Rats & mice
Rats & mice
Rodents
- Baits begin working
- Within 3–7 days
- Bait stations
- Do not disturb
Get your home ready
Before we arrive
What we do on the day
- We inspect first: the roof void, subfloor, kitchen, laundry and the outside of the building. We look for runs, droppings and entry points.
- The baits go in lockable, tamper-resistant stations.
- We photograph every station in place and mark where each one is, so the second visit finds all of them.
- We write down the entry points we find.
- On the second visit we put more bait down, check how much has been taken, top up the stations, remove carcasses and reassess.
After treatment
- Baits begin working within 3–7 days
- Do not disturb bait stations
- Keep pets away from bait stations
Common questions
Do I need protection if I haven't seen rodents?
Rodents are often active at night and remain hidden.
When can people and pets go back in?
Keep pets and children away from bait stations. If you have a question about children, pets or health, call us and a technician will talk it through.
Is there a warranty?
We'll go through what's covered before you book.
Is it rats or a possum in my roof?
It can be either. In summer it's more likely a possum, and in winter more likely rats. A possum makes a louder thudding sound, mostly at night. Rats and mice make a smaller scratching sound, and can be heard day or night. If you're not sure which it is, a technician can tell on an inspection.
Do rats and mice spread disease?
They can. Rats and mice can pass illnesses such as salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis and leptospirosis on to people and pets. Throw out any food or drink that may have touched them. If you're bitten, see your doctor promptly. If you're unwell, call 000 in an emergency, or Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 for health advice.
How fast do rats and mice multiply?
Quickly. A house mouse can breed from about two months old, with litters of four to eight. Rats and mice can breed about every 20 days, so numbers can climb fast.
What if one dies in a wall?
You may notice a smell if one dies in a wall. It can't always be reached. If you can smell one, our dead rodent removal finds and removes it. If we cannot find it, we use smell bags and granules instead.
Signs you've got rats or mice
- Black, thin droppings, about 12 to 18 mm long.
- Squeaking, gnawing or scratching in the walls, cupboards, ceiling or under the floors. A possum can make noises like these too.
- Gnawing damage on wood, electrical cables or other parts of the building.
- Greasy rub marks on walls, skirting boards and beams, along the paths they travel.
- Pet food that keeps going missing.
- A nest in the roof made of shredded paper, insulation and other debris.
- Seeing them in the day. That usually means there are a lot of them, or there's a good food supply close by.
Where rats and mice hide, and what draws them in
Where they hide
- In walls, ceilings and under floors, and behind or under cupboards, bathtubs, boxes and furniture.
- Outside, in rubbish heaps, wood piles, thick vegetation, sheds and garages, and in holes under buildings.
- Mice like secluded parts of buildings, and they nest in shredded materials.
- Black rats are agile climbers. They use fruit trees, fences, electrical wires and the roof of a house.
What draws them in
- Rubbish, pet food, food scraps, compost, fallen fruit and nuts, bird seed and dog droppings.
- Wood and bricks stacked on the ground, which give them somewhere to hide and nest.
- Grass, trees, bushes and creepers that give them cover, or a way onto the roof.
Keep them away
- Store food securely
- Seal gaps around the home
- Keep storage areas tidy
What happens next
Booking the treatment
A rat and mouse treatment is two visits, two weeks apart, both in the price: bait stations in the roof, subfloor and anywhere they're running, and mouse entry points sealed where we can find them.
Still have a question?
Call us and we'll help. If you're still seeing activity after the times on this page, let us know.