‘Amateurs’ can only treat their own property, I can treat multiple. All products must be removed after 35 days and disposed of.
I get through a lot! 
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I found the spring loaded trap and peanut butter or chocolate the most effective. It’s not pretty, but it does kill quickly and without endangering others. (perhaps your fingers)..
other than that a good cat… ours are specialists in either mouse, rat or mole.
Mine’s an omnivore. If it’s sourine he’ll dispatch it rapidly and (look away now) eat it. Not that he won’t chase dragonflies. And birds as well, when he thinks I’m not looking.
I’d like him to be a bit more vigilant around the house, but he doesn’t do badly. The problem is that he is spoiled for choice surrounded by a mini-forest and farmland.
When I started writing, I didn’t intend the post to be so long!
I’ve edited this to add a warning -
Caution! Slightly Off-Topic Ramble
When I was back in the UK recently, sitting on the patio with my partner, we noticed the neighbours cat in our garden prowling along the hedge under the row of bird feeders my partner insists on having (year round, I might add). I was pleased to see that my partner had finally taken my advise not to shoo the cat away. She worries about it predating on the birds she feeds. A little later I was doubly pleased to see the cat emerge from the hedge with a dead rat hanging from its mouth. I think it was later in the afternoon, or perhaps the next day, that my partner saw the cat again emerging from the hedge with a very large, very dead rat.
My partner and I disagree (amicably) on putting up bird feeders. I cannot disagree that it attracts a vast number of birds to the garden and that, occasionally, we see less common birds. And it is entertaining to watch entire families of, say, young starlings alight on the patio table, with the parents flying back and forth to feed them.
However, for me, it’s not needed for most of the year. I think I would only ever put out seed or maybe suet if the ground was frozen solid. Never through summer or even through the breeding season which nature has designed to occur when wild plant and insect life is plentiful.
In addition, like a waterhole in the desert, birds feeders also attract predators - besides cats, we have seen sparrow-hawks and kestrel strike, kill and feed on as small as sparrows and as big as ringed doves.
And rats are attracted to the food that falls from the feeders. We have even seen rats chasing the birds away from fallen food.
At my house in Deux Sevres, where write this, I spotted my first mouse right at the end of the garden when I recently cut the grass, I haven’t yet seen a rat but I have no doubt that they are out there.
I also have visits from at least two neighbours’ cats, including one so large I thought it might be a wild cat like a bobcat or similar, until I saw its collar. I was even thinking of planting some catnip in the garden to make these two potential rodent-catchers feel welcome. Or maybe that’s a bad idea? A bit like I believe that bird-feeders are not necessarily a good idea. Any thoughts?
Yes to catnip.
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Rob I have had a quote for 1250 Euros - involving 3 visits. They pest controller is based around 15km away - is this reasonable
Chris
€400 a visit with a déplacement of 15km! Check what they do for that money.
Interested to see what Rob says but in my book that seems high! We were stung by a pest controller (charging no where near as much) who just put down bait boxes that we could have bought ourselves. We had hoped he would spend time and expertise identifying how they got into the house and their routes, but he just dumped boxes.
(I’ve just read a reply from Rob above and in future I think I’ll just use my bottles of cholcicalciferol!
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That’s outrageous, I assume you don’t speak French, have a plague of rats, live in a château and drive a Rolls? + VAT at 10% I hope? Have you checked their reviews on t’internet?
PM me your number and the devis, then we can have a chat. But do not agree to that quote!
I normally do a ‘local’ job for less than a couple of hundred for 3 visits, maybe rodenticide on top.
‘People of a certain age’ (including me) are often prescribed cholécalciferol, a precaution for osteoporosis. I’m due my next dose next week! 
Yes, and not just age. I have it daily, and tend to have extra bottles. Which I’ve now earmarked for next time we get mice!
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The quote is from AS DE Pic
Just be careful. Human dosage isn’t the same for rodent.
Paris based sharks (IMO) They sub contract work to local Pesties, who will be paid peanuts. I refuse to work with them.