Rodent Control Melbourne
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 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.
By using a range of baits rather than committing to one product, we are aiming to maximise how much actually gets taken, because bait that sits in a station untouched is not controlling anything. Plenty of what we use is not an SGAR, which stands for second generation anticoagulant rodenticide. Where we do use an SGAR, the current rules require the bait to be reassessed within 35 days. Follow up visits depend on the treatment methods we use and the rodent numbers we are treating, 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.
Get a Quick Quote →
Rat Baiting Rules In Australia
You can still buy rat bait yourself, but the strongest products are no longer available to the public. On 24 March 2026 the APVMA restricted SGARs to licensed operators only, because those products were killing far more than the rats they were aimed at. Owls, other birds of prey and family pets were eating poisoned rodents and dying from the secondary poisoning. That is the problem the restriction was brought in to fix.
It changed how the treatment gets done as well. Outdoor rat stations now have to sit within two metres of the building rather than scattered further out across a property, and SGAR baits get checked and reassessed within 35 days instead of being left down indefinitely. If someone is still baiting along the back fence line the way it used to be done, they are not working to the current rules, and that is worth knowing if you are comparing quotes.
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.
Get a Quick Quote →
Don't Just Take Our Word For It: Recent Reviews
Rat 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.
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.
Get a Quick Quote →
How To Book A Rat Treatment
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 We Find Rats In Melbourne Homes
Wherever you are hearing them, this is usually where they are living.
The SOS Pest Control Difference
Experienced Pest Technicians
We have more than 23 years of experience treating rats and mice in Melbourne homes and businesses.
The Same Pest Technician Every Visit
You deal with the same small team each time, rather than a different contractor every visit.
Licensed & Insured Pest Control
We are licensed for pest control and we are insured on every treatment we carry out.
Safer 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.
Get a Quote For Rat 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.
Rat 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 the river so big?
The ones that come up from water and drainage tend to be the bigger ones, which is why properties backing onto the Yarra, the creek lines through Boroondara, Stonnington and Monash, 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 those ones come in at ground level rather than through the roof.
Is rat bait safe around pets and wildlife?
Every bait sits inside a locked, tamper resistant station, so it stays away from pets, children and wildlife. A lot of what we use is not a second generation anticoagulant, which are the products that caused problems further up the food chain for owls and other birds of prey.
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. Where a second generation anticoagulant is used, the rules require the bait to be reassessed within 35 days. We will tell you what applies to your job before we start rather than leaving it vague.
Why do you use more than one type of bait?
Because rodents do not all want the same thing. Bait uptake varies between sites and environments, in the same way none of us eat the same meal every day, so offering a variety gives us the best chance of them taking it. 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, so it becomes exclusion and proofing work rather than baiting.
Need A Rodent Exterminator In Melbourne?
Tell us what you are hearing and where, and we will tell you what the treatment involves.