A Spanish Colonial Revival home with a red tile roof in California — San Bruno, California service area

Rodent Management

Rodent Control in San Bruno, CA

Name: 101 Exterminators Inc.
Address: 635 Sanborn Pl Ste 12, Salinas, CA, 93901, US
Telephone: (831) 500-1613
Price range: $$
Rating: 5

101 Exterminators does rodent control in San Bruno by sealing the building first and trapping second — California licensed, SPCB Lic. #9119, since 2005. Roof rats (Rattus rattus) come off the creek canopy into attic vents. Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) work the storm drains and the marsh edge east of the Caltrain tracks. A 1962 ranch house gives both of them more openings than most owners expect.

(831) 500-1613Free limited inspection · no obligation

Local Context

When a Forty-Four-Acre Site Changes, the Rats Living There Move First

Rodent populations relocate when their ground changes. San Bruno has two large sites in motion right now: the 44-acre Shops at Tanforan property, whose transit-village redevelopment for up to 1,514 homes went through entitlement filing in October 2024 and a draft environmental report in June 2025, and the 155-home Crestmoor build at 300 Piedmont Avenue. Big parcels anywhere hold rodent harborage in landscaping, storm drains and voids under slabs. Disturb that ground and the animals do not leave the area — they move to the closest buildings that still offer food and cover.

Roof rats travel a different way entirely. They move above ground, and this city hands them a continuous route: mature street trees and creek-side vegetation along San Bruno Creek and the Colma Creek drainage, then fence tops, then a roofline. Once they are on the roof they need an opening a bit over half an inch — a lifted eave shingle, an unscreened attic vent, the gap where a plumbing stack passes through sheathing. The post-war ranch and split-level houses in Mills Park and Belle Air Park tend to have all three.

The third source is the open-space line. The western and northern edges of the city meet the coastal scrub of Sweeney Ridge and San Bruno Mountain State Park, and house mice and roof rats work that boundary year-round. Nothing about a San Bruno winter forces a die-off — highs stay under 58°F and the marine air keeps ground cover damp — so the pressure never resets the way it does in an inland town. Exclusion is what holds. Trapping alone just clears the current occupants.

How We Work in San Bruno

We start on the roof and at the ground line, not with traps. On a San Bruno ranch or split-level that means eave and gable vents, the gap where a settled garage door meets the slab, dryer and bath vents, plumbing penetrations through the sub-floor, and the crawl-space screens that corrode in this air. We seal with hardware cloth, copper mesh and sheet metal, then trap inside the sealed envelope so we can tell when it is actually finished. Exterior bait stations are tamper-resistant and placed on the runways we found.

San Bruno Climate

San Bruno has a moderate Peninsula climate — some marine fog influence from its northern exposure, but slightly warmer than Daly City. Both drywood and subterranean termites are active through extended seasons.

Housing Stock

Post-WWII tract development dominates — 1940s–1960s wood-frame homes across the city's residential neighborhoods. The Crestmoor and Portola Highlands areas have this typical mid-century stock. The Village area near downtown has older construction. Properties near the creek corridors have moisture exposure relevant to subterranean termites.

Why Local Expertise Matters

San Bruno's mid-century housing stock is a routine part of our Peninsula service area. We understand the termite risks associated with 1940s–1960s wood-frame construction and provide SPCB-licensed (#9119) inspections with WDO reports accepted for local real estate transactions.

Warning Signs

Signs You Need Rodents Service in San Bruno

Our program combines three components: (1) Exclusion — sealing gaps in foundations, pipe penetrations, vents, and roof eaves using hardware cloth, copper mesh, foam sealant, and sheet metal as appropriate. (2) Trapping — placement and monitoring of snap traps, live traps, and glue boards in active areas. (3) Exterior bait stations — tamper-resistant bait stations positioned along perimeter rodent runways for ongoing population management.

Droppings along walls, in cabinets, behind appliances, or in attic insulation

Gnaw marks on wiring, wood, plastic pipes, or food packaging

Grease marks along walls or baseboards — oil from rodent fur rubbed repeatedly on surfaces

Nesting materials (shredded paper, insulation, fabric) in hidden locations

Scratching or scurrying sounds in walls, ceilings, or under floors at night

Burrows in landscaping, mulch beds, or under concrete slabs

Citrus or avocado fruits with bite marks — a classic roof rat indicator

Pet acting alert at walls or cabinets when no visible cause exists

How It Works

Our Rodents Process in San Bruno

Every job follows the same methodical approach — no shortcuts, no guesswork. Here is what to expect when you work with us in San Bruno.

Inspection & Runway Mapping

We identify gnaw marks, runways, burrows, droppings, and grease trails to map rodent activity throughout the property — interior and exterior.

Exclusion

We seal all discovered entry points with durable materials appropriate to the opening — hardware cloth, copper mesh, sheet metal flashing, or foam sealant for smaller gaps.

Trapping & Bait Placement

Interior snap traps and exterior tamper-resistant bait stations are positioned along active runways. We monitor and service these on a schedule until activity ceases.

Follow-Up & Monitoring

We return to clear traps, replenish bait, check exclusion work, and confirm that the population has been eliminated before closing out the service.

Why 101 Exterminators

Rodents You Can Count On in San Bruno

Exclusion-First Methodology

Without sealing entry points, any rodent removed will simply be replaced by another. We seal the structure before or concurrent with trapping — not as an afterthought.

No Unmonitored Poison Bait Indoors

We do not place loose rodenticide indoors where rodents can carry it to walls and die inaccessibly. Interior work uses traps with daily monitoring during active treatment.

Regional Species Knowledge

Norway rats, roof rats, and deer mice behave differently and require different approaches. We identify the species present before selecting treatment methods.

Sanitation Recommendations

After resolving an infestation, we advise on harborage removal, vegetation management, and food storage to prevent reinfestation — not just a repeat service call.

Common Questions

Rodent Control FAQs for San Bruno

We hear scratching in the attic at night in Mills Park — rats or squirrels?

Night activity in an attic is almost always roof rats, because squirrels are daytime animals. Roof rats run the ceiling joists after dark, and in San Bruno they usually arrive along the roofline rather than up from the yard. Look for smudge marks on the top of a fence rail, droppings on top of ductwork, and a lifted shingle or open eave vent. Scratching during daylight hours points to squirrels instead, which is a different exclusion job.

Does construction near Tanforan push rodents into nearby San Bruno neighborhoods?

Ground disturbance on a large site moves rodents outward rather than removing them. When landscaping, slabs and drainage on a big parcel get torn up, the Norway rats living there relocate to the nearest structures with food and harborage, which usually means the residential and commercial blocks right around it. If you live near active construction, that is the moment to check your garage door seal, foundation vents and utility penetrations — not after you find droppings indoors.

Will sealing my San Bruno home really keep rats out, or do they just chew back in?

Sealed with the right materials, they do not chew back in. Rats get through wood, expanding foam and plastic, so those repairs fail; they do not get through hardware cloth, copper mesh or sheet metal that is properly fastened around the opening. The work that lasts is finding every gap over about half an inch and closing it correctly. On older San Bruno houses the two people miss most are rusted crawl-space vent screens and the daylight gap under a garage door that has settled.

Local Pest Pressure

Common Pests We Treat in San Bruno

Every area has its own pest profile shaped by climate, housing, and geography. These are the pests we see and treat most often in San Bruno — tap any one to learn how to identify it and what treatment involves.