Silver Bullet Pest ControlRat Exterminator in Leonia, NJ — Rats and Mice Out, Gaps Sealed
Gnawing under an old front porch, a rat running along the retaining wall, mice in the kitchen of a house that's stood for a hundred years? Silver Bullet Pest Control is the rat exterminator and mice exterminator Leonia, NJ homeowners can call for the whole job: we find how the rodents get in, remove them, seal the openings and clean up what they left behind.
NJ License 90568B • 4.9 stars on Google • 15+ years • Based in Garfield • Hablamos español
Text a photo of the droppings next to a coin to 973-510-2585 and we'll tell you if it's rats or mice.
- ✓ Same-day appointments often available
- ✓ Licensed & insured in NJ
- ✓ Homes & businesses
- ✓ English & Español
Who is a rat exterminator in Leonia, NJ?
Silver Bullet Pest Control is a licensed rat exterminator in Leonia, NJ (NJ License 90568B), based in Garfield about 20 to 30 minutes away — call or text 973-510-2585 for a free estimate; hablamos español. We remove rats and mice from Leonia homes, porches, garages and businesses, then seal the entry points with materials rodents can't chew so they don't move right back in. Same-day visits are often available, and mouse service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls.
Why rats and mice find their way into Leonia homes
Leonia is a small, leafy borough on the western slope of the Palisades, with Overpeck County Park and Overpeck Creek along its west side and the I-95 approach to the George Washington Bridge along its southern edge. A lot of the houses are old — many from the early 1900s — with stone or brick foundations, wooden front porches, detached garages and backyards that step down the hill behind retaining walls.
Each of those details matters to a rodent. Old foundations have mortar joints that crumble and gaps where pipes were added decades later. Porches and stoops have hollow spaces underneath that stay dry. Retaining walls and stone steps leave gaps that Norway rats love to burrow behind. And the green space by the creek, the gardens, and the restaurants and shops along Broad Avenue give rats food and cover close to homes.
So on a Leonia job we walk the whole lot, not just the room where you saw the animal.
Leonia rat and mouse control: quick facts
| Leonia, NJ | |
|---|---|
| County | Bergen County |
| Distance from our base | Garfield, about 20 to 30 minutes depending on Route 46 and Route 80 traffic |
| Rat you'll see here | Norway rat (also called the brown rat or sewer rat) — it burrows and lives at ground level |
| Common mouse | House mouse; it climbs and nests in walls, cabinets and ceilings |
| Typical homes | Older single-family houses with porches, basements and detached garages; some two-families and apartments |
| Where rodents usually start | Under porches and stoops, behind retaining walls, around old foundations, near trash and compost |
| Same-day service | Often available, never guaranteed |
| Estimate | Free |
| Language | Hablamos español |
Rat or mouse? What to tell a mice exterminator in Leonia, NJ
Rats and mice need different traps, different placement and different sealing, so it helps to know which one you have. Here's how they differ:
| Clue | Mouse | Norway rat |
|---|---|---|
| Droppings | About 1/8 to 1/4 inch, thin like a grain of rice, scattered | About 1/2 to 3/4 inch, thick like a capsule, often in piles |
| Gap it can fit through | About 1/4 inch — the width of a pencil | About 1/2 inch — roughly the size of a quarter |
| Where you hear it | Inside walls and ceilings, often upstairs too | Mostly the basement, crawl space, garage or under the porch |
| Outdoor sign | Rarely any | Burrows 2 to 4 inches wide by walls, slabs and sheds |
| Behavior with traps | Curious, often caught in the first few days | Wary of new objects; traps may need to sit unset for a few days first |
| Damage | Chewed food boxes, insulation, shredded paper nests | Gnawed doors and wood, chewed pipes and wires, dug-out soil |
Still not sure? Our mice vs. rats guide has more detail, or text us a photo.
Signs of rats and mice in a Leonia house
Where we most often find the first clues on older Leonia properties:
Under the porch
- Fresh soil pushed out from under the steps
- Gnaw marks on lattice or porch skirting
- Dark, greasy rub marks along a joist
The hollow space under a wooden porch is dry, hidden and close to the house — exactly what rats want. We seal the porch base with buried mesh so they can't dig back under.
Inside the house
- Droppings in a cabinet or behind the stove
- Scratching in the wall after dark
- A stale, musky smell in a closet
In an older house, mice travel inside the walls along old pipe and wire runs, so they can show up in a second-floor bathroom even when they came in at the basement.
Outside the house
- Holes in the soil behind a retaining wall
- Trails flattened in the grass along the fence
- Chewed trash can lids or spilled bird seed
Leonia's stepped yards and old stone walls give rats lots of places to dig in. Active burrows mean a colony is living outside; closing the burrow alone doesn't help until the rats are gone, then we collapse and fill it.
How our rat exterminator service in Leonia, NJ works
Inspect inside and out
We look at the foundation, porch, garage, roofline, utility lines and yard, and identify rat or mouse from droppings, rub marks and burrows.
Remove the rodents
Traps go where rodents travel and where children and pets can't reach.
Seal the way in
We close gaps with stainless steel mesh and other materials rodents can't chew, and use buried mesh under porches, decks and sheds where rats dig.
Follow up and clean up
We check and reset traps, collapse and fill burrows once rats are gone, and handle droppings cleanup, odor and soiled insulation where needed.
Most of the lasting result comes from step three. Read more about stainless steel mesh exclusion and our rat control in New Jersey.
Rats coming up from the drains, and keeping bait safe
When we see rats in a finished basement with no gaps in the foundation, the drain line is the next suspect. Norway rats live in sewers and can travel up a cracked or broken pipe, through an old floor drain without a cover, or through an unused pipe that was never capped.
We do rodent smoke testing of drain and sewer lines: harmless smoke is pushed into the line, and wherever it comes out shows where a rat could get in. If the problem is a broken pipe, a licensed plumber makes the repair — we'll show you exactly where it is.
Bait and safety. Inside the home we rely on traps, not loose poison. Where bait is the right tool outdoors, it goes only in locked, tamper-resistant stations placed where children and pets can't get at it. We never toss poison into walls or attics — that's how you end up with a dead rat in the wall.
If that already happened, we do dead rodent removal from walls, ceilings and crawl spaces, plus odor treatment. See dead mouse smell in the house.
When Leonia gets rats and mice
| Season | What we see | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Spring | Rats digging new burrows in gardens and under sheds; mice nesting in garages | Clear brush along the fence, move woodpiles off the ground |
| Summer | Rats feeding on fallen fruit, bird seed, compost and garbage | Tight lids on cans, no seed on the ground, pick up fallen fruit |
| Fall | Mice moving indoors as nights get cold; rats heading under porches | Seal gaps before October, check garage door seals |
| Winter | Mice in walls and ceilings; rats in basements and crawl spaces | Call at the first droppings — numbers grow fast indoors |
What affects the cost of rat and mouse removal in Leonia
We give a free estimate after we see the property. These are the things that move the price:
Rats or mice
Rats usually take more visits and outdoor work than a few mice in the kitchen.
Age of the house
Older stone foundations and porches often have more openings to seal.
How much sealing
A few gaps around pipes is quick; a full porch base or garage takes longer.
Cleanup
Droppings cleanup, odor treatment or insulation replacement adds to the job.
Mouse service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls. See what goes into rat exterminator costs.
More pages for Leonia and rodent control
Get a free estimate for rats or mice in Leonia
Call or text and tell us what you're seeing — a photo of droppings or a burrow helps. We'll explain the plan in English or Spanish.
Why Leonia calls Silver Bullet
- We seal the openings, not just set traps
- Licensed: NJ License 90568B
- Used to older homes, porches and stone foundations
- Same-day appointments often available
- 4.9 stars on Google and over 15 years of experience
Request Service
🔒 Your info stays private · Hablamos español.
Rat and mouse questions from Leonia
Who is a rat exterminator near me in Leonia, NJ?
Silver Bullet Pest Control removes rats and mice in Leonia. We're licensed (NJ License 90568B), based in Garfield about 20 to 30 minutes away, and give free estimates at 973-510-2585.
How fast can you get to Leonia?
Same-day appointments are often available, though we can't promise it every day.
Why do I have rats under my porch?
The space under a wooden porch or stoop is dry, hidden and right next to the foundation. Rats dig in through loose soil or broken lattice. We remove them, then seal the base with buried mesh so they can't dig back under.
Is it a rat or a mouse in my wall?
Mice are much more common inside walls, especially upstairs. Rats tend to stay low — basement, crawl space, garage. Droppings tell you fastest: rice-sized means mice, capsule-sized means rats.
How long does it take to get rid of rats?
Mice in a house are often handled within a few weeks. Rats can take longer because they avoid new traps at first, and outdoor colonies need burrows watched and closed.
Will you use poison around my kids and dog?
Inside the home we use traps, not loose poison. If bait is the right tool outside, it goes only in locked, tamper-resistant stations placed where children and pets can't reach it.
Can rats really come up through the toilet or drain?
They can come up through broken sewer pipes, uncovered floor drains and uncapped old lines. We do smoke testing of drain lines to find the exact spot; a licensed plumber repairs any broken pipe.
There's a terrible smell in my wall. Is it a dead mouse?
Very often, yes — especially after someone put out poison. We do dead rodent removal from walls, ceilings and crawl spaces, odor treatment, and we seal the opening so it doesn't happen again.
Do I need to clean up droppings myself?
You don't have to. Don't sweep or vacuum dry droppings. We handle droppings cleanup and HEPA cleanup, and remove and replace soiled attic insulation when it's needed.
Is there a guarantee on mouse service?
Mouse service includes 90 days of coverage with unlimited free service calls during that time.
¿Hablan español?
Sí, hablamos español. Llame o mande un texto al 973-510-2585 para un presupuesto gratis por ratas o ratones en Leonia.
Rodent control near Leonia
From Garfield we cover Leonia and the Bergen County towns around it.
Recent jobs near Leonia, NJ
Real photos from our recent jobs. We show only the street and town, never the customer's exact address.
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Our service area
Bergen County
973-510-2585- Allendale
- Bergenfield
- Bogota
- Carlstadt
- Cliffside Park
- Closter
- Cresskill
- Demarest
- Dumont
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- Edgewater
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- Emerson
- Englewood
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- Fair Lawn
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- Garfield
- Glen Rock
- Hackensack
- Harrington Park
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- Leonia
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- Ridgefield Park
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- Saddle River
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- Teaneck
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- Teterboro
- Upper Saddle River
- Waldwick
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- Woodcliff Lake
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Passaic County
973-510-2585- Bloomingdale
- Clifton
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Essex County
973-510-2585- Belleville
- Bloomfield
- Caldwell
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Hudson County
973-510-2585Union County
973-510-2585- Berkeley Heights
- Clark
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Morris County
973-510-2585- Boonton
- Butler
- Cedar Knolls
- Chatham
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- Florham Park
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- Montville
- Morris Plains
- Morristown
- Mountain Lakes
- Parsippany
- Pequannock
- Randolph
- Riverdale
- Rockaway
- Roxbury
- Whippany
Updated November 2026 by the Silver Bullet Pest Control team, Garfield, NJ • NJ License 90568B