Rats or Mice in Your Home in Surrey: What to Do

Rats and mice are common in the Lower Mainland. They come inside looking for food, water and places to nest. Their droppings and urine can spread disease, so it is important to act fast and clean up safely.

This guide uses guidance from HealthLink BC, the Government of BC, Health Canada and the City of Surrey, checked on September 25, 2026.

Signs you have rats or mice

• Droppings. Mouse droppings are about 6 mm (1/4 inch) long and oval. Roof rat droppings are about 13 mm (1/2 inch) with pointed ends. Norway rat droppings are about 19 mm (3/4 inch) with blunt ends.
• Noises in walls, the attic or under the floor, often scratching or running at night.
• Chew marks on food packages, wood or wires, and small bits of chewed debris.
• Nests made of shredded paper, fabric or insulation.
• Tracks or urine marks on dusty surfaces, and burrows in the yard.

Step 1: Take away food and water

Rodents stay where they can eat. Remove what attracts them:

1. Keep garbage, recycling and organics carts closed.
2. Store dry food, like rice, flour and cereal, in sealed containers. Do not keep food on the floor.
3. Feed pets indoors. Remove pet food after your pet eats, and store pet food inside.
4. Pick up fallen fruit and nuts in your yard. Harvest vegetables regularly.
5. Use rodent-proof bird feeders and sweep up spilled seed.
6. Clean your barbecue after using it.
7. Fix leaking pipes and taps.
8. Cover food scraps in your backyard compost and use a pest-proof compost container.

Step 2: Seal entry points

Mice and rats squeeze through very small holes. HealthLink BC says to seal any opening larger than 6 mm (1/4 inch). The City of Surrey says to block any opening bigger than 1 cm.

• Cover crawl space, fresh air and attic vents with 6 mm (1/4 inch) metal screening.
• Check the basement and foundation for cracks and holes.
• Replace broken dryer vents.
• Make sure your garage door touches the ground when closed.
• Trim plants so the bottom 15 to 20 cm (6 to 8 inches) next to your house is clear.
• Store firewood and lumber on stands 30 to 45 cm (12 to 18 inches) off the ground.

Step 3: Use snap traps

HealthLink BC and Health Canada both recommend traps. Snap traps kill quickly and do not leave poison in your home.

1. Wear gloves when you set and handle traps.
2. Bait traps with peanut butter mixed with oats, dried fruit or cheese.
3. Place traps along walls where you see droppings.
4. Set open snap traps at a right angle to the wall, with the bait end closest to the wall. Covered traps and electronic traps go flat against the wall.
5. Health Canada suggests about one trap per metre along walls where rodents travel.
6. Check traps every day.
7. Wearing gloves, put dead rodents in a plastic bag, seal it, put it in a second bag and seal that too. Place it in the garbage cart.

BC rules on rat poison

Since January 21, 2023, BC has restricted second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides (SGARs). These are poisons with the ingredients brodifacoum, bromadiolone or difethialone. Homeowners cannot buy or use them. Only designated essential services, such as hospitals and food facilities, and licensed pest control companies working for them, can use them.

The Province asks people to use Integrated Pest Management instead: prevention, sealing gaps and mechanical traps. The City of Surrey has stopped using rodenticides at its own facilities and uses snap traps and bolt traps.

Some other rodent baits are still sold to the public in Canada. Health Canada says they must be used in a tamper-proof bait station wherever children or pets could reach them, and should not be your only control method. HealthLink BC does not recommend poison: poisoned rodents can die inside walls and smell, and poison can harm pets, wildlife and children.

How to clean up droppings safely

Deer mice can carry hantavirus. You can get sick by breathing in dust from their droppings, urine or nests. HealthLink BC says about 1 in 3 people in North America who develop hantavirus pulmonary syndrome have died. Clean carefully:

1. Open doors and windows. Let the area air out for 30 minutes before you start.
2. Wear rubber gloves, goggles and a well-fitting filter mask (N95 or better).
3. Do not sweep or vacuum. This puts virus particles into the air.
4. Spray droppings and nests with a bleach solution: 1 part bleach to 9 parts water (HealthLink BC). Let it soak for 10 minutes.
5. Wipe everything up with paper towels.
6. Put the waste in a plastic bag, seal it, put it in a second bag, seal it and place it in the garbage.
7. Take off your gloves and wash your hands well with soap and water.

Renters: who is responsible?

The BC Government's tenancy guidance says landlords are generally responsible for controlling insect infestations, such as bedbugs. For other pests, such as rodents, it says local municipal bylaws decide who is responsible. Tenants must also keep their unit reasonably clean.

If you rent:

1. Tell your landlord about the problem in writing (email, letter or text). Describe what you have seen and where.
2. Keep copies of your messages and take dated photos of droppings or damage.
3. Give the landlord a reasonable time to respond.
4. If nothing happens, you can apply to the Residential Tenancy Branch for dispute resolution to ask for repairs.

When to call a pest control company

Call a professional if:

• You still see new droppings or rodents after trapping and sealing.
• You hear rodents inside walls or the attic that you cannot reach.
• You find many nests or a lot of droppings.
• You cannot find how they get in.

The City of Surrey does not handle wild rats on private property. Surrey suggests choosing a company that is humane, environmentally sound and uses modern methods. HealthLink BC recommends a licensed company with certified staff. In BC, structural pesticide applicators are certified to manage pests, including rodents, in buildings. Ask the company for proof of certification.

Cost: We could not find a reliable published price guide for rodent control in Surrey. Prices depend on the size of the problem and how much sealing work is needed. Ask two or three companies for a written quote that lists inspection, sealing, traps and follow-up visits.

Frequently Asked Questions

Official sources

• Getting rid of rodents (rats and mice) — HealthLink BC
• Hantavirus pulmonary syndrome — HealthLink BC
• Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticide (SGAR) use in British Columbia — Province of British Columbia
• Rats and mice — Health Canada
• Rats & Mice — City of Surrey
• Repairs and maintenance — Province of British Columbia
• Structural pesticide applicator certificate — Province of British Columbia
• Contact — BC Drug and Poison Information Centre

General information only, not professional advice. Rules and prices change, so check the official sources above before you act. Spotted something out of date? Tell us.