Rodent Control Melbourne: Rat Pest Control
Safer and Greener Pest SolutionsSeen signs of rats? We get rid of them and seal up how they got in, so you are not doing this again next winter.
Seen Signs Of Rats In Your Home?
Then you are in the right place. Scratching in the ceiling at night, droppings in the pantry, gnawed timber and greasy smudge marks along a wall all point to rats, and they will not sort themselves out on their own. The longer they are left, the more they breed and the harder they are to clear.
SOS Pest Control has been treating rodents in Melbourne since 2003. Tell us what you are hearing and where, and we will work out the right rodent treatment for your home or business. You can see our pricing page for what a treatment costs.
The Rodent Control Baits We Use
We do not use just one type of bait, and we would not want to. We match the treatment to the property and to what the rodents on that particular site are actually taking. Rats have preferences the same way people do, and a bait that works well on one property might sit there untouched on the next.
We use a variety of professional baits and mix them up to suit the property and the rodents we are dealing with. Follow up visits depend on the treatment and the rodent numbers, and we will tell you what applies to your property before we start.
An established infestation is a bigger undertaking. Once rats are breeding in a roof cavity or inside a wall, it takes a proper program across more than one visit rather than a single treatment. We will tell you before we start if that is the situation you are looking at, along with roughly what it involves.
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Rodent Baiting Rules In Australia
You can still buy rat bait yourself, but the rules changed in 2026 and the strongest professional baits are now only available to licensed pest controllers. The rules are there to protect pets and wildlife.
It changed how the treatment gets done as well, and we follow the current rules and regulations on every job. Outdoor rat stations must sit near the building, and baits are checked and managed.
If it turns out to be mice you are hearing rather than rats, that calls for a different treatment altogether, because the two need different approaches. You will find the details on our mice control page.
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Professional Rodent Control Or DIY Rat Bait?
Plenty of people try rodent control products from the supermarket first, and with rats breeding in the roof, that rarely gets on top of them. Rats learn quickly, so a trap or two catches the odd one while the rest keep breeding.
Is DIY Rodent Control Worth Trying?
For keeping rats away, yes, and the steps under “How Can I Keep Rodents Away From My Home?” further down this page are worth doing. For rats already living in the roof or walls, a rodent treatment from a licensed pest controller is the more reliable way to get on top of them.
Are Cats Good For Rodent Control?
A cat might catch the odd rat, but it will not clear an established rodent problem, and it cannot get into the roof void or the wall cavities where rats nest.
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Rodent Proofing And Prevention
Baiting on its own does not stop rats coming back. It clears out what is already inside, but rats leave scent trails behind them and the next lot follow the same route in. Closing off the way in is what actually stops it repeating.
We check the weep holes, the roof penetrations, the damaged eaves, and the gaps under doors and around pipework. These are the entry points we go through on every treatment, and we seal what is within our scope on the day. A rat can get through an opening about the width of your thumb, so a gap that looks too small to worry about often is not.
Some properties have far more openings than a pest treatment can reasonably close in one visit. Where that is the case, we will show you exactly what needs doing and recommend a tradesperson for the larger rectification work, because we are not equipped to carry out property repairs.
Which Melbourne Suburbs Does Your Rodent Pest Control Cover?
If your suburb is not on the list below, give us a call and ask.
We cover Cheltenham, Bentleigh, Bentleigh East, Moorabbin, Highett, Mentone, Mordialloc, Brighton, Sandringham, Hampton, Oakleigh, Clayton, Carnegie, Murrumbeena, Chadstone, Dingley Village, Keysborough, Springvale, Dandenong, Camberwell, Hawthorn, Balwyn, Box Hill, Toorak, South Yarra, St Kilda and the rest of our service areas.
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How Do I Book Rodent Control In Melbourne?
Tell Us What You Have Found
Give us a call or fill in the quote form and tell us what you are hearing or finding, and where.
We Inspect And Bait
We work out how they are getting in, place stations where the rules allow, and treat what is there.
We Tell You What Happens Next
Whether a follow up is needed depends on the bait used and the situation on your property. We will tell you which it is rather than leaving you guessing.
Where Do Rodents Live In Melbourne Homes?
Wherever you are hearing them, this is usually where they are living.
Norway Rats And Roof Rats: How To Tell Them Apart
Melbourne has two pest rats, and they do not look the same.
What Does A Norway Rat Look Like?
The Norway rat, the one people call the brown rat or sewer rat, is the heavier of the two, at around 200 to 500 grams. It has a blunt nose, small furry ears and a tail shorter than its body.
What Does A Roof Rat Look Like?
The roof rat, also called the black rat, is slimmer, with a pointed nose, large thin ears and a tail longer than its body. Its fur can be grey, black or brown, so colour alone does not tell you much.
Why One Rat Soon Becomes Several
A female Norway rat can have five or six litters a year, usually eight to ten young at a time, and those young are breeding themselves within three to four months.
When Should I Book Rodent Control?
As soon as you hear or see signs of rats. Numbers are much easier to get controlled early, before the young start breeding, so it pays not to wait and see if they move on.
Where Should I Look For Signs Of Rats?
- Roof void: shredded insulation, paper or fabric pulled into a nest along the edges of the roof space.
- Kitchen and pantry: chewed packets, and pieces of food left behind on the shelves.
- Garden: half eaten fruit on the tree or the ground, and burrows under the shed, the compost or a concrete path, because Norway rats dig.
- Shed and garage: nests in stored cardboard, rags or straw, and gnawed corners on anything kept in boxes.
- Droppings: Norway rat droppings are banana or sausage shaped, and roof rat droppings are thinner and spindle shaped.
What Brings Rats Into A Melbourne Home?
Rats move in where they can find food, water and shelter, and a few things around a home make that more likely.
Rats Moving Inside In The Cooler Months
Rats tend to look for warmer shelter once the weather cools, and a roof void full of insulation suits them well.
Rats Looking For Water In A Dry Spell
In a dry spell, a dripping tap, a pet’s water bowl or a fish pond can be the closest water around, and rats will come for it. Fruit trees draw them in the same way when the fruit is ripening, especially if fallen fruit is left lying on the ground.
Knock Down Rebuilds And Rodents Looking For New Shelter
If a home near you has been knocked down to rebuild, this can often push the local rodents to find new shelter, and they move into the houses on either side. If there is a build going on near you and you have started hearing something or seeing traces of rats, this is likely the problem.
Rats Coming Over From The Neighbours
Rats move between yards, so if a neighbour has rats, there is a good chance they will turn up at your place too. If you are both hearing them, it helps to have a word with your neighbour so the rats are dealt with on both sides of the fence.
How Can I Keep Rodents Away From My Home?
Minimising the food, water and shelter that rats are looking for.
- Food: store pet food and bird seed in sealed containers, pick up fallen fruit, and keep the compost closed.
- New gaps: check anywhere a tradesperson has run new pipes or cables through a wall, and any gaps that open up as the house ages.
- Water: fix dripping taps and leaking pipes, and empty anything around the yard that holds water.
- Shelter: keep woodpiles and clutter off the fence line and away from the house, and tidy overgrown garden beds.
- Trees: trim branches back so they do not touch the roof or the gutters.
- Chook pens and aviaries: clean up spilt feed each evening.
Why Rodents Are A Health And Property Risk
The noise is what gets people calling, but the damage and the mess are the bigger problem.
Can Rodents Cause Damage To My Property?
Yes. A rat’s front teeth never stop growing, so it gnaws constantly to keep them down. In a roof that means timber, insulation, pipes and electrical cables, along with whatever it shreds for a nest. If rats have been in the roof for a while, it is worth having an electrician check the cabling.
Can Rodents Spread Disease?
They can. Rats leave droppings and urine wherever they travel, including over food and benches, and rat lungworm, covered in our FAQs below, is one example of what they can pass on. Throw out anything they have been into, wipe down the benches and wash your hands well afterwards.
Why Choose SOS Pest Control For Rodent Control?
Experienced Rodent Control Technicians
We have more than 23 years of experience treating rats and mice in Melbourne homes and businesses.
Local Pest Control Since 2003
Ron and Candys have owned and run SOS Pest Control since 2003.
Licensed & Insured Rodent Pest Control
We are licensed for pest control and we are insured on every treatment we carry out.
Safer Rodent Baits Around Pets And Kids
Every bait sits inside a locked, tamper resistant station, so it reaches the rats and stays away from your pets and children.
Honest Pest Control Advice
We tell you what the property actually needs and whether a follow up visit is required, rather than leaving it vague.
Rated 5.0 on Google
We have more than 320 five star reviews from Melbourne homes and businesses.
Rodent Control For Melbourne Businesses
Rodents are a serious problem for a business, especially anywhere food is stored, prepared or sold. Rodent activity can lead to contamination, damaged stock and potential issues with health and compliance requirements.
We provide commercial rodent control for restaurants, cafés, retail, warehouses and offices across Melbourne, for single sites and businesses with more than one location. Our rodent pest control for businesses starts with an assessment of the premises, then we recommend what the site needs, whether that is a single treatment or ongoing monitoring through the year. We work around your trading hours so the treatment does not cost you a day.
Our commercial pest control page has more on how we work with businesses.
Get a Quote For Rodent Control Melbourne
Tell us what you are hearing or finding and which suburb you are in. We will come back with honest advice and a clear price.
Rodent Control FAQs
Can I still buy rat bait from the supermarket?
You can still buy some of it, but the strongest products are restricted to operators who hold the right training and licensing. That is the practical reason a professional treatment reaches for things you cannot pick up off a shelf.
Why are the rats near creeks and drains so big?
The bigger ones are usually Norway rats, the ones people call sewer rats. They live along water and drainage, which is why properties backing onto the Yarra, Gardiners Creek, Scotchmans Creek, Elster Creek, Mordialloc Creek, Dandenong Creek or a main drain often get a nastier looking rat than the neighbours do. It does not change whether we can get rid of them. It changes where the bait goes, because Norway rats come in at ground level, while black rats, the roof rats, climb the trees and get in through the roof.
Is rat bait safe around pets and wildlife?
Yes. Wildlife and pets are kept safe by how the baits are set out and managed. Every bait sits inside a locked, tamper resistant station, and we follow the latest rodent baiting laws and guidelines. We use a variety of baits because not every rodent takes the same one, and that is how we get rid of them quickly and safely.
How Many Rodent Control Visits Will I Need?
Follow up visits will depend on the treatment methods we use and the rodent numbers we are treating. We will tell you what applies to your job before we start.
Why do you use more than one type of bait?
Because rodents do not all want the same thing. What goes down is matched to your property rather than pulled off a standard list.
Do you seal the entry points as well?
We seal what is within our scope on the day, and there is usually plenty we can close up. Some properties have far more openings than a pest treatment can reasonably deal with, and where that is the case we will show you what needs doing and recommend a tradesperson for the bigger work.
How do I know if it is rats or mice?
The droppings give it away. Rat droppings are large and there are relatively few of them, where mouse droppings are small like a grain of rice and scattered everywhere. If it turns out to be mice, that is a different treatment and we cover it on our mice control page.
What if it is possums rather than rats?
That is a different job entirely, because possums are protected in Victoria. You will find the details on our possum removal page.
What is the most effective rodent control?
Baits first, then proofing. Bait in locked stations brings the numbers down, and the proofing follows, because sealing a building while rats are still inside shuts them in the roof. We use a range of baits, because rats do not all take the same one.
What keeps rats away permanently?
Sealing how they get in. Baits deal with the rats that are there, and proofing is what stops the next lot. We close the gaps within our scope on the day, and where a building needs roofing or structural repairs, we will recommend a tradesperson.
How many rats are there if I have seen one?
One sighting does not tell you how many there are. The signs tell us more: droppings, gnawing and the greasy smudge marks rats leave along a wall show where they are travelling and where the bait needs to go. If they are breeding in the roof or a wall, that is a bigger undertaking, and we will tell you what it involves before we start.
When do rats come out?
At night. Scratching in the ceiling at night is one of the signs that points to rats. They use the same routes every night, and that habit is what gives them away.
Why are rats and slugs a dangerous combination?
Melbourne gardens have no shortage of slugs and snails, and rats can carry rat lungworm, a parasite that lives in their lungs. Rats pass it out in their droppings, slugs and snails pick it up, and people or dogs can become infected by eating an infected slug or snail, or garden greens that still have slime trails on them. It is rare and most people recover, but it can cause meningitis, so NSW Health advises washing garden vegetables well and washing your hands well after gardening. Dogs that eat slugs or snails can become very sick too. Keeping rats away from the garden is one of the easiest ways to break the cycle.
Need A Rodent Exterminator In Melbourne?
Tell us what you are hearing and where, and we will tell you what the treatment involves.