Straight answers from a licensed New York exterminator and Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE) — serving all five boroughs, in English and Spanish.
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Quick answer: Getting rid of mice in a NYC apartment comes down to exclusion — sealing the gaps they use to get in (around pipes, under doors, holes in walls and cabinets) — combined with trapping to remove the ones already inside. Because mice usually come from shared walls and the building itself, report it to your landlord (pest control is generally their responsibility in NYC) and push for building-level sealing. Snap traps are effective; poison baits are risky to use indoors around people and pets.
Why mice are harder to beat in an apartment
In a house you can often find and seal the source. In a NYC apartment building, mice travel through shared wall voids, pipe and conduit chases, and gaps under doors from neighboring units, hallways, and trash areas. That’s why killing the mice in your unit alone rarely ends it — new ones keep arriving. Lasting results require sealing your apartment’s entry points and addressing the building.
What actually works (in order)
- Exclusion first: seal gaps around pipes under the sink and behind the stove/fridge, holes in cabinet backs and walls, and the gap under the front door (mice fit through a hole the size of a dime). Steel wool packed into gaps and sealed is a good stopgap.
- Trapping: well-placed snap traps along walls (mice run the edges) remove the current population. Place them perpendicular to the wall with the trigger toward it.
- Sanitation: store food in sealed containers, manage trash, and clean crumbs — cutting the food supply makes traps and sealing work faster.
- Skip indoor poison: rodenticide indoors can lead to dead mice in walls (odor) and poses risks to kids and pets. Pros use it selectively and safely if at all.
What to ask your landlord
In NYC, keeping rentals pest-free is generally the landlord’s responsibility. Report the problem in writing, ask for professional treatment and sealing of entry points (not just traps), and request that the building address shared sources. If they don’t act, you can call 311 / file an HPD complaint. See who’s responsible for pest control when renting in NYC.
Mice that keep coming back? That’s an exclusion problem, and it’s what we specialize in. New York Exterminating’s NYC rodent control & exclusion seals entry points and removes the population, led by an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). Call (347) 210-4646. Not sure it’s mice? Check the signs of mice and rats.
A Brooklyn-based, NYSDEC-registered company (Reg. #15140) led by Jorge Bedoya, an Associate Certified Entomologist (ACE). For mice and rats, NYE provides rodent exclusion that seals the entry points, not just trapping. ACE-led work comes with a client portal of service reports and photos, fully bilingual service, and no long-term contract.
Mouse Removal in NYC Apartments — FAQ
How do I get rid of mice in my apartment for good?
Seal the entry points they use (exclusion) and trap the ones inside, while cutting off food. Because apartments share walls, durable results usually need building-level sealing too.
Do snap traps or poison work better indoors?
Snap traps are preferred indoors — they remove mice immediately and avoid the odor and safety risks of poisoned mice dying inside walls.
Is my landlord responsible for mice in NYC?
Generally yes. Report it in writing and ask for treatment plus sealing. If they don’t act, 311/HPD can help.
How are mice getting into my apartment?
Through gaps around pipes, under doors, and holes in walls/cabinets — often from shared building spaces. They can squeeze through openings as small as a dime.
