Dearborn particulars
Dearborn runs its own Department of Public Health, and the city's administrative center answers at 311 or 313-943-2150. As far as the city's website shows, it has no pest, rodent or mosquito page, so the department is where to ask what Dearborn tracks. The county side is better documented. Wayne County Health Division is monitoring the Asian tiger mosquito, which its advisory calls new to Michigan, and asks residents to report unusual daytime biting to Wayne County Environmental Health at (734) 727-7400.
That advisory is posted on Livonia's own website. As of October 16, 2026, MDHHS counts six human West Nile cases and 15 positive mosquito pools in Wayne County. Dearborn has 107,846 people, a median home value of $205,900 and 84.0 percent of homes that predate 1980 (Census ACS 2023). A company inspecting a home that old should list what it checked and what it could not reach, such as sill plates and crawl spaces.
MDARD licenses the pest control companies, and MCL 324.8328 keeps the city from adding its own applicator license. Close by are Melvindale, 2.8 miles, Allen Park, Dearborn Heights, Lincoln Park and Inkster.
Rodents in Dearborn: what to know
Dearborn's profile in Census ACS 2023: 107,846 residents, 84.0 percent of homes built before 1980 and a median home value of $205,900. We cannot point you to a Dearborn rodent or pest-complaint page, and the city's own Department of Public Health is the place to ask what it will do. The EPA tells you to ask to see a rodent control company's license and to call the state regulator with concerns.
In Michigan the category for rats and mice is 7D, with 7A for pests in and around dwellings, and the business needs a license that costs $100 a year. The business license number, the applicator's credential and the product label are worth requesting, and so is the name of whoever will seal the entry points.
Permits for rodents in Dearborn
MDARD's category 7D covers using pesticides against vertebrate pests such as birds, rats and mice, and 7A covers pests in and around dwellings.
Many cities run their own building department, so start by asking the City of Dearborn building department who issues pest control permits.
Rodents: urgent or not
- Droppings or chewed packaging in a space where you prepare or store food: clean up, seal the food, and book the same week.
- A single mouse sighting with no droppings in food areas.
- Noises in a wall or ceiling that stop in daylight.
What to try before you call
Try this first: ask the Department of Public Health what it handles before you hire a company.
- Put food in sealed containers and clean up spills and standing water.
- Find holes by looking along the walls and floors for droppings and chewing.
- Seal what you can reach with steel wool or a patch.
- Note where you see the signs and photograph them.
- Ask the company to show you every entry point it found.
What rodents cost
The estimate below is the Michigan-wide one, adjusted for Michigan wages and not for Dearborn in particular. The same table is on the rodents page. How we estimate costs. Prices as of Oct 19, 2026.
| Item | Figure | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Estimated range, not a quote | $125 to $680 per job | Built from one national published range, adjusted by the Michigan pest control worker median wage ratio (0.98). No Michigan pest control company price is shown, because none of the companies we looked at published a regular price. |
| Pest control worker wage, Michigan median | $21.38 an hour | What pest control workers are paid (O*NET republishing BLS, May 2025), not what you are charged. Percentile data, not re-checked against the BLS table. |
| State fee, certified commercial applicator | $75 | Paid by the person, not added to your bill as a line. Michigan statute and MDARD agree. |
| State fee, pesticide application business license | $100 a year, expires every December 31 | Every company that applies pesticides for hire needs one, in addition to its applicators' credentials. |
How we estimate costs: the Estimated range row is a model, not a quote. It takes one published national range for this job (a cost guide from a third-party site that we have not verified and do not cite) and multiplies it by Michigan's pest control worker median wage ratio to the US (0.98, BLS May 2025 data read through O*NET OnLine). The wage and state fee rows in the table are what pest control workers are paid and what the state charges to license them, and neither is a price. We have not collected quotes, and we found no Michigan pest control company that publishes a regular price. Full method.
Questions about rodents
How do I keep rodents away in Michigan?
Remove food, water and shelter, and seal the holes, using steel wool or a patch, according to the EPA. DNR suggests metal flashing or hardware cloth and a capped, screened chimney for small wild rodents, with the caveat that its page covers wild species.
What qualifies as a rodent infestation?
The EPA does not set a count; it lists signs: droppings near food, nesting material, and chewed holes in walls and floors. If you see those, act on the entry points and ask a company to inspect.
Is it worth getting an exterminator for mice?
It is when you cannot find or reach the entry points, or when you want bait handled by a licensed applicator. Sealing is the part that lasts, so ask the company what it will do about the holes.