Downtown and South Main

Rodent control in Downtown Memphis

Downtown pairs century-old brick buildings with restaurants, alleys and the Mississippi River. Call to reach an independent local technician for a loft, condo or business downtown.

Call (901) 256-2861 Free call · Same-day appointments are often available

Old buildings, new uses

A lot of downtown Memphis lives inside old buildings. Warehouses and cotton-era offices along Front Street and the South Main Arts District have been turned into lofts, condos, offices and restaurants. Those buildings often have basements, freight elevator shafts, shared brick walls and utility chases that run from floor to floor.

Rodents use those connections. Mice that get into a basement can reach upper floors through pipe chases. A rat problem in one ground-floor restaurant can show up in the next tenant's storage room.

Riverfront, Beale Street and restaurant alleys

Norway rats are the main downtown rat. The Mississippi riverfront, Tom Lee Park and the bluff give them ground cover, and the restaurants and bars along Beale Street and South Main give them food. Alleys with dumpsters, grease bins and recycling are where most of the outdoor activity shows up.

For residents, the risk is mostly mice in units and storage areas, and rats in garages and ground-floor spaces. For businesses, it is rodents in kitchens, dry storage and basements.

Seeing signs in Downtown Memphis?

(901) 256-2861

Garages, storage cages and trash rooms

Downtown buildings often have shared parking garages, storage cages in the basement and a central trash room. Those are the first places rodents settle. Residents notice droppings in a storage unit or chewed bags in the trash chute room before anything shows up in a unit. Report it to the building manager with photos and the date. Keep stored items in plastic bins with lids instead of cardboard boxes, and do not leave bagged trash in hallways.

What works in downtown buildings

Building-wide plans work better than single-unit calls. Expect a provider to look at the basement, the trash room, ground-floor doors, utility chases and the units near any complaint. Condo boards and property managers usually set up regular service.

Restaurants follow Tennessee's food rules, which keep bait outside in locked stations. See restaurant rodent control and commercial rodent control.

Before you call

What to say when you call

Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Downtown Memphis. Two minutes of detail up front gets you a straighter answer on timing and price.

Tell them

✓Rats or mice, if you can tell. Mouse droppings are rice-sized; rat droppings run about half an inch or longer.
✓Where the activity is: attic, ceiling, walls, kitchen, crawl space, garage, yard or under the slab.
✓How long it has been going on, and whether the noise or droppings are getting worse.
✓The building: brick ranch, Midtown bungalow on a crawl space, townhome, apartment, restaurant or warehouse.
✓Your neighborhood or ZIP code and the times that work for a visit.
✓Anything already tried, like snap traps, store bait, foam in a gap or a past service.

Ask them

?Is the company chartered by the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (or licensed in Mississippi, for DeSoto County)?
?Will the technician seal the entry points, or only set traps and bait?
?How many return visits does the price cover, and what does an extra one cost?
?Can I see the plan and the quote in writing before work starts?
?What goes inside the house, and how is it kept away from kids and pets?

Call (901) 256-2861

FAQ

Downtown Memphis rodent questions

I live in a downtown loft. Why do I have mice?

Old buildings often have open pipe chases and shared walls that connect units to basements and trash rooms. Mice travel through them. Tell the building manager so the shared areas get treated too.

Who handles rats in a downtown alley?

Property owners handle their own buildings and dumpsters. For outdoor rodent activity, Shelby County's rodent program takes complaints, and Memphis 311 takes code issues. See the reporting guide.

Can a business downtown get service after hours?

Many providers schedule commercial visits early, late or on weekends. Ask when you call.

Rat or mouse problem in Downtown Memphis?