Marion–I am a fellow female who inherited a phobia about rodents. This is because my mother, who grew up during the Depression in Chicago, often woke up with mice or rats in her bed. The houses my parents bought when they came to California in the 1950s-60s were in new developments — the first in Clairemont, the second in San Carlos. My mom was so afraid of mice/rats that if she saw one in the house when we were not yet old enough to go to school, she would insist we sit outside on the front porch and wait for my dad to get home from work…sometimes this was 7 or 8 hours.

When I lived in an upscale apartment a few years ago, mice/rats got into our units via the lovely palm trees. The LL paid for an exterminator post haste because none of us were doing anything wrong. I am among the few on this thread who think your landlord should pay for this, as well. I own now, and if I see any evidence of mice, I am going to trap them and get my best friend (a male) to look at the traps each day. Your son should do this for you. Use peanut butter, not cheese. So far, no rodents. But if I get them, I will happily become a bitter cat lady!