By Integrity Rodent Proofing, Dixon, California. Updated October 2026
Key takeaways
- General pest control treats pests on a recurring schedule. Rodent proofing repairs the openings rats and mice use to get in.
- If rodents are inside the attic, garage, or walls, treatment alone does not close the way in.
- If your problem is insects or yard pests, a general pest control service is usually the right call, not a proofing company.
- Many homes need the openings sealed and the rodents inside removed. Start with an inspection that shows you the openings.
The short answer
Pest control and rodent proofing solve different problems. A general service treats many kinds of pests on a schedule, for as long as you keep it. Proofing is repair work: find every opening rats and mice use, seal it with construction grade materials, and remove the rodents inside. Open openings mean the problem is not finished.
What general pest control does
A general service covers a lot in one visit: ants, spiders, and other insects, and, for rodents, traps or bait stations checked on a schedule. That breadth is the point, and for insects it is the right tool. It is not built around repair. Sealing every gap at the roofline, vents, garage, and foundation is a different job than a treatment route.
Hearing scratching? Finding droppings?
Let's find out how they're getting in.
An entry-point inspection checks the common ways rats and mice get in, shows you what we find, and tells you what needs to be sealed.
What rodent proofing does
Proofing starts with an entry point inspection. The openings are shown to you, not just described. Then they are sealed, the clean-up and sanitation done at the same time, and the rodents still inside trapped and removed. One scope of work with an end point: the house is closed. Integrity does this work only, and we do not use poison.
Side by side
A general service treats pests on an ongoing schedule and may use poison. Proofing is a one-time repair, rats and mice only, no poison, with follow-ups listed in the written estimate.
When general pest control is the right call
Choose a general service for ants, spiders, wasps, or other insects, or when a home shows no signs of rodents inside. A proofing company is the wrong call for those jobs, including us.
When you need rodent proofing instead
Choose proofing when you hear scratching in the attic or walls, find droppings, have trapped rodents before and they came back, or have been told rodents are getting in but nobody has shown you where. Openings are a repair, not a treatment.
Can a home need both?
Yes. A home can keep a general service for insects and still need a one-time proofing job. If rodents are active inside, seal first, then trap. Our trapping vs rodent proofing guide covers the order.
Questions to ask any company
Ask five things. Will you show me the openings and list them in a written estimate? Does the price include sealing, or only treatment? What happens if rodents still get in? Is it a finished scope or a monthly contract? Do you use poison, and where? A company that found the openings answers the first question with a list.
How Integrity works
Inspections are free, with same-week inspections available. We check the roofline, attic, garage, and outside of the home, and give you a written estimate before work begins. Licensed and insured. No poison. No monthly contract. Call (707) 754-2408, Monday to Saturday, 9am to 6pm. Serving Dixon, Davis, Woodland, Winters, Vacaville, West Sacramento, Sacramento, Roseville, Folsom, Fairfield, Citrus Heights, Carmichael, and American Canyon.
Common questions
I already have a pest control service. Why do I still have rats?+
Treatment and repair are different jobs. Your service can do its job on insects and still not seal the openings rats use.
Is rodent proofing more expensive than pest control?+
Different work, priced differently. A recurring service is a smaller payment that keeps going. Proofing is a one-time repair priced from the openings found. Our rodent control cost guide covers the price drivers, and the inspection is free.
Will proofing stop me needing pest control at all?+
Only for rodents. Proofing does nothing for ants or spiders.
What if I am not sure which one I need?+
Start with the inspection. If we find no openings and no activity, we will tell you. If we find openings, they will be in the estimate.
Written by
The Integrity Rodent Proofing team
Dixon, California. Rodent-proofing specialists serving Dixon, Davis, Woodland, Winters, Vacaville, West Sacramento, Sacramento, Roseville, and Folsom. We find how rats and mice are getting in, explain what we find, and seal the openings.