Rodent control
There is no such thing as a silly question - We strive to help.
Think you have rodents?
Have you heard “scratching” sounds up in your roof or walls? Have you recently seen a rat run along the top of your fence!
Rodents have been co-existing with humans since the march of time. They harbour in our homes and savage our food. They carry diseases and fleas. You need to eliminate the rodent problem in and around your home.
There is no such thing as a silly question - We strive to help.
What are the signs of rodents
When you actually see them running around!
When you open the garage door at night and turn the light on to find a rat dashing away, you know you have a rodent problem.
If you see them during the day, you have a terrible rodent problem!
Sound
At night when things go quiet in the house, and you are laying in your bed, you start to hear a scratching, scuttling sound. (Sometimes, this can be confused with the softer sound of cockroaches in your wall cavities).
Droppings
Believe it or not, our Technicians can identify if you have rodents in your house by the evidence of droppings, poo, scats.
We can actually identify the type of rodent by the size of the dropping. See the chart below for more information.
Food eaten
Have you noticed a hole in the grain package in the pantry, and it has small droppings around it? Have the dog biscuits been taken to be eaten up in the roof?
Remember, rodents live in and around your house primarily because there is food and water.
If you keep chickens in your garden, you’ll have rats. They love the grain feed left on the ground. Oh, if you have rats in your backyard, you’ll have snakes too!
One of our experienced technicians will come to your home and assess the problem by identifying the type of rodent and where they are nesting. Then we can install a baiting program using the right kind of professional commercial grade bait. Much better than what you can purchase at Bunnings.
It is also vital that you reduce the reasons the rodents are scavenging in and around your home before one of our Technicians comes and sets up a baiting program. Please read the section on how to get rid of rodents naturally.
Inside baiting
It is also vital that you reduce the reasons the rodents are scavenging in and around your home before one of our Technicians comes and sets up a baiting program. Please read the section on how to get rid of rodents naturally.
Outside baiting
These lock-tight secure bait boxes are ideal for placing outside where pets and children might be curious. A secure dark place offers the rodents the ideal place to feed.
1. Rodent – Proof your home
You want to make sure that you get rid of entry points to your home and make both your home and yard less attractive to the rats and prevent more from entering your home. Rats are very crafty creatures and can find multiple entry points that you are unaware of.
Ways to keep rodents out of your home:
Rats can squeeze through spaces as small as 2 cm. Seal all holes. Use tin plates or strong mesh to cover the gaps around pipes and vents. Steel wool will also work
Keep your home clean. Stacks of papers or clothes, boxes lying around, food left out, and crumbs are all things that attract rodents.
Fix leaks and clean up spills as rats are also attracted to water. They need it before food.
Keep your garden neat. Long grass, piles of wood or bricks, and garbage will attract rats to your garden.
Rats and mice can climb up pipes and even rough walls. Install window screens and make sure they can’t get through your chimney.
2. Cats and Dogs
Cats and dogs are natural predators of rats and will kill them effectively.
3.Traps
Traps are another practical method. There are snap traps and electric traps that will kill rats, but if you prefer not to kill the rats, live traps can be used to catch them, and you can then relocate the rats far from your home.
You can use dried fruit, peanuts, dried meat, peanut butter, and cheese as bait to catch the rats. If your rats are able to remove the softer baits without getting caught by the traps, try the harder baits instead. Put the traps in your roof void, under the fridge, under the couch, and along the walls. Just be sure to keep them out of reach of your children and pets.
Tip: Make sure that the traps are meant for rats, mice traps are too small.
4.Pungent Food Smells
Garlic and onions are pungent smells that appear to keep rats away. You can sprinkle the flakes and powder or put pieces of garlic or onions in the areas rat scavenge.
You can also make a spray by chopping up about a tablespoon amount of garlic and/or onion and adding hot water. Let it cool down, add a teaspoon of oil, and then pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spray it in areas the rats frequent.
Hot peppers are very pungent and can cause the rats to struggle to breathe. Sprinkle the flakes or powder in all their hot spots, or you can make a spray the same way you would the garlic spray or make a pepper/garlic combo spray.
5. Essential Oils
Peppermint, citronella, and lemon essential oils are all repellents to rats. You can also use eucalyptus oil, but pregnant women and cat owners should avoid it. There are three ways that you can go about it:
Dip cotton balls in the oil and put them in strategic places.
Mix some essential oil with diatomaceous earth (DE). It’s highly absorbent and holds the scent longer than cotton balls.
Make a spray using 20-30 drops of essential oil mixed with water or even alcohol in a spray bottle.
Tip: Plant peppermint plants along the walls of your home to repel the rats.Here is a helpful info sheet from Brisbane City Council: Controlling Rats (brisbane.qld.gov.au)
Common House Mouse
Length: (including tail) 150mm, Weight: 20g, Colour: gray
Habitat: Outdoors: they like to nest in burrows and under logs. Inside: any warm, dry, dark confined space
Roof or Black Rat
Length: (including tail) 500mm, Weight: 250g, Colour: dark gray
Habitat: Outdoors: they like to nest in trees, burrows and under logs. Inside: Higher location – roof voids and wall cavities. They like to be near a water source.
Norway Rat
Length: (including tail) 400mm, Weight: 350g, Colour: dark gray or brown
Habitat: Outdoors: they like to nest burrows and under logs. Inside: Sub floors and under concrete slabs. They like to be near a water source.
