Silver Bullet Pest ControlEmergency Rat & Mouse Exterminator in North Jersey
A rat ran across the kitchen floor, a mouse jumped out of the pantry, or something is splashing in the toilet? Take a breath, get the kids and pets out of the room, and call Silver Bullet Pest Control. We handle urgent rat and mouse problems for homes, apartments and food businesses across Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties. Same-day service is often available depending on your location and our schedule.
Featured on Telemundo 47 • EPA Pesticide Safety Certified • 5-Star Google Rated • NJ License 90568B
If you can, snap a photo of the droppings or the spot where you saw it and text it to us. It helps us bring the right equipment.
- ✓ Same-day appointments often available
- ✓ Licensed & insured in NJ
- ✓ Homes & businesses
- ✓ English & Español
What should I do if there's a rat or mouse in my house right now?
Get people and pets out of the room, close the door behind you, put any open food away, and call a licensed exterminator — don't chase, corner or grab the animal. A cornered rat can bite, and both rats and mice leave droppings and urine that you shouldn't touch bare-handed or sweep up dry. Silver Bullet Pest Control takes urgent rat and mouse calls across North Jersey, and same-day service is often available depending on your location and our schedule; call 973-510-2585. If anyone has been bitten, wash the wound well with soap and water and call a doctor.
The first 15 minutes after you see a rodent
Seeing a rat or mouse inside is startling. These steps keep everyone safe and make our job faster when we arrive:
Clear the room
Pick up small children and move pets to another part of the house. Dogs and cats will chase a rodent, and a cornered rat may bite them.
Close it in if you can
If you know which room it's in, shut the door and roll a towel along the gap underneath. Mice can squeeze under most interior doors, so the towel matters.
Protect the food
Put open bags, fruit bowls, pet food and bread into the fridge or sealed plastic or glass containers. Throw out anything that has chew marks or droppings near it.
Don't touch, don't sweep
Leave droppings, nesting material and any dead rodent where they are for now. Never handle them bare-handed, and don't sweep or vacuum droppings dry — that kicks dust into the air.
Call and describe it
Call 973-510-2585 and tell us what you saw, where, what time of day, and whether anyone was bitten or had contact. A photo of droppings helps us tell rats from mice.
Where you found it changes what you do next
Every rodent call is a little different. Here's what to do right now based on where the problem showed up:
| Where | What to do right now | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Kitchen counters or stove | Seal up food, keep the room closed, don't cook on surfaces until they're cleaned and disinfected | Rodents walk through food prep areas and leave urine and droppings behind |
| Toilet or bathtub drain | Close the lid, set something heavy on it, shut the bathroom door | Rats can travel through sewer lines and may try to climb back out |
| Bedroom or kid's room | Move everyone out and close the door; check for torn bags, snacks or pet food in the room | Food left in bedrooms is a common draw, and kids shouldn't be near droppings |
| Inside walls or the ceiling at night | Note where and when you hear it; don't cut into the wall | Scratching usually means rodents are using a path from outside — that's what needs sealing |
| Garage or basement | Keep pets out, close lids on trash and birdseed, look for chewed wires | Garages and basements are where many North Jersey rodent problems start |
| Restaurant or food storage | Pull affected product, stop using exposed prep areas, call us before your next service | Contamination risk for customers and a possible problem at your next inspection |
Not sure if it's urgent? Text a photo to 973-510-2585 and we'll tell you how fast it needs attention.
There's a rat in my toilet — what now?
It sounds like an urban legend, but it does happen. Rats are strong swimmers and can travel through sewer and drain lines, especially in older buildings or after sewer work nearby. If you lift the lid and see one, here's what to do:
- Close the lid and put something heavy on top — a stack of books, a full paint can or a bucket of water.
- Shut the bathroom door and keep pets and kids out.
- Don't try to grab it, stab at it or pour chemicals into the bowl. Drain cleaners and bleach mixed together can make toxic fumes, and a trapped rat may bite.
- Don't keep flushing. It rarely works and can overflow the bowl.
- Call us at 973-510-2585. We'll deal with the rat and look at how it got in.
A rat in the toilet often points to a problem in the drain or sewer connection, like a broken pipe or an open cleanout. After we handle the animal, you may also need a plumber to check the line. We'll tell you what we see so you know who to call.
How to clean up droppings safely
Mouse and rat droppings, urine and nests can carry germs that make people sick. The danger comes mostly from breathing in dust, which is why sweeping and vacuuming dry droppings is the one thing to avoid. If you need to clean a small area before we arrive — a kitchen counter you have to use, for example — follow these steps:
- Air the room out by opening windows for about 30 minutes before you start.
- Put on rubber or plastic gloves. Keep kids and pets away while you work.
- Wet it first. Spray the droppings and the area around them with a household disinfectant or a fresh mix of 1 part bleach to 10 parts water, and let it soak for about 5 minutes.
- Wipe, don't sweep. Pick everything up with paper towels and put them in a plastic bag, then seal it and put it in the outside trash.
- Disinfect again and wash your gloved hands, then take the gloves off and wash your bare hands with soap and warm water.
Big mess, attic or crawl space? Don't tackle heavy droppings, nests in insulation or a dead rodent in a wall yourself. Leave it for us. For more on what rodents leave behind, see signs of mice and rats in your house.
Rat or mouse? It changes the plan
Both are urgent indoors, but they behave differently and need a different approach:
House Mice in the Kitchen
- Small droppings about the size of a grain of rice
- Chewed cereal boxes and snack bags
- Quick flashes along the baseboards at night
Mice are curious, breed fast and can get through a gap about the width of a pencil. Where there's one, there are usually more. Our One-Time Mouse Service is 100% guaranteed.
Rats Inside the House
- Bigger, capsule-shaped droppings
- Gnawing on wood, plastic or wires
- Burrows along the foundation or under a deck
Rats are bigger, more cautious and harder to trap than mice. They usually come in from outside or from a drain, so the fix is finding and closing the way in.
How They Got In
- Gaps around pipes and gas lines
- Garage doors that don't seal at the bottom
- Cracks in the foundation and open vents
An emergency visit stops what's inside. Sealing the gaps is what stops the next one. We can plan rodent-proofing once the immediate problem is handled.
What the emergency visit looks like
Find the activity
The tech looks at where you saw the rodent and follows the trail: droppings, grease marks, gnawing and nesting spots in the kitchen, basement, garage and outside.
Deal with the rodents
We set traps or bait where the rodents travel, placed out of reach of kids and pets, and remove any rodent we can get to on the spot.
Show you the way in
We point out the gaps, vents and drain openings they're using and explain what it takes to close them for good.
Stay on it
Mice and rodent service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls in that time, so if they come back, so do we.
Restaurants, delis and food businesses
For a restaurant, bakery, deli, grocery or school kitchen, a rodent sighting is a food safety problem first and a pest problem second. A customer or employee seeing a rat can turn into an online review, a complaint or a hard conversation with the health inspector.
When it happens during service, pull any product the rodent could have reached, close off the affected prep area, and keep a note of where and when it was seen. Then call us. Tell us if you have an inspection coming up and we'll do our best to work around it.
We often find that commercial rodent problems start at the back door, the dumpster area or the basement storage room, not the dining room. After the emergency, ongoing service keeps it from happening again — see commercial pest control.
More rodent and emergency help
Get Help With Rats or Mice Today
For anything happening right now, calling 973-510-2585 is the fastest. Otherwise, tell us what you found and where, and we'll get back to you quickly.
Calls we get every week
- A rat in the kitchen or living room
- A rat in the toilet or coming up a drain
- Mouse droppings in the pantry or on counters
- Scratching in the walls or ceiling at night
- Rodents in a restaurant or food storage area
Request Service
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
Emergency Rat & Mouse FAQ
Can you come today for a rat in my house?
Same-day service is often available depending on your location and our schedule. Call 973-510-2585 for the fastest answer.
What should I do if I see a rat in the kitchen?
Get people and pets out, close the door, put food away in sealed containers and call us. Don't try to catch or corner it.
Is a mouse in the house really an emergency?
One mouse isn't dangerous on its own, but mice breed quickly and contaminate food areas. If you're seeing them in the kitchen or around kids, it's worth acting the same day.
What do I do about a rat in the toilet?
Close the lid, put something heavy on it, shut the bathroom door and call us. Don't keep flushing or pour chemicals into the bowl.
Can I vacuum up mouse droppings?
No. Vacuuming or sweeping dry droppings puts dust in the air. Wet them with disinfectant, wipe them up with paper towels while wearing gloves, and bag them.
Are rat bites dangerous?
Any rodent bite should be taken seriously. Wash it well with soap and water and call your doctor.
Should I put out poison myself before you arrive?
We'd rather you didn't. Store-bought bait can be found by pets and kids, and a poisoned rodent can die inside a wall. Let us place treatment where it's safe.
Do you guarantee your mouse service?
Yes. Our One-Time Mouse Service is 100% guaranteed, and mice and rodent service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls in that time.
Do you handle rodent emergencies for restaurants?
Yes. We take urgent rodent calls from restaurants and food businesses and can set up ongoing service afterward.
Are you licensed in New Jersey?
Yes. Silver Bullet Pest Control holds NJ Pesticide License 90568B.
¿Qué hago si veo una rata en la cocina?
Saque a los niños y mascotas, cierre la puerta, guarde la comida y llámenos. Hablamos español — 973-510-2585.
Emergency rodent control near you
Based in Garfield, we take urgent rat and mouse calls in these towns and across Bergen, Passaic, Essex and Hudson counties.
Updated October 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B