Rodent Control Melbourne: Rat Pest Control

Seen signs of rats? We get rid of them and seal up how they got in, so you are not doing this again next winter.

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.