Call us today 
Mice and rats are a fact of life in rural Iowa. When you live in a small town like Runnells — surrounded by farm fields, timber, and grassland — rodents are never far away. And when the weather turns cold, your warm, dry house is exactly where they want to be. A mouse can squeeze through a gap the size of a dime. Once inside, they contaminate food, chew wiring, damage insulation, and breed at an alarming rate.
Miller Pest Solutions provides rodent control for Runnells homeowners that goes beyond just setting a few traps. We eliminate the current population and seal the entry points to keep them out long-term.
Signs of a Rodent Infestation
Rodents are active mostly at night, so you may hear them before you see them. Here’s what to look for:
- Droppings. Mouse droppings are small, dark, and rice-shaped. Rat droppings are larger — about the size of a raisin. Check under sinks, in pantries, along walls, and in cabinets.
- Scratching or scurrying sounds in walls, ceilings, or attic spaces, especially at night.
- Gnaw marks on food packaging, wiring, wood, or plastic. Rodents have to chew constantly to keep their teeth from overgrowing.
- Nesting material. Shredded paper, fabric, insulation, or plant matter tucked into hidden spaces.
- Grease marks or rub marks along walls and baseboards. Rodents travel the same paths repeatedly and leave oily streaks from their fur.
- A musky odor. Mouse urine has a distinct smell, and it gets stronger with larger populations.
Why Rodents Are Common in Runnells
Runnells is rodent country. Agricultural fields surrounding the town support massive mouse populations — especially deer mice and house mice. When crops are harvested in fall, those mice lose their cover and food source. They migrate toward structures. Homes, garages, sheds, and barns are the first shelter they find.
The wooded areas and river bottoms near Runnells also support Norway rats, which burrow near foundations and can enter through gaps in basement walls, floor drains, or where utility lines penetrate.
Older homes with stone or block foundations have more entry points than modern construction, but even newer homes aren’t immune. Mice get in through gaps around pipes, HVAC lines, garage doors, and where siding meets the foundation. If you can slide a pencil into a gap, a mouse can fit through it.
Iowa winters practically guarantee rodent pressure. Once temperatures drop below freezing, every home in Runnells becomes a target.
Our Rodent Control Process
We start with an assessment to determine what species you’re dealing with, how they’re getting in, and the extent of the problem. Then we build a plan with two goals: eliminate the rodents inside and prevent new ones from entering.
For active populations, we use a combination of professional bait stations and snap traps placed in strategic locations — along travel routes, near entry points, and in areas with signs of activity. We know where rodents run and how they behave. Trap placement isn’t random; it’s based on decades of experience.
Exclusion is the critical second step. We identify and seal entry points using steel wool, metal flashing, expanding foam, and hardware cloth. Closing the door behind them is the only way to make the solution stick. Otherwise, new rodents just move in behind the ones you removed.
For severe infestations, we may recommend a multi-visit approach with trapping, baiting, and progressive exclusion work. We check and reset traps, monitor bait consumption, and confirm the population is declining.
We also advise on sanitation and habitat modification — keeping firewood away from the house, trimming vegetation back from the foundation, securing pet food and birdseed, and eliminating ground-level harborage.
Why Choose Miller Pest Solutions
Rodent control is one of our most requested services, and we’ve been doing it right since 2007. NPMA members, QualityPro Certified. We don’t just throw traps at the problem — we solve it structurally.
Joel Miller started Miller Pest Solutions in the field, not in a boardroom. That hands-on foundation shows in every technician we train. Runnells homeowners get the same thorough, professional service we deliver across the Des Moines metro area.
Get a Free Phone Bid Today
Hearing scratching in the walls? Finding droppings in the pantry? Call Miller Pest Solutions at (515) 329-8801 for a free phone bid. We’ll ask the right questions and give you straight pricing before scheduling a visit. Learn more at millerthekiller.com.
