Scarborough, through the City of Stirling's notes
Rats: traps before baits
The City of Stirling says common slow acting poisons can be lethal to native animals, so it advises traps rather than baits for rats and mice, and says second generation anticoagulant baits should be avoided. If you bring in a pest business, ask which product they'd use and where it'll go.
Laneways, vines and aviaries
The City's rat list is practical. Block holes, prune trees and vines back from the building, stop junk and garden refuse piling up in sheds, yards and laneways, and clear bird seed from around aviaries.
Brushtails near the bush
The City says common brushtail possums have been reported around Trigg Bushland, up the coast from Scarborough. In urban areas they use tree hollows and the roof cavities of some homes. They're protected native animals.
Snakes in the dunes
Spring and summer are the active seasons, and the City says snakes can turn up in the coastal dunes. Back away at least 5 metres. On private property, call a local snake relocating service, because it isn't a pest job.
Rat, mouse or possum in the ceiling?
| Possum | Rat | Mouse | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Droppings, says DBCA | Usually over 2 cm long | About 1.5 cm | Under 1 cm |
| What it means | Protected: proofing, never a trap you set | Proofing and a control plan | Proofing and a control plan |
| Worth knowing | Goes out to feed at night | Often mistaken for a possum in winter | Can chew through wiring, says WA Health |
Who looks after what near the beach
The City can help when vermin, flies, mosquitoes and European wasps are reported on public property. Inside your boundary it's on you: WA Health says owners and renters are legally responsible for keeping rats and mice from living on the property.
If there's a soak well or septic near the house, the City says to keep the lids sealed, because stagnant water feeds mosquitoes, flies and midges. A suspected European wasp nest goes to DPIRD, not to a pest business.
Building and pest inspection in Scarborough
People searching this usually want two reports. A pest business writes the timber pest part, and a building inspector writes the rest. In 2015, WA's Consumer Protection Commissioner pointed out there's no mandatory cooling-off period for real estate contracts, so sort any inspection condition before you sign the Offer and Acceptance.
Our take on the rat question
Work through the City's list first: holes, vines, junk, seed. If the noise in the ceiling carries on after that, tell us what you've heard and your postcode, and ask whoever comes what they'd use and why.
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.
