DeLand sits along the St. Johns River in Volusia County, with historic pier and block homes downtown, newer construction around Victoria Park, and wooded lots near Lake Beresford that all give rats and mice an easy way inside. We inspect, seal entry points, trap, clean up and follow up until the rodents are gone.
DeLand started as a farming settlement called Persimmon Hollow before Henry Addison DeLand, a baking soda businessman from New York, arrived in 1876 and began building the citrus and college town that carries his name today. The city incorporated in 1882 and grew up around Stetson University, Florida’s oldest private college, which opened its doors in 1883.
That mix of old growth oak canopy, a downtown built more than a century ago, and newer subdivisions pushing out toward the St. Johns River gives rodents plenty of ways in. Roof rats move through the oak and palm canopy into attics and soffits. Norway rats dig burrows along the river, in canals, and around dumpsters at Stetson-area apartments. House mice slip through gaps as small as a quarter inch in the block homes built since the 1990s. Warm, humid weather most of the year means none of them ever really go dormant.
Rice-sized droppings along baseboards, in the garage, or in kitchen cabinets
Chewed wiring, AC lines, or gnaw marks on soffits and wood trim
Scratching or running sounds in the attic or walls after dark
Shredded insulation, cardboard or fabric balled up into a nest
A sharp, ammonia-like smell in the attic or under the house
A dog or cat that will not stop staring at or scratching one spot on a wall
The most common rat in DeLand. Climbs oak trees and power lines to reach the roofline, then nests in attics and soffits. Slim body, tail longer than its head and body combined.
Bigger and heavier than a roof rat. Burrows into the ground along the St. Johns River, in canal banks, under sheds, and near dumpsters behind Stetson-area restaurants.
Small, gray-brown, and able to squeeze through a gap the size of a dime. Common in the newer block and stucco homes east of downtown where builders leave small utility gaps unsealed.
Rats and mice can carry hantavirus, leptospirosis, salmonellosis and rat-bite fever, and their droppings and urine can trigger asthma and allergy symptoms in a closed-up attic or crawl space. Chewed wiring is also a documented cause of house fires.
Florida Licensing: What to Check
Pest control businesses in Florida are licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. You can look up any company’s license on the FDACS website before you hire them.
Full walk of the roofline, attic, crawl space and yard to find every entry point.
Close gaps with metal and hardware cloth so rodents cannot get back inside.
Set traps and bait stations along the pathways rodents are already using.
Remove droppings, nesting material and urine odor from attics and crawl spaces.
Follow-up visit to check traps and confirm the home is clear.
Downtown and Historic District homes: Many sit on pier-and-beam foundations with an open crawl space underneath. Missing skirting and rotted sill boards let rats in from below.
Victoria Park and Victoria Hills: Newer block and stucco construction built since 2001. Rodents get in through unsealed utility penetrations, garage door gaps and gable vents.
Riverside and wooded lots near the St. Johns: Mature oak canopy gives roof rats a direct route from the tree line onto the roof, and low ground near the water draws Norway rats to dig burrows.
A cat may catch an occasional mouse, but a roof rat colony in the attic is usually well out of reach. It is not a substitute for sealing entry points.
Rats are mostly active at night and stay hidden by nature. Droppings, gnaw marks and noise in the attic are usually the first real sign.
Roof rats travel and breed in groups. One trapped rat rarely means the whole colony, or the opening they used, is gone.
Poisoned rats often die inside walls or attics where they cannot be reached, which causes a strong smell for days. Trapping and sealing works better long term.
Store-bought traps can work for a single mouse near the kitchen. For an active roof rat colony in the attic, or repeated activity after you have already tried traps, a professional inspection finds the entry points a homeowner usually cannot reach or identify from the ground.
Not sure which one you have? Call us and describe what you are hearing or finding. We will tell you what to expect before we ever schedule a visit.
| Rodent Control | General Pest Control | |
|---|---|---|
| Focus | Attic, roofline and foundation entry points | Perimeter spray for insects |
| Method | Inspection, sealing, trapping, cleanup | Liquid or granular treatments |
| Follow-up | Trap checks until activity stops | Scheduled seasonal visits |
| Best for | Rats, mice, active infestations | Ants, roaches, spiders, mosquitoes |
Florida’s oldest private college, founded in 1883. Older fraternity and rental housing near campus is a common spot for rodent activity in older attics and crawl spaces.
The downtown core built in the late 1800s and early 1900s, with brick storefronts and pier-and-beam homes that give rodents easy access from below.
Home to Skydive DeLand, which has helped give the city its reputation as a skydiving hub. Rural land and hangars nearby border wooded areas where rats and mice are common.
Heavy afternoon storms flood burrows near the St. Johns River and push Norway rats toward higher, drier ground, including yards and sheds.
Wind damage opens new gaps in soffits and roof tiles, and storm surge or heavy rain along the St. Johns River, as seen after Hurricane Ian in 2022, can flood burrows near the water and send rodents looking for dry shelter in nearby homes.
DeLand rarely gets a hard freeze, so rodents stay active year-round instead of dying off or going dormant like they would farther north.
If your home had storm repairs after a hurricane, it is worth having the roofline and attic checked even if you have not seen a rodent yet.
DeLand is not one kind of house. What we do at a pier-and-beam home in the Historic District is different from what we do at a block home in Victoria Park.
Pier-and-beam foundations with open or damaged crawl space skirting let rats and mice nest underneath the house and chew their way up through the subfloor.
Our approach: We inspect the full crawl space, seal skirting gaps and vent openings with metal, and set traps along the paths rodents are already using before we close anything off.
Homes near the St. Johns River and Lake Beresford see Norway rats burrowing along the bank, especially after heavy rain or flooding pushes them toward higher ground.
Our approach: We check the yard and foundation perimeter for burrows, place bait stations away from where pets and kids play, and seal any ground-level gaps into the crawl space or garage.
Builder-grade utility penetrations, garage weatherstripping and gable vents are common entry points even in construction built after 2001.
Our approach: We check garage doors, AC line entry points and attic vents first, since that is where most activity in these newer homes starts.
Do not sweep or vacuum droppings dry. That can spread contaminated dust into the air.
Air out the room, then wear gloves and spray droppings with disinfectant or a bleach solution before wiping them up.
Keep pets and kids away from the attic, garage or crawl space until we inspect.
Note where you are hearing noise or finding droppings. It helps us find the entry point faster.
We cover all of DeLand, along with Orange City, Deltona, DeBary and Lake Helen nearby. Call if you do not see yours.
Downtown DeLand · DeLand Historic District · Victoria Park · Victoria Hills · Glenwood Springs · Stetson University area
“Found droppings in the attic of our house near downtown and had them out and sealed within the week. Explained exactly where the rats were getting in.”
Maria H.DeLand, FL
Verified“We manage a few rentals near Stetson and needed someone who could work around tenants. Communication was easy and they documented everything for us.”
Dan K.DeLand, FL
Verified“Had a mouse problem in our Victoria Park home after we moved in. They found the gap around the AC line that the builder never sealed.”
Rachel T.DeLand, FL
VerifiedHave a question that is not listed? Call and a team member will help.
Call (561) 562-7607 →Most homes need a first visit for the inspection and sealing, then follow-up visits over the next few weeks to check traps. The exact number depends on how many rats are inside and how many openings the home has. We tell you what to expect after the first inspection.
Many homes in the DeLand Historic District sit on pier-and-beam foundations with a crawl space underneath. Gaps in the skirting, missing vent screens and rotted sill boards give rats a dry, hidden place to nest. We seal those openings with hardware cloth and metal.
In many riverfront and low-lying areas, yes. Flooding from Hurricane Ian pushed the St. Johns River above flood stage near DeLand and drove rodents out of burrows and toward higher ground, including nearby homes. Wind damage from storms can also open new gaps in soffits and roofs. If your home had storm repairs, it is worth having the roofline checked.
We do not recommend it. Poisoned rats often die inside walls or ceilings where you cannot reach them, which causes a strong smell. Trapping indoors and sealing the entry points works better.
Rats are usually active at night, while squirrels are active in the daytime. Rat droppings are about a half inch long. If you are not sure, an inspection will tell us which animal it is.
The CDC advises not to sweep or vacuum droppings. Air out the area, wear gloves, spray the droppings with disinfectant or a bleach solution, let it sit for 5 minutes, then wipe up with paper towels. For attics or large amounts, call us.
Pest control businesses in Florida are licensed by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS). You can look up a license on the FDACS website before you hire anyone.
Yes. We also serve Orange City, Deltona, DeBary and Lake Helen. Call (561) 562-7607 to check your address.
Give us a call. We’ll handle the next step.
Call (561) 562-7607 →Serving DeLand, Orange City, Deltona, DeBary and Lake Helen across Volusia County.
These pictures come from our own inspection cameras and job sites: rats caught in traps, mice under cabinets, the entry points we find, and the sealing work that keeps them out.
Rat caughtClose-up of a rat caught in a cage trap
Exclusion workTechnician sealing a block wall gap with mortar
Entry point foundRat squeezing past an unsealed pipe penetration in a wall
Kitchen inspectionThree mice caught on camera under a cabinet
Trap cameraNight camera photo of a rat at a snap trap
Attic inspectionMouse found near attic insulation
Station checkRat found inside a rodent station during a service check
Entry point checkMouse beside a dryer vent duct
TrappingMouse approaching a trap station near roof trusses
Rat caughtRat caught in a cage trap outside a Florida home
Food source foundMouse feeding on crumbs under a cabinet
Trap cameraNight camera photo of a rat approaching a baited snap trap
Kitchen inspectionMouse moving along a cabinet base
Kitchen inspectionTwo mice under a cabinet, a sign of active activity