Is one mouse worth calling someone about?

Often not straight away. Clear food away, seal gaps around pipes and doors, and watch for fresh droppings. Droppings in several rooms, or gnawing in the roof, is when a technician earns the visit.

Does the council's mosquito program cover my backyard?

The program traps adults and checks larvae at sites across the municipality, but water sitting in your own yard is yours to empty. Pot bases, tyres, buckets and blocked gutters are the usual suspects.

Pest control Shepparton: rodents, rentals and mosquitoes

What's different in Greater Shepparton

A mosquito watch since 1974

Greater Shepparton's mosquito program started in 1974 because of Murray Valley encephalitis, the council says. It's jointly funded by the Victorian Department of Health and runs all year round.

Four traps and about 120 breeding sites

Adult mosquitoes are trapped weekly at four permanent locations, and larvae are checked at approximately 120 sites across the municipality.

On the high-risk list

As at November 2026, Greater Shepparton was one of 24 Victorian council areas on the Department of Health's high risk list for Japanese encephalitis, where eligible people can get the vaccine. The department also says Murray Valley encephalitis risk peaks between November and April, particularly after flooding. Those are health questions for your GP, not a pest job.

Rats and mice in a rental: who sorts it?

Consumer Affairs Victoria says the law doesn't always spell out who fixes or pays for a pest problem in a rental. A renter may be responsible if their own rubbish drew in mice or rats. The rental provider may be responsible if the pests were already there at move-in, or a building problem such as a hole in the roof let them in.

Where pests linked to the building's structure make a home unsafe or insecure, that's an urgent repair. Rental providers also have to supply vermin proof rubbish and recycling bins. If you can't agree on who pays, either of you can apply to VCAT.

If a child or pet may have eaten bait

Call the Poisons Information Centre on 13 11 26 straight away, any time of day; healthdirect says there's no need to wait for symptoms. Don't make the child vomit. For a dog or cat, ring your vet now.

What a rodent visit usually involves

The technician looks for how they're getting in and where they run: droppings, gnaw marks, greasy rub marks along beams and walls. Most treatments use bait stations (locked boxes that hold rodent bait) plus advice on which gaps to close, so tell the technician about any children and pets and ask where the stations will go. A follow-up visit is common, so ask about it when you get the quote.

CSIRO says cooler weather sends mice looking for shelter inside, which is why autumn is when the scratching starts. Our rat and mouse control page goes further.

Buying in Shepparton

Consumer Affairs Victoria suggests buyers consider a professional pest inspection for termites as well as the building inspection, and to get their own report rather than relying on one the seller offers. Our pre-purchase page explains what that inspection covers.

Where we'd start with pests in Shepparton

Renting? Tell your rental provider in writing first, with photos of droppings or damage, then sort out who books the pest business. Own the place? Seal the gaps you can find, and if signs keep turning up after a week or two, tap Rats or mice 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.

What have you seen?