Rodent Control in South Tucson and the West Side

The west side runs from some of the oldest houses in the city out to desert lots under the Tucson Mountains. The City of South Tucson is its own small city, surrounded by Tucson, along S. 4th Ave. south of downtown. The west side starts in the barrios near downtown and crosses the Santa Cruz River toward Sentinel Peak (A Mountain), Menlo Park and Barrio Hollywood, then keeps going out to Tucson Mountain Park and Gates Pass.

Close in, it's mice in old adobe and brick homes. Out west, it's pack rats. Small businesses along S. 4th Ave. and the west side corridors call too, mostly about mice in storage rooms and kitchens, and those go to companies that handle commercial rodent work.

Old adobe walls and canales

Adobe walls crack and settle over a century. Old wood floors, gaps around doors and the roof edge all let mice in. Flat roofs on these homes have parapets and canales (the roof drains) that open up as the walls shift, and those let mice and rats reach the space under the roof. Lots near downtown are small, with shared walls and alleys, so one house's mice are often the next house's mice too.

Sealing an adobe takes a careful hand and the right materials so you don't damage the walls. Tell us on the call if your home is adobe so the tech plans for adobe-friendly sealing. Most of these jobs start with mouse trapping. The older blocks here have a lot in common with midtown and Sam Hughes.

Out past Silverbell toward Gates Pass

Cross the river and head west and the lots get bigger. The Santa Cruz and The Loop path run north and south with brush and mesquite along the banks. Past Silverbell Rd., homes sit near Tucson Mountain Park with cholla, rock and natural desert right up to the walls. Out toward Gates Pass and Starr Pass, pack rats take over, and most jobs start with pack rat control.

Sheds, woodpiles and parked cars are the first places to look, and our midden spotting guide shows what a live one looks like. Head south along I-19 toward Sahuarita and Green Valley and you get more river and desert-edge rodents.

Back rooms on S. 4th Ave.

For the restaurants and shops along S. 4th Ave. and the west side corridors, it's usually a storage room or the back of the kitchen. Boxes on the floor, a gap under the back door, a dumpster a few feet from the wall. Get boxes up on shelves, put a sweep on the back door and keep the dumpster lid shut. Anything more than a mouse or two calls for a commercial plan with regular visits. Restaurants especially, since nobody wants the health inspector to be the one who finds the droppings.

Around South Tucson and West Side: Sentinel Peak (A Mountain) · Menlo Park and Barrio Hollywood · Santa Cruz River and The Loop · Tucson Mountain Park and Gates Pass · S. 4th Ave. in South Tucson · Mission Rd. and Ajo Way (ZIP 85713, 85745, 85746)

Also serving Catalina Foothills, Oro Valley, Marana, Tanque Verde and East Side, Midtown and Sam Hughes, Vail, Sahuarita and Green Valley, Rita Ranch, Casas Adobes.