Contact Us
Post
PO Box 55
Albury NSW 2640
Alternatively, fill out the form below and
our team will get back to you soon.
rodents (rats and mice)
Rodents and rodent control in Albury, Wodonga & Rutherglen
Rodents (rats & mice) co-exist with humans all over the world. Mice and rats reproduce quickly and they’re adept at entering small spaces to hide out of site. They also spread diseases, can do damage to your furniture and stored goods and even damage electrical wiring.
Gaining control is more than just throwing bait around. A professional understands the nesting and feeding habits of the different species of rats and mice in Australia. We adjust our baiting plans to suit each different species. This achieves more effective control in a short time frame.
Our Process
1. Thorough Inspection for Rodents
We inspect for mice & rats in the following areas:
- In crawl spaces
- In storage areas
- In the roof
- In sheds and garages
- In living areas
Signs of activity we look for:
- We use a UV light to find urine marks
- Grease marks on frequent travel areas (see photo below)
- Nesting behaviour (see photo below)
- Droppings
- Signs of gnawing on timber and wiring
We need to know the extent of the rodent infestation. It helps us target our rodent baiting program to eliminate the mice or rats as quickly as possible.
Inspecting and planning our baiting carefully also limits our impact on the environment because we can do the same job with less bait.
2. Targeted Baiting of Rodents
Pest Managers place our baits in targeted areas. Baits are placed in high rodent traffic areas identified during an inspection.
Our baits are placed in tamper-proof bait stations to prevent access by children, pets, and wildlife.
We use single-feed rodent bait which doesn’t need much to take effect. Rats and mice only need to feed once and they will shortly be affected by the bait. This limits the amount of bait that builds up in their system, so if your cat or dog catches a rat or mouse, it won’t make them sick.
3. Monitoring
If you choose, we can monitor the baits on a regular schedule to track activity and effectiveness of the treatment.
This involves checking the rat and mouse bait stations on a regular basis. Our pest managers check baits for signs of activity and record the results. Results are written directly in the station itself, so another pest controller in the future also knows the treatment history.
This is highly effective in commercial rodent control, where we can gather statistics and adjust our baiting plan.
Safe, Environmentally Friendly Rodent Control
Using a Quality Bait Product
We use a professional, high quality bait. The bait we use is Talon XT Pro. It is a single-feed rodent bait. Rats and mice only need to feed once to receive an effective dose. Talon needs less bait to achieve results.
This means that secondary poisoning is minimised, so your pets and other wildlife are safe if they capture an affected rodent.
Tamper-Proof, Lockable Rodent Bait Station
We’ve used Bell Bait Stations in our work for a long time. They’re lockable, tamper-proof, and rugged. They last for ages and are the premium professional quality product in the pest control industry. Stations are made from thick and strong plastic, suited for tough situations.
Using Bell stations eliminates the possibility of accidentally baiting off-target animals including endangered species. This is very important in roof voids, which are commonly inhabited by possums.
Targeted Baiting for Mice and Rats
We don’t just throw bait blocks in a roof. The risk of off-target species baiting is too high, and it is a risk to your pets, wildlife, and children.
During our inspection for rodents, we identify the highest traffic areas and place our bait in locked stations so that they are only accessible to the target rats or mice.
We Do Not Use Glue Boards for Rodents
Glue boards are inhumane and cause extreme distress to stuck mice and rats.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long until the rodents are gone?
That’s a difficult question to answer. It depends on the rodents you have and your particular situation.
Mice are more adventurous and will investigate new things readily. They will consume the bait earlier than rats and be affected sooner.
Rats are neophobic – afraid of new things – and will not take the bait straight away. It can take up to two weeks before they take the bait.
It also depends on your situation, such as where you live or the construction of your house.
In a residential area, the result will be quicker.
However, if you live on a farm, rodents could be coming a long way to enter your house.
Will there be a smell?
The bait has a dehydrating effect on rodents.
The idea is that rodents should hopefully go outside in search for water and die out there. This doesn’t always happen, and sometimes they may die in your roof.
If this happens, we offer removal services. If we can’t locate the body, we deploy deodoriser bags in the roof space, which eliminate the odour.
Why shouldn't I just throw rodent bait around in my roof?
Firstly, most rodent baits will specify on the label that the baits should be secured away from non-target animals (either in secure boxes or on wire). You should always read the label before using rodenticides or other pesticides.
The reason you shouldn’t just toss the baits around is because pets, possums, antechinus, native birds, and other native animals can often gain access to your roof. If a bait is not placed correctly and safely, you could accidentally poison a non-target animal.
We secure our rodent bait in tamper-resistant bait boxes. The boxes have an opening large enough for a rat, but not a possum or cat. Birds are also discouraged from eating the bait, as they are unlikely find it if they can’t see it.
Will baiting for rodents harm my cat or dog?
Most rodent baits available to consumers and professionals are second generation anticoagulants. They affect the rodent by stopping the production of Vitamin K in the liver, which is responsible for clotting the blood. Humans, cats, dogs, and other mammals have the same bodily process and can be affected by baits.
If baits are used to label directions, there is a very low risk of a pet accidentally consuming a bait.
We secure baits on rods inside tamper-resistant bait boxes, which are not large enough for a cat or dog to access. We also choose professional baits with the minimum amount of toxicity to achieve results, so the risk is even lower.
If my cat or dog eats a baited mouse, will they die?
Generally, no. There is not normally enough bait in a mouse or rat stomach to affect a normal sized cat or dog. A cat or dog must eat a lot of rodent bait before it has an effect. Cats, incidentally, are less affected by anticoagulant rodent baits than dogs.
This depends very strongly on the type of bait used. There are many types.
We use bromadiolone for most of our mouse baiting applications. A 2kg cat has to eat at least 1Kg of bromadiolone before it will be significantly affected. A 10Kg dog must eat 2.2Kg of bait before it will be affected.
Important note:
Most hardware stores stock baits with brodifacoum which is much more toxic. A 10Kg dog can be affected by 50g (2-3 baits) and a 2Kg cat can be affected by 1Kg of bait.
In a mouse plague situation, the number of mice around can be so high that a dog or cat could eat enough mice to gain a lethal dose. This is still unlikely with our bait, as it has low toxicity, but your neighbours may be using baits with higher toxicity. In a mouse plague situation, this could make a small dog or cat very sick if they catch multiple mice a day.
All of the information on bait toxicity for cats and dogs can be found here (pages 6 and 7): Liphatech Vet Guide.
What do I do if I think my dog or cat has consumed rodent bait?
If you think your cat or dog is affected by rodent bait, take them to the vet without delay and tell the vet the product that was eaten. Bring the product label to the vet with you if you can.
Vitamin K injections are the antidote to most rodent baits and all vets will stock it.
We send a Service Report with all of our rodent baiting work which includes the name of the product and the active ingredient.
Are there alternatives to rodent baiting?
Yes. We have written a couple of blog posts about this topic which are very informative.
Is there anything I can do to keep rats and mice away?
here are things you can do to make your house less attractive to mice and rats.
Remove food and water sources. This includes fruit trees, chicken feed, anything that can hold rainwater, dripping taps, etc. If you feed your pets outside, you should take uneaten food away at night. If you have chickens or birds, you should only feed them once per day and take the food away at night.
Remove sources of shelter near your house. This can include long grass, gardens, rubbish, stored boxes & tubs, and other things that rodents can use to shelter from predators. They may seek other areas to hide (hopefully your neighbour’s house and not yours.
You should also seal up any gaps large enough to allow mice to enter the house. See our blog post on rodent exclusion.
What is the difference between consumer grade bait and professional grade bait?
Not much, really. They all have similar components and similar active ingredients. There are some key differences between what a good pest manager will use and what you’ll find at the hardware store.
Hardware and agricultural stores will stock the most potent forms of bait, and market it as ‘strong’ or ‘fast kill’. In the pest control industry, we’re a lot more concerned about secondary poisoning. Knowing the active ingredients allows us to make informed decisions about which product to use in different situations. We will use the minimum toxicity to achieve a result and for ongoing baiting will use the least toxic bait we can. There is very little choice of low-toxicity baits available at your local store.
Link describing how bromadiolone is less toxic
Attractiveness or palatability can also be a difference between consumer grade bait and professional baits. Some cheaper brands at the supermarket or hardware store will use cheap methods of manufacturing, such as reducing the food component and bulking them out with wax. This can make the bait less palatable to the rodent, especially rats who are picky eaters as it is. We select professional products with high food content and low wax content to maximise their attractiveness. We also have access to soft baits and pastes, which contain no wax and are high in fats which rats find irresistable.
Link to highly palatable paste bait