Who does what in Sunshine
Rats and mice
In May 2022 Brimbank said it doesn't provide rat or mice removal services, but will advise on dealing with rodents on your property, and recommended using a pest controller who holds a licence.
Snakes
Brimbank has a professional snake catching service for residential properties. Snakes are protected under the Wildlife Act 1975 and it's illegal to capture, kill or harm them, so leave it alone and ring council.
Rabbits
Council says it legally has to control rabbits on land it owns and manages. Baiting runs from February to April, weather permitting, with signs and mail notices. Read the signs if you walk a dog along a reserve in those months.
Foxes
Brimbank says it doesn't manage or remove foxes on private property, and points people to Agriculture Victoria for fox control information.
Termites
Brimbank lists termites among the topics covered by its property information, so ask for that if you're buying. We couldn't confirm any designation for the area.
Rodent control in Sunshine
Brimbank says rodents look for warmer places to live and breed as the cooler months arrive, which matches what CSIRO says about mice heading indoors. Its advice is plain: don't leave food or pet food out, keep dry goods in sealed containers, and seal gaps and holes around water and waste pipes and under eaves.
Which rodent matters. Victoria's Department of Health says the roof rat is slender with a pointed nose and large thin ears, while the Norway rat has a blunt nose and short thick ears. Roof rats nest in roof voids, so the noise overhead at night is often one of them. Brown rats dig burrows, so holes along a fence or under a shed point the other way.
How a rodent job usually runs
Inspection
The technician looks for droppings, rub marks, gnawing and entry points, inside and out.
Proofing advice
They show you the gaps. Sealing them is often the part that lasts.
Treatment
Usually bait stations, which are locked boxes that hold rodent bait, or traps where they suit. Tell them about kids and pets first.
Follow up
Ask when they'll come back, and what a written record will show.
Our take for Sunshine
Fix the gaps around the pipes before the weather cools, and keep the pet food inside at night. If you can hear something already, tap what it is and your postcode.
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.
