What the local law asks in Morley
Rats and mice
When there are signs of them, the Health Local Law 2023 says an owner or occupier must take effective measures, such as protecting food and clearing refuse, and inspect each bait or trap daily. Food refuse has to sit in a rodent proof bin or compartment.
Cockroaches
Effective measures again, starting with washing and putting away dishes straight after use, and binning food scraps and uneaten pet food without delay. If that doesn't do it, a pest business can take over the rest.
Argentine ants
You must keep the premises free of colonies and tell the City straight away about a suspected nest. DPIRD calls this the most difficult common pest ant to control, because it moves back into treated areas quickly. Our Perth ant page explains the job.
European wasps
The law says to notify the City immediately about a suspected nest, and the City says sightings must go to DPIRD's service. Don't touch the nest. Bayswater is on DPIRD's list for the 2025 to 2026 season.
Pigeons
The City can order the owner or occupier of a house where pigeons nest or perch to take adequate steps to stop them. Feeding roaming birds so that it causes a nuisance is banned as well.
Is it a protected rat?
Very unlikely. The City says the native Bush Rat and Water Rat are protected and it's illegal to harm them, but they're timid and unlikely to live in urban areas. The rats in Morley ceilings are more likely black rats, which the City says tend to nest in roofs.
The City supplies a limited quantity of first generation baits for homes, not businesses, from the Civic Centre at 61 Broun Avenue. Keep any bait out of reach of children, pets and wildlife.
River mosquitoes
In January 2025 the City said high tides and prevailing winds were pushing mosquito activity up, with areas along the Swan River from Bassendean to Nedlands treated weekly. It says its program won't completely get rid of mosquitoes, only reduce breeding to acceptable levels.
The local law also expects you to keep your place free of water that could breed them, and to keep a mosquito-proof cover on any water tank.
Booking a pest inspection in Morley
For termites, WA's Building and Energy recommends an inspector's visit at least once a year. If you're buying, say so, because a timber pest report for a purchase isn't the same as a routine check, and a building inspection is a separate profession altogether. WA Health suggests asking for a written quote with the technician's licence details and ABN. The state's business register isn't public, so ask for the registration number too.
Where we'd start in Morley
We'd read the signs first: droppings, ant trails, pigeons on the ridge. Then we'd do the housekeeping the law already asks for, so any treatment has a chance of holding. If it's beyond that, tell us what you've found 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.
