Question 1

How do I know if I have rats or mice?

Accepted Answer

Three reliable signs in Officer / Cardinia Shire homes: droppings (mouse droppings are rice-grain sized, rat droppings 10–15mm capsule-shaped), gnaw marks on food packaging or skirting boards (rats gnaw to keep their incisors filed, mice nibble), and noises in the ceiling void or wall cavity at night (rats sound like a slow drag, mice like fast scampering). You'll also smell them — ammonia urine smell in roof voids, subfloor or pantry. If you see one during the day, the population is larger than you think — they're usually nocturnal and only come out in daylight when overcrowded. Mice species in this area: house mouse. Rats: roof rat (Rattus rattus) in roof voids, brown rat (Rattus norvegicus) in subfloor and yard.

Question 2

Where do they get in?

Accepted Answer

Mice need a gap the size of a 10c coin. Rats need a gap the size of a 50c coin. Standard entry points we find on Cardinia Shire homes: weephole gaps in brickwork, gaps where plumbing or air-con pipes pass through walls, sub-floor vents missing mesh or with damaged mesh, eave gaps where the wall plate meets the rafter, garage roller door perimeter, pet doors (mice can squeeze under most), and the gap between Colorbond fence and the slab on detached garages. Older Pakenham weatherboards have entries we find in subfloor stumps and where boards have warped. We map every entry point during the assessment and seal them — bait without sealing is a forever job.

Question 3

What baits do you use?

Accepted Answer

Second-generation anticoagulants (bromadiolone, difethialone or brodifacoum) in tamper-resistant bait stations. Single feed lethal, takes 4–7 days to take effect (intentional — the rodent goes back to the nest before dying, the rest of the family group also feeds). Stations are locked, child-resistant and pet-resistant — bait can't be removed by anything other than the rodent itself. We map station locations, log every visit, and refill / remove as needed. We do not loose-bait inside roof voids or living areas — there's a real risk of secondary poisoning to pets or native wildlife (owls especially) and a dying-in-the-wall odour problem. Where we need to act faster, we use snap traps in safe locations.

Question 4

How long does rodent control take to work?

Accepted Answer

Active feeding usually starts within 24–72 hours of station placement. Population knockdown is visible within 7–14 days (no more droppings, no more night noise, no more feeding at the stations). Full elimination of an established population 3–6 weeks. Sealing entry points stops the next family group moving in. Quarterly monitoring program ($120–$180 per visit) maintains pressure if the property has ongoing exposure (bushland edge, near grain storage, food premises within 100m).

Question 5

Are baits safe around dogs and cats?

Accepted Answer

The bait stations are tamper-resistant, locked and designed so dogs and cats cannot extract the bait. Primary poisoning is essentially impossible unless the station is deliberately broken open. Secondary poisoning (pet eats a poisoned rodent) is the more realistic concern — bromadiolone and brodifacoum can affect dogs and cats that consume multiple rodents. We minimise this by using snap traps in high-pet-traffic areas, placing bait stations only in subfloor / roof void / outbuildings where pets don't go, and recommending you keep an eye out for any dead rodents and dispose of them rather than leaving them for pets to find. Vitamin K is the antidote if accidental secondary poisoning is suspected — every emergency vet has it.

Question 6

What about a dead rat smell in the wall?

Accepted Answer

This is the one drawback of baiting — sometimes a rodent dies in a wall cavity or roof void and decomposes in place. Smell lasts 7–14 days and is unpleasant but harmless. We try to minimise this by placing bait near accessible areas (subfloor, garage, outbuildings) rather than internal walls, and by sealing entries first so rodents go outside to die. Where it happens, we can try to locate and remove the carcass (sometimes possible through an inspection hatch), or charcoal-based odour absorbers can help while it dries out. Worth knowing upfront when you weigh up baiting vs trapping.

Question 7

Pricing for rodent control.

Accepted Answer

Standard residential rodent treatment for Officer / Cardinia Shire: $250–$400 for inspection + entry-point identification + station placement + bait (typically 4–8 stations on a residential block). Add entry-point sealing $80–$300 depending on the work involved. Heavy infestation (multiple breeding generations) or large property (acreage with shed / stables / chicken coop): $400–$600. Ongoing quarterly monitoring program: $120–$180 per visit. Commercial premises priced separately — see commercial pest control.

Rodent control in Officer & Cardinia Shire.

How we deal with rodents properly.

1. Identify the species and the population.

2. Find every entry point.

3. Place bait stations strategically.

4. Seal the entries.

5. Monitor and remove.

What we won’t do.

When to call urgently.

Where we treat.

Book a rodent control treatment.