Short answer
A licensed pest manager, and insist that proofing the entry points is part of the job rather than just baiting. Baiting without proofing manages a population; proofing ends the problem. Also have the wiring checked if they have been in the roof for a while, because chewed insulation is a genuine fire risk.
When it is someone else
Calling the wrong trade costs an attendance fee to be told so. These are the cases where this problem belongs to someone other than a Pest Controller.
there has been activity in the roof space for a while. Rodents chew cable insulation and the damage is invisible from inside the house.
they are getting in through the roof line — lifted tiles, gaps at the eaves, damaged vents.
What to do before anyone arrives
- Work out where they are getting in. Rodents need very little: a gap the width of a pen for a mouse, a bit more for a rat. Look at eaves, vents, weep holes, gaps around pipes, and where the roof meets the wall.
- Remove the food: pet food overnight, bird seed, fruit on the ground, open compost.
- Cut back anything touching the roof. Overhanging branches and climbing plants are the usual highway.
- If you have pets or there is any chance of children reaching bait, say so before anything is placed.
What to ask when you book
- Is proofing included, and which entry points are you sealing?
- What rodenticide are you using, where is it placed, and is it in tamper-resistant stations?
- What is the risk to pets and to wildlife that might eat a poisoned rodent?
- Will dead rodents in wall cavities be an issue, and what do we do about that?
- How many visits, and is monitoring included?
What changes the price
No dollar figures here: this directory holds no price data and an invented range is worse than none. What follows is what makes one of these jobs cost more than the same job next door, which is the part you can actually use when comparing quotes.
- Property size and how many entry points need proofing.
- Roof and subfloor access.
- Number of service visits.
- Whether proofing involves any building work.
What you can do yourself
Is this licensed work?
Pest management is licensed in every state. Second-generation rodenticides have use restrictions in some settings and there is real concern about secondary poisoning of owls and other predators — a good operator will discuss the product choice.
There is no national register. Search the licence number with the regulator for the state the work is happening in.
- NSWNSW Fair Tradingbuilders, electricians, plumbers and specialist trades
- VICBuilding and Plumbing Commission, and Energy Safe Victoria for electricalbuilding practitioners and plumbers; electricians are Energy Safe Victoria
- QLDQueensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC)building and most trade contractor licences
- WABuilding and Energybuilders, electricians, plumbers and gas fitters
- SAConsumer and Business Servicesbuilding work contractors and supervisors
- TASConsumer, Building and Occupational Services (CBOS)building and occupational licences
- ACTAccess Canberraconstruction occupations licensing
- NTNT Government building practitioner registrationbuilding practitioners and electrical workers
Licensing thresholds and certificate requirements differ by state and change with amending regulation, so this page describes the mechanism rather than quoting a figure. The regulator’s own page is the current answer.
Common questions
- Who should I hire for a rat or mouse problem
- A licensed pest manager, and insist that proofing the entry points is part of the job rather than just baiting. Baiting without proofing manages a population; proofing ends the problem. Also have the wiring checked if they have been in the roof for a while, because chewed insulation is a genuine fire risk.
- Is rat poison safe around pets and wildlife?
- Second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides persist in the body of the rodent, and a poisoned rat eaten by an owl, a goanna or a cat delivers the dose onwards. This secondary poisoning is well documented and is why some products are restricted and why many operators now default to trapping and proofing, or to first-generation products, in residential settings. It is a reasonable thing to ask about.
- What is the smell after baiting?
- A rodent that dies inside a wall cavity or under a floor, which is the standard trade-off with poison and the reason trapping has real advantages in an occupied house. It resolves over weeks and it cannot usually be located without opening the wall.
Find a Pest Controller near you
1,396 pest controllers in this directory, ranked on published evidence rather than on advertising.
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General information about who does what, not advice about your specific job. Licensing, consumer law and council rules differ by state and change; the regulator for your state is the current source. More guides to hiring a tradesperson.