If someone or something eats rat bait
If a child swallows bait, call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26. If a pet eats bait or a poisoned rodent, go to the vet now.
What's different in Fremantle
Owl friendly rat control
The City asks people to avoid second generation anticoagulant rodenticides, because a poisoned rat can take several days to die and any bird or animal that eats it is at risk. Its guide calls snap traps one of the most humane methods. Ask a pest business which active ingredient they'd use, and why.
Rats and sheet metal
The City says rats can gnaw through lead and aluminium sheeting, so a quick patch over a gap may not hold. Report rats on City-owned land to the City, which may bait around swamp areas if you flag a spot. For private property, it points you to a pest business.
Bees on the verge
A nest in a verge tree or park goes to the City. On your own land it's yours to sort out with a pest control company, and for a swarm, the City says the WA Apiarists Society has a list of collectors. European wasps are the exception: those get reported to DPIRD.
Mosquito months
The City says breeding usually runs from September through to April. Blocked gutters, drip trays and water-holding rubbish in your own yard are your part of it.
Fruit fly is a report
DPIRD found Queensland fruit fly in Como and South Perth, and the City passes on its advice. Check DPIRD's map for your address. Anyone who suspects fruit fly must report it to DPIRD or through MyPestGuide Reporter.
Rat-proofing a Fremantle house
- Store firewood at least 40 cm off the ground, away from sheds and fences.
- Pick up fruit and nuts when the season ends.
- Seal gaps, and keep pet food and bins secure.
- Never put meat scraps in the compost.
Cafes and food businesses
The City's owl guide is written with food businesses in mind. It asks for rubbish out often, tight lids, and food stored at least 15 cm off the floor and 5 cm from the wall, in sealed containers. A pest business can add proofing and a written record. Our commercial page covers what to ask.
Termite and pre-purchase inspections
Termites work out of sight, so WA's yearly inspection advice holds here as it does anywhere in the state. Don't disturb mud tubes or damaged wood if you find them.
Buying? WA's Consumer Protection Commissioner has suggested getting a timber pest report from a pest controller or building inspection company, and adding a special condition that says what's needed, by when, and who pays. Both parties have to initial it. A building inspection is a separate job for a different profession.
If it were our house in Freo
We'd seal and tidy before anything else, then ask any pest business what they'd use and how it fits with the City's owl advice. For anything else you've spotted, tell us 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.
