If bait has been eaten
If a child may have swallowed rodent bait, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 straight away, any time, without waiting for symptoms. For a dog or cat, ring your vet now.
Rat or mouse, and how many?
ACT Health's list of signs: black, moist, thin droppings, a smell of urine, squeaking or gnawing, worn runs, greasy marks along paths, and burrow holes around buildings, fences or slabs. Rodents are mostly active at night, so one seen in daylight usually means a lot of them or an easy food supply close by.
Size of the droppings helps. Mouse droppings are 3 to 6 mm long; rat droppings are torpedo shaped and 10 to 18 mm. Black rats are agile climbers and the usual suspect in a roof, while house mice turn up in kitchens and wall cavities.
What ACT Health asks of households
It's on owners and occupiers
In the ACT, owners and occupiers are required to take reasonable precautions so rodents don't live and breed on their property at levels that could become insanitary.
Stacks off the ground
Keep stacked materials such as wood and bricks at least 30 cm above the ground, and clear out sheds and storage regularly.
Chooks, compost and fallen fruit
No open compost heaps and no animal products in the compost. Clear waste from chook pens and aviaries, and pick up fallen fruit and seed.
Mesh the openings
Cover rainwater tank openings and floor vents with vermin mesh, and keep pet and poultry food in containers with close-fitting lids.
Baits alone don't last
ACT Health says chemical control is generally short-term: rodents return while food and shelter remain, so it belongs inside a wider plan.
Why the cold months matter
CSIRO says cooler weather encourages mice to shelter inside homes, which is when Canberra households start hearing them. Mice breed fast, from about six weeks old and every 19 to 21 days, so a few in May can be many by spring.
Questions for the pest business
- Where will the bait stations (locked boxes that hold rodent bait) go, and who can open them?
- What's the full name of the product inside?
- Will you show me the gaps they're using, and can you close them?
- How will you keep bait away from our dog, cat, chooks and local birds?
- When will you come back to check activity, and what happens if it hasn't dropped?
Renting in Canberra?
Legal Aid ACT says tenants must keep the rental clean and not cause an infestation through neglect, while landlords must keep the place in reasonable repair so it doesn't invite one. A tenant whose rubbish drew mice in may be liable for the treatment and any repairs. Either way, tell the landlord or agent in writing as soon as you notice them.
Where we'd start with rodent control in Canberra
Close off the food first: lidded bins, no open compost, chook feed in a sealed tin. If the scratching carries on after a week or two, tap Rats or mice and say where you hear it.
Want someone to look at it?
Tell us what you've seen and your postcode, and a local pest business that handles exactly that calls you to talk it through.
