Hickory Hill, Southeast Memphis

Rodent control in Hickory Hill

Hickory Hill is a big southeast Memphis area of subdivisions and apartment complexes. Call to reach an independent local technician for rats or mice in a home or rental.

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

From rural community to city neighborhood

In the 1950s, Hickory Hill was a rural community with fewer than 1,000 homes and some paved roads. It grew into a large suburban area and was annexed by Memphis on December 31, 1998. Its rough borders run along Bill Morris Parkway (State Route 385) and Kirby to the north, Riverdale Road to the east, Holmes Road and Shelby Drive to the south and Mendenhall Road to the west.

The housing is mostly single-family subdivisions plus many garden-style apartment complexes.

Where the rodent calls come from

Apartment complexes are a big source of calls. Rows of units share walls and attics, and large dumpster enclosures feed rats. When one unit gets mice, the units on either side often follow.

Single-family homes here tend to be on slabs with attached garages. Mice come in at garage door corners, weep holes, dryer vents and AC line gaps. Drainage ditches and wooded edges between subdivisions hold Norway rats, and the trees planted with the subdivisions are now tall enough to give roof rats a route onto roofs.

Shopping centers along Winchester Road and the area's commercial corridors add restaurant and grocery waste.

Seeing signs in Hickory Hill?

(901) 256-2861

Fences, drainage and backyard edges

Many Hickory Hill subdivisions back up to drainage ditches, retention ponds or wooded strips between neighborhoods. Those edges hold Norway rats, and privacy fences give them a protected path along the back of the lots. Look along the base of the fence for burrows and keep the strip behind sheds and along the fence clear. Pet food and water bowls left on the patio overnight bring rats right to the back door.

Tips for renters and owners

Renters should report rodents to management in writing. Tennessee law requires landlords in Shelby County to keep units fit and habitable; see the tenant and landlord guide. Owners should ask for garage, attic and exterior sealing along with trapping. Property managers can read apartment rodent control for building-wide plans.

Before you call

What to say when you call

Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Hickory Hill. 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

Hickory Hill rodent questions

Why do mice spread through my apartment complex?

Units share walls, attics and plumbing chases. Treating only one unit lets mice move next door. A building-wide approach works better.

My house is on a slab. How do mice get in?

Usually through the garage door corners, weep holes in the brick, dryer vents and gaps around AC lines and pipes.

Who do I call about an overflowing apartment dumpster?

Start with property management. For ongoing sanitation problems, Memphis 311 takes code complaints.

Rat or mouse problem in Hickory Hill?