Mice/Rodent Problem in Home -- Stuck in Walls

[Jessica F.]

I own a duplex in Philadelphia and my tenant downstairs calls to tell me that they have a mice problem--they can hear them in the walls and catch them in the kitchen and basement. I have been inside of their unit several times and they are not the cleanest tenants--often finding food, crumbs, dirty dishes, trash etc just laying around the house. I put down some traps in the home (kitchen and basement) to help get rid of them.

I've live on the 2nd floor and I have never had a rodent, bug, or insect problem--until recently. I've noticed a rodent problem but they appear to be stuck in between the walls of my home. My contractor says that they must have ran up through the pipes from downstairs. They cannot access my unit because all of the holes and corners are sealed up and I keep the home clean but the noise drives me insane because they are scratching away in my bedroom closet and I am paranoid that they will scratch their way inside.

Is there anything I can do to get rid of them scratching away between the walls of my home? is there an affordable fix or resolution without having to spend hundreds?

[Troy Sheets]

They're not "stuck" in the walls, they live there. Also, if you're hearing them in your walls, they're not staying there at night. Just sayin'. 

Mice can squeeze through a dime sized hole or smaller. Try and seal up any exterior entry points as best you can. Also, if you're in a row home and your next door neighbor has mice or bugs, you most likely will too. Not much you can do to keep them from spreading between units unless you were to demo your walls and seal the party walls against rodents. You can clear your unit of mice but they'll be back in a few weeks or months in a row home.

Lastly, if you put poison out, you'll kill them...slowly. They go to die in your walls and they stink to high heaven for a few days till they dry out. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news but there's certainly no easy solution.