Rodent Pest Control Brisbane
Professional Rodent Control Services
to Get Rid of Disease Carrying Rodents
Professional Rodent Exterminator Services
MAD ANT Termite and Pest Control provides specialist rodent control services from North Brisbane to Caboolture. Rodents are not furry, cuddly animals. They are invasive pests and carry a range of diseases and parasites. What’s more, they can damage wiring through their gnawing and are known to cause house fires!
There are also new tough regulations regarding the use of rodenticides to help protect native wildlife and reduce accidental poisonings. These regulations restrict the options for DIY rodent control which makes professional rodent treatments the best option for safe and effective rodent control.
If you need to get rid of rats and mice safely and quickly, please give us a call!
Our Specialist Rodent Treatments
All our rodent treatments start with a thorough inspection. We need to determine which type of rodent is causing the problem, how they are entering the building, whether they are nesting in the building and the size of the infestation. This allows us to determine the treatment plan – which products to use and where to place them. It also allows us to identify the cause of the infestation – whether there needs to be any improvement to hygiene practices or food storage, and whether rodent proofing is necessary.
Our basic rodent treatment includes the placement of two lockable bait stations containing bait, which is generally sufficient for standard residential rodent problems. If it is a more significant infestation which requires more bait stations, additional charges will apply. Safety is our number one consideration, so in certain situations we will use rat or mouse traps. Generally, our treatments will control the problem within 2 weeks or so. Occasionally it can take longer (rodents can be fussy!) and we may need to return to place additional bait stations or use different rodent baits.
Changes in rodenticide regulations means that the use of traditional anti-coagulant rodenticides has become restricted. As a result, we prefer to use a new type of rodent bait that is based on vitamin B3, which has a far better safety profile for use around people, pets and native wildlife.
Pest control of rats is a little more difficult than for mice, as rats are neophobic, which means they are frightened of new things. This is an issue when you place a bait station in their foraging area as it will take several days for them to accept that the bait stations isn’t a threat and enter the bait station and start feeding. For that reason, getting rid of rats will take longer than getting rid of mice. For a standard rat treatment, it can take 2-3 weeks to get rid of the rats. We will use rat traps in areas where baits are not suitable. However, like rat bait, it will take the rats several days to get used to the traps in their environment before approaching them.
Although some people search for a rat exterminator, we don’t view our service as simply eliminating rats, it’s about rodent management – getting rid of rats and taking actions to prevent future infestations.
It is also important to understand that there are two types of rats – roof rats and sewer rats (Norway rats). They have very different behaviours and live in different locations – roof rats tend to live above ground, whereas sewer rats live at ground level (and below). Knowing which type of rat you’re dealing with is essential for successful pest control of rats.
Pest control of mice is more straight forward than dealing with rats, as mice are very inquisitive, which means they will often try mice bait shortly after placement, as long as it has been placed on their foraging trails. Normally, our baiting programs will get rid of mice in 1-2 weeks. As mice do not travel far from their nest to feed, it’s important to try and locate their nest as it is often inside the house. We will use mouse traps in areas where it is not suitable to use bait. Although some people search for a mouse exterminator, we don’t view our service as simply eliminating mice, it’s about rodent management – getting rid of the mice and preventing future infestations.
Why Choose MAD ANT to Get Rid of Disease Carrying Rodents?
- Trusted, local, family run pest control business
- Exceptional service – We treat our customers as one of the family
- Tailored pest solutions to protect your home
- Termite and Pest Control specialists
- Servicing Caboolture, the Redcliffe Peninsula and North Brisbane
- Residential and Commercial Pest Control
- Fully qualified, licensed and insured
- Warranties with all work
What our customers say?
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Rodent Control FAQ
Traditional rodent baits contain anti-coagulants. These are very effective and work by thinning the blood of the rodents. They bleed internally, fall asleep and die. Typically it takes 4-7 days for the rodent to die, once they have eaten a lethal dose. The issue is that they also have the same effect on people, dogs and native wildlife (if they eat enough). There is also an issue with secondary poisoning, when pets and native animals (eg. birds of prey) eat rodents that have eaten bait. This is one of the key reasons why new rodenticide regulations have been brought in, to restrict the use of anti-coagulant baits.
At MAD ANT Termite and Pest Control we use a newer type of rat bait, based on vitamin B3. Whilst it still needs to be treated with caution – people and pets accidentally ingesting the bait need to seek medical / veterinary help, it does significantly reduce the threat of secondary poisoning.
As rodent baits are designs to kill rats and mice, which are mammals (just like humans, dogs and cats), rat bait is also dangerous to people and pets. As people and pets are a lot bigger than rats and mice, they have to eat a lot more bait for a lethal effect, although even eating some bait can have an adverse effect. However, at MAD ANT Termite and Pest Control there are a number of actions we take which will minimise the chances of accidental bait ingestion:
- We always place baits in lockable bait stations
- When possible, we place baits out of the reach of people and pets
- The baits we use contain a bittering agent to make them unpalatable to people and pets
- If we are at all concerned about potential safety risks, we will use rat and mouse traps instead
Yes, possums will eat rat bait. This one of the reasons why the new rodenticide regulations have come into play – homeowners throwing rodent bait into the roof makes it easy for possums to eat rat bait unintentionally. At MAD ANT Termite and Pest Control we only use lockable bait stations, which prevents possums accessing the rodent bait.
Types of Rodents in Brisbane
There are three types of pest rodents in Brisbane, the roof rat, the brown rat and the house mouse. The most common rat is the roof rat. Most homeowners will have problems with either the roof rat or house mouse.
The black rat or roof rat (Rattus rattus) is the most common pest rat species in Australia. As it’s name suggests it generally lives above ground in trees and roofs, only common down to grown level to feed. It is smaller than the brown rat, with its tail a longer than its head plus body. It is not always black as its name suggest – it can be grey and even brown. It is an excellent climber.
The brown rat (Rattus Norwegicus) has many names. Although it’s the most common rat in the Northern hemisphere, the roof rat is more common in Australia. The brown rat is larger than the roof rat and its tail is shorter than its head and body. It lives at ground level and will dig burrows if it can’t find somewhere else to live.
The house mouse (Mus musculus) is a common rodent pest in Australia with numbers occasionally exploding to plague numbers in rural areas. It only lives in and around human habitats. Although it happily nests inside buildings (cupboard, furniture, wall voids, etc) it will dig burrows outdoors.
Rat and Mice Proofing
Making a property 100% rodent proof is virtually impossible as rats can squeeze through gaps as small as the end of your thumb and mice can squeeze through gaps as small as the end of your little finger! So, mice proofing in particular can be a challenge! But here are our key rodent proofing tips:
- Clear back vegetation and belongings from the perimeter of the building
- Trim back any branches overhanging the roof
- Make sure you have good insect screens and draft excluders on the doors
- Keep any food in sealed containers (including chicken feed and petfood)
- Don’t leave any unfinished pet food out
- Clear away dirty dishes after meals
- Make sure garbage is placed in bags and placed in bins with well-fitted lids
