Orange Mound, Memphis

Rodent control in Orange Mound

Orange Mound is one of Memphis's oldest Black neighborhoods, with small older homes close together. Call to reach an independent local technician for rats or mice.

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

A neighborhood with deep roots

Orange Mound dates to 1890, when Elzey Eugene Meachem bought land from the Deaderick family plantation and began selling lots to Black families for under $100. Many early homes were small, narrow shotgun houses. The neighborhood sits southeast of Midtown, with the Southern Avenue rail line and the Mid-South Coliseum on one side and streets like Park Avenue, Lamar Avenue and Airways around it. Melrose High School is a neighborhood anchor.

Why rodents find their way in

Older frame houses on piers or low crawl spaces are easy for mice and Norway rats to get under. Skirting around the base of a house, if any, is often damaged, and gaps around pipes and gas lines are common. Once under the house, mice reach the kitchen through plumbing gaps.

Vacant lots and empty houses add ground cover and nesting spots. The rail lines and the commercial strip on Lamar Avenue add travel routes and food. Roof rats use trees and overhead lines here too, getting into shallow attics through soffit gaps.

Seeing signs in Orange Mound?

(901) 256-2861

Help with costs and older homeowners

Many Orange Mound homes are owned by longtime residents, some on fixed incomes. If cost is a worry, tell the provider up front and ask for a plan that starts with the biggest openings and the trapping that clears the house, with lower-priority sealing later. Ask for each part priced separately so you can choose. Simple steps you can take yourself, like door sweeps and storing food in sealed containers, also help.

Practical steps for Orange Mound homes

Closing the space under the house is often the biggest win. Ask a technician about sturdy skirting or mesh around pier foundations, screens on vents and sealing pipe gaps from below. Trapping clears what is inside.

If a vacant or abandoned house next door is the source, report it to Memphis 311 or Code Enforcement. The reporting guide explains how.

Before you call

What to say when you call

Your call goes to an independent rodent control provider serving Orange Mound. 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

Orange Mound rodent questions

My house sits on piers. How do I keep rats out from underneath?

A technician can install sturdy mesh or skirting around the base, screen vents and seal pipe gaps from below. Rats need only about half an inch, so the material has to be strong and tight.

Who handles an abandoned house with rats next door?

Memphis Code Enforcement handles abandoned and substandard properties. File through Memphis 311. Shelby County's rodent program takes complaints about rodent activity outdoors.

Are there free rodent services for residents?

Shelby County's rodent control program responds to complaints and can bait outdoors for serious infestations, funded by a fee on MLGW bills. It does not treat inside homes.

Rat or mouse problem in Orange Mound?