
Where Rats and Mice Get In
Rodents only need a surprisingly small gap. These are the ways they usually find in.
Gaps & Air Bricks
Under doors, around air bricks and vents. A mouse can fit through a gap around 6mm, a rat around 15mm
Drains & Pipework
Rats travel the drains and come up through defective pipes and open gullies
Roof & Eaves
Rats climb pipes and cables into soffits, lofts, and ceiling voids
Sheds, Farms & Feed
Outbuildings, animal feed, grain stores, and compost that draw them in close
"Highly highly recommended. John found the source of my rodent problem within minutes of being on my property and within a week all my rodent issues were solved."
Rat & Mouse Control FAQs
Common questions from homeowners and businesses across the Midlands.
Rats or Mice? Let's Get on Top of It.
Fast local response across Laois, Offaly, Tipperary, Kildare, North Kilkenny and Carlow.