• Rats and Mice Control Services

  • The most common rats and mice found in South Australia homes are the Norway rat, the Black Rat and the House Mouse.

    The Norway rat also goes by a couple of different names, the Sewer Rat or the Common Rat and is widespread throughout Australia. It is heavy set in appearance, weighting in at around 450gm, it has a very distinct blunt nose and is covered in coarse red to brown fur. The Norway rat can live for up to a year and are typically omnivorous. They can survive happily on a varied diet and will eat almost anything.

    The Black Rat is often referred to as the Roof Rat, as it is frequently found nesting in wall cavities and roof voids. It is very easy for a trained eye to determine the present of a Black Rat as their nests are normally made up of shredded materials, such as insulation, paper and other readily available items found around the home and because they love feeding on fruit and grains we often find discarded grain husks and snail shells in the nest. Black Rats have a very distinctive tail which they utilise for grip when climbing. They can easily exploit any overhanging vegetation or even use phone cables to gain access onto the roof. In appearance the Black Rat is about 16cm to 20cm in length with large hairless ears and a grey to black smooth fur.

    Like its larger cousins the House Mouse is omnivorous and will eat almost anything. They are also nest builders and are often found building nests in the roof space, in the walls cavities, under built in cupboards and in the subfloor. House mice are not solitary and live in a family group, if you see one, their family is not too far away. In appearance mice are a lot smaller than rats, usually 60-90mm in length or around 100mm including the tail, their fur colour can differ from grey to light brown.

    All three rodents pose a risk to our health and can spread diseases such as salmonella, E.coli and rats can transmit the deadly Weils disease in their urine. Not only are they a health risk but they can cause considerable damage if left untreated.
    When it comes to rodent control in Adelaide it’s always important to firstly identify what type of rodent your dealing with before starting with any proofing or baiting programs.

    By approaching the infestation in this fashion we take the guess work out of the equation and ensure that non-targeted animals are not accidently involved, like the protected Ring Tail and Brush Tail possums. Possum droppings can easily be mistakenly identified by a non-professional as rodents and wrongly start a baiting program which can quickly lead to accidentally poisoning the protected possums.

    Rodents are increasingly becoming resistant to active ingredients that have been readily available and heavily relied upon by the general public and pest controllers for generations. Couple this with the fact that rats are neophobia “the fear of anything new” which also includes bait boxes, and it becomes obvious that proofing should be the first port of call before introducing bait stations to reduce the population.

    Rat and mice have the ability to squeeze their bodies through very small spaces, only needing holes as small as 5mm for mice and 15 mm for rats, so it’s understandable how easy it is for a rodent to gain entry into your home. Once inside it doesn’t take long for a small infestation to become huge. That’s where we come in. Our technicians understand rodent ecology and understand South Australian building construction types, ensuring no possible entry points are overlooked. Proofing offers a proactive solution with long term benefits and is followed up with a targeted baiting program to eradicate the current infestation.