Something’s in the house right now. Take a breath

If you’re reading this with a rat under the couch or a mouse that just ran past your feet, first: you’re okay. Rodents want to get away from you, not toward you. Here’s what to do right now, and how to get someone out fast.

Call the number on this page. You’ll talk to a real person, any time of day, who will get a local technician headed your way as soon as possible.

What to do right now while you wait

1. Get kids and pets out of the room. Close the door behind you if you can.
2. Close off the room. Shut doors and put a rolled towel along the bottom gap to keep the rodent in one area.
3. Give it an exit if it’s near an outside door. Open the door to the outside, step away, and let it leave on its own.
4. Don’t try to grab, corner, or hit it. A cornered rat can bite, and chasing it just sends it deeper into the walls.
5. Put food away. Cover anything on the counters and close the pantry.
6. Note where you saw it go. It helps the technician find where it’s hiding and how it got in.
7. Don’t spread poison. It can poison your pets, and a rodent that eats it may die in your wall.

What makes a rodent problem an emergency?

Not every mouse needs a midnight visit. These are the situations where waiting isn’t a good idea:

Mistakes that make a rodent emergency worse

We get it. Panic makes people do strange things at 2 a.m. These are the ones to avoid:

• Chasing the rodent around the house. It’ll run into a wall void or furniture and be much harder to find.
• Sweeping or vacuuming droppings. That puts dust into the air you breathe. Spray them with a bleach solution first, wait, then wipe up with gloves.
• Throwing loose bait around. Pets and kids find it. Rodents die in walls.
• Blocking the hole it went into. You may trap it inside the wall, where it’ll die and smell.
• Using glue traps in a panic. A rodent stuck to a board is loud, upsetting, and messy to deal with.
• Waiting a week to see what happens. It’s not going to leave on its own.

How emergency rodent removal works

1. Call. Explain what’s happening and where. You’ll get an estimated arrival time.
2. The tech arrives and removes the rodent if it’s still in the open, or sets traps where it’s hiding.
3. Quick inspection to find how it got in. Emergency entry points can often be temporarily sealed the same night.
4. A full plan for follow-up visits, cleanup, and permanent sealing, with a price before work starts.

Emergency commercial rodent service

When a rat runs across a dining room or a mouse shows up in a hotel room, it’s not just a pest problem. It’s a reputation problem. Businesses in Minneapolis can get:

• Fast response, including late night and early morning
• Discreet service, with no big marked truck parked out front if you need it
• Immediate removal and temporary sealing
• Documentation for health inspectors and management
• A follow-up program to keep it from happening again

Is an emergency call more expensive?

Often, yes. After-hours, weekend, and holiday calls can cost more than a regular daytime appointment. The good news is you’ll know the price before the work starts. If it can safely wait until the next morning, ask about a same-day or next-morning visit, which may cost less. Check our rodent control cost guide for typical ranges.

Emergency rodent removal FAQs

Who do I call at night if I find a rat in my house?

Call a 24-hour pest control or emergency rodent removal service. The number on this page connects you with a person who can get a local Minneapolis technician scheduled, nights and weekends included. Animal control generally handles wildlife and pets, not rats or mice inside homes.

Can someone come the same day?

Very often, yes. Same-day visits depend on how busy the day is and where you are, but they’re commonly available in Minneapolis and nearby suburbs. Call as early as you can and explain the situation so it can be prioritized.

What should I do right now while I wait?

Move kids and pets out of the area, close the room off with a towel under the door, put food away, and give the rodent a way outside if it’s near an exterior door. Don’t chase it, grab it, or put out loose poison. Note where it went so the tech can find it.

What mistakes make a rodent emergency worse?

Chasing the rodent, sweeping or vacuuming droppings, throwing out loose bait, blocking the hole it went into (which can trap it in the wall), and waiting days to see if it leaves. Each one makes removal harder or creates a bigger mess.

Is an emergency call more expensive?

Usually it costs more than a regular daytime visit because it’s after hours, on a weekend, or on a holiday. You’ll get the price before work begins. If it can safely wait until morning, a next-day visit may be cheaper.

When is a rodent problem truly an emergency?

When there’s a rat inside the living space, a rodent near a baby or vulnerable person, signs of wire chewing or burning smells, an animal trapped in a wall, contamination of food or water, or a rodent sighting in a food business. Those situations shouldn’t wait.

Emergency help across the metro

Day or night, we connect Minneapolis and nearby cities, including St. Paul, Bloomington, and Brooklyn Park, with a local tech who can help fast.

Other rodent services

Norvane Rodent Control is a free referral service. Calls are connected to independent, licensed pest control providers serving the Twin Cities. We do not perform pest control services ourselves. Learn more.