Rodent Control Melbourne: Rat and Mouse Removal Services
Professional rodent control in Melbourne starts with a licensed inspection. A technician identifies the species present, Norway rat, roof rat or house mouse, then treats the property with tamper-resistant bait stations and snap traps placed on confirmed travel paths, and identifies the entry points being used. By the time you hear scratching in the ceiling or find droppings in the pantry, there is usually an established nest and at least one entry point you have not found. Tom’s Pest Control Melbourne has treated rat and mouse infestations across Melbourne for over 20 years, with a written report on every job and same-day or next-day appointments from $199.
20+ years in Melbourne.
AEPMA Member No. 133585.
Licensed under Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008.
4.8 stars from 1,800+ Google reviews
Written report on every job.
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We look forward to assisting for Rodent Control / Mouse Removal Services.
Quick Answers About Rodent Control
Common questions from Melbourne homeowners, businesses and strata managers. Call (03) 9034 5957 for advice and a quote based on your property and suburb.
How do you get rid of rats and mice in Melbourne?
A licensed technician inspects the full property, confirms the species, then combines multi-dose rodenticide inside tamper-resistant lockable bait stations, snap traps set in confirmed travel paths, and a written list of the entry points to seal once the rodents have gone.
How much does rodent control cost in Melbourne?
Most Melbourne residential rodent treatments fall between $199 and $750, depending on property size, species and whether the roof void or subfloor is involved. Call (03) 9034 5957 for a same-day quote.
Rodent Species Found on Melbourne Properties
Norway Rat (Brown Rat)
Stocky, brown-grey fur, blunt nose, tail shorter than its head and body. Nests at ground level in subfloor voids and burrows. Treated with ground-level bait stations on subfloor travel paths and at burrow entrances.
Slender, large ears, tail longer than its head and body. A skilled climber that lives above ground in roof voids and wall cavities, and the species behind most Melbourne roof void infestations. Treated with bait stations at ceiling level.
7 to 10 cm in body length, soft grey-brown fur, fits through a 6 mm gap. Treated with a higher density of smaller stations and traps, because a mouse feeds from several small sources within a short range.
Roof rats are the species our technicians most often find in Melbourne roof voids. The homeowner usually hears movement at night, assumes it is a possum, and waits weeks, by which point there are multiple nesting sites and gnaw damage at cabling entry points.
Not sure which species you have? Call (03) 9034 5957 and we will confirm it on the same visit.
Rat Control Melbourne: Rat Removal Process for Melbourne Homes
Rat control is not the same job as mouse control, even though both sit under rodent control. Rats need fewer, larger bait stations placed on confirmed travel paths, and a rat inspection spends most of its time in the roof void and subfloor rather than in cupboards and along skirting boards. Where both rat species are present on one property, Norway rats take ground-level stations along subfloor runs and burrow entrances, and roof rats take stations at ceiling level inside the roof void. Getting that placement wrong is the most common reason a rat job drags on.
Whether you need rat control, rat removal, a rat exterminator or rat pest control in Melbourne, the job starts with the same property-specific inspection, species confirmation, entry point mapping and a written treatment plan before any bait goes down.
Rats in the roof or subfloor? Call (03) 9034 5957 for same-day rat control.
Mouse and Mice Control Melbourne: Why One Mouse Sighting Is Never Just One Mouse
House mice breed through most of the year in Melbourne’s climate, so by the time a mouse is visible in a kitchen or living area, the nest is usually established, which is why mice control in Melbourne starts with a full property inspection rather than a single trap. Our technicians find the entry point, identify every active area, and treat the full route from entry to nest. Mice travel shorter distances than rats and need a higher density of stations and traps across a smaller area.
Whether you search for a mouse exterminator, mice control Melbourne or mice removal, the service is booked most often by homeowners who have seen a mouse in the kitchen, tenants and landlords at end of lease, and food premises where one sighting triggers a compliance obligation.
Seen a mouse indoors? Call (03) 9034 5957 for a same-day inspection.
What Attracts Rats and Mice to Melbourne Properties?
Norway rats and house mice work a territory of roughly 10 to 30 metres around the nest, so what sits close to your building matters most: unsealed compost and food waste bins, pet food or bird seed left outdoors overnight, fruit trees dropping fruit, timber stacks and dense ground cover near the building, leaking taps and standing water, damaged eaves and conduit penetrations, and subfloor voids with poor perimeter sealing.
Health Risks of a Rodent Infestation in Melbourne
Rodents transmit disease wherever they reach food, or wherever droppings, urine or nesting material accumulate. Documented risks include food contamination linked to mouse typhoid, leptospirosis, murine typhus, rat-bite fever, and rodent allergens that trigger asthma. Source: Better Health Channel and the Victorian Department of Health, health.vic.gov.au. Rodents also gnaw electrical cabling, which is why an active roof void infestation is treated as urgent.
Signs of Rodent Infestation: What to Look For
You will usually smell or hear a rodent problem before you see one. Droppings are the clearest sign, mouse droppings 3 to 6 mm with pointed ends, rat droppings bigger at 10 to 20 mm and capsule shaped, found in the pantry, under the sink or in roof void insulation. Rats and mice also leave a dark, oily rub mark wherever their fur brushes the same spot trip after trip.
Gnawing shows small and messy for a mouse, larger with clean incisor cuts for a rat, often on wiring or timber. Outside, look for footprints or a dragging tail mark in subfloor dust, or a round burrow 4 to 9 cm wide along a fence line or under decking. Indoors, shredded paper or insulation balled into a wall cavity means a nest is close, and scratching between dusk and dawn usually confirms it. A musky smell in a closed-up room is the sign most people miss.
Technician observation:
Homeowners walk straight past the rub marks every time. We do not. A rub mark shows which way the rodent is travelling and how often, often the fastest way to find a nest before a trap goes down. On more than one job the traps sat untouched for days, placed in the open, while the marks on the skirting behind the couch pointed to the real route the whole time.
Bait, Traps and Safety Around Pets
Hardware store bait works differently to what we use, and it matters with pets in the house. A single-feed bait delivers its whole dose in one visit, so a pet or a bird of prey that finds a dead rodent gets a concentrated hit. We use multi-dose rodenticide instead, spread across several smaller feeds, inside lockable, tamper-resistant stations pets and children cannot reach, checked against monitoring traps before topping up.
A pet that eats a dead, poisoned rodent is dealing with secondary poisoning, and one rodent rarely carries enough active ingredient to seriously harm an adult dog or cat, though remove the carcass quickly and call your vet if you see lethargy, vomiting or pale gums. A pet that gets into the bait station itself is different, that is primary poisoning, and it needs a vet straight away.
Our Four-Step Rodent Treatment Process
Developed over 20 years of treating Melbourne properties, and designed to clear the active infestation and stop it returning.
Step 1: Rodent Control Inspection
A standard Melbourne residential rodent inspection takes 30 to 45 minutes. Our technician checks the interior, kitchen and laundry, cupboards, roof void, subfloor where accessible, the external perimeter, garden and outbuildings. We confirm the species, locate every active nesting site, document travel paths, map entry points, and assess gnaw damage to wiring and timber.
Technician observation:
On a high proportion of Melbourne jobs the inspection finds activity in at least two places the homeowner did not know about. Roof voids are the most consistent example. The report is of noise in the kitchen, and the primary nest turns out to be in the ceiling above a bedroom at the other end of the house.
Step 2: Written Treatment Plan
We document the species identified, the methods to be used, the exact placement locations for stations and traps, the expected timeline, and any instructions for occupants. The plan is reviewed with you before any work starts.
Step 3: Pest Control for Rats and Mice
Tamper-resistant bait stations with multi-dose rodenticide go into roof voids, subfloors, external perimeter positions and internal harbourage areas. Snap traps go into confirmed travel paths. Entry points are identified and recorded, ready for sealing once the rodents have gone. Placement follows the species: ceiling level for Roof Rats, ground level for Norway Rats, higher density and shorter spacing for House Mice. We use non-chemical methods wherever they will do the job.
Step 4: Proofing and Ongoing Prevention
A treatment does not hold unless the conditions that allowed the infestation are addressed. Our technicians provide written proofing recommendations specific to your property, covering the gaps we found and the ones we expect to open next. For the full room-by-room method, see our guide on how to rodent-proof your Melbourne home.
Two things help after treatment. Keep subfloors and storage areas ventilated so they stay dry, and fill in any burrows along fence lines, garden beds and paths so rats cannot move back into them.
Technician observation:
Most Melbourne properties have more than one active area, and the homeowner usually only knows about one. Noise in the kitchen ceiling is a common call out, and the nest just as often turns up somewhere else in the roof entirely.
Ready to book? Same-day and next-day appointments across greater Melbourne. Call (03) 9034 5957.
Case Study: Roof Rat Colony in a Northcote Terrace
A Northcote homeowner heard scratching in the ceiling for a few weeks and put it down to a possum, until the noise moved into the wall next to the bedroom. We found a roof rat colony with three nests and two entry points, a gap at the solar conduit and rotten timber at the party wall, with the solar cabling already chewed, so the homeowner was referred to a licensed electrician. Five tamper-resistant stations went in at ceiling height on confirmed runs. Fourteen days later, the stations were feeding consistently, not a fresh dropping in sight.
Outcome:
Colony cleared within 14 days, entry points repaired after clearance, solar wiring referred to a licensed electrician.
Rodent Pest Control for Melbourne Businesses
One mouse sighting in a cafe or food storage area is a food safety issue, and a roof rat colony in a warehouse roof void contaminates stock. Commercial programmes include a site inspection, a written treatment scope, scheduled bait station servicing, and documentation suitable for HACCP and audit purposes.
Standard house, mice, 1 to 2 rooms: $199 to $450, higher with roof void or subfloor activity. Larger home or rat infestation: $400 to $750, higher with multiple species or extensive nesting. Multi-storey or commercial premises: $750 to $2,000+, depending on access complexity and programme scope.
Every job includes the inspection, a written report and follow-up prevention advice. Pricing is confirmed before work begins, with no charges added after the quote is approved.
Want a firm price for your property? Call (03) 9034 5957 for a same-day quote.
Why Choose Tom's Pest Control Melbourne for Rodent Removal?
Over 20 years of rodent work across Melbourne. AEPMA registered, Member No. 133585, licensed in Victoria under the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008, with inspections and written reports led by David Lyon, Certified Field Biologist. Same-day and next-day appointments, licensed and insured technicians, treatment methods selected with pets and children in mind, clear pricing confirmed before work starts, and 4.8 stars from more than 1,800 Google reviews.
When Are Rodents Most Active in Melbourne?
Rats do not hibernate and are active all year in Melbourne. Mouse numbers build through spring and peak in late summer, and all three species move indoors as temperatures drop from March to June, which drives the highest volume of rodent calls in our service history, usually starting with the first cold snap in early April. Proofing and bait station checks belong in March, ahead of that autumn influx.
Rodent Control Near Me: Melbourne Areas We Service
Searching for rat control near me, rodent removal Melbourne or a rodent exterminator near me? Our technicians cover every suburb below with the same licensed inspection: species confirmation, entry point mapping and a written treatment plan. Areas serviced include Brighton, St Kilda, Richmond, Toorak, Hawthorn, South Yarra, Brunswick, Northcote, Doncaster, Box Hill, Frankston, Dandenong, Footscray, Essendon, Reservoir, Cranbourne, Sunbury and surrounding suburbs. Call (03) 9034 5957 to check the next available time in your suburb.
Frequently Asked Questions: Rodent Control Melbourne
Have a question not listed here? Call (03) 9034 5957 and our Melbourne team will answer it directly.
Is it rats or possums in my roof?
Possum movement is heavy, slow and irregular, peaking between 9pm and midnight. Rat movement is faster and lighter, active from dusk to early morning. Droppings in the roof void insulation point to rodents, since possums do not defecate inside roof voids as a rule.
How do I know if I have rats or mice?
Rat droppings are 10 to 20 mm and capsule-shaped, mouse droppings are 3 to 6 mm and pointed at both ends. Rats leave heavier greasy smear marks, and rat gnaw marks show clear incisor imprints where mouse marks are small and irregular.
How quickly can you remove rats or mice?
We offer same-day and next-day appointments across greater Melbourne. Bait begins working within about four days of first feeding, and most infestations clear within 14 days, with a follow-up inspection confirming the result.
How much does rat removal cost in Melbourne?
Rat removal usually costs more than a mouse-only job because a rat inspection covers the roof void and subfloor. Expect $400 to $750 for a rat infestation, rising toward $2,000+ for a larger or commercial property. See the cost table above for the full breakdown.
Why am I still seeing rodents after treatment?
Rodents stay visible for one to two weeks as the population reduces. If activity has not dropped after two weeks, the inspection should be reviewed and placement adjusted.
Is rodent treatment safe for pets and children?
We use lockable, tamper-resistant stations and multi-dose formulations, which carry a lower secondary poisoning risk than single-feed hardware store bait. Contact your vet immediately if you suspect your pet has consumed rodenticide.
Do you seal the entry points, or just bait?
We bait and trap, and we identify the entry points. Sealing them is done once the rodents have gone, and your written report lists every entry point we find.
Do you treat both rats and mice?
Yes, and where both are present they are treated as separate jobs on the same visit, because bait station size, density and placement height differ by species.
Who is responsible for rodent control in a Melbourne rental?
Under Victorian residential tenancy law, a landlord must maintain the property in a reasonably clean and structurally sound condition. An infestation pre-dating the tenancy, or caused by a structural defect, is the landlord’s responsibility. Our written inspection reports are used by tenants and landlords to establish cause and extent.
Rats or Mice on Your Property? Book a Same-Day Inspection.
Over 20 years of rodent control across Melbourne, licensed under Victoria’s Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 and AEPMA registered. Clear pricing before any work begins, and a written report at the end of it. Call (03) 9034 5957.
