Rodent Control Adelaide
Rats and Mice
House Care Pest Control provides fast, family safe rodent control across North East Adelaide, including Modbury, Golden Grove, Athelstone, Campbelltown and surrounding suburbs. Our prevention first approach focuses on eliminating current infestations and stopping rats and mice from returning.
Same day service is available across most Adelaide suburbs.
Our Rodent Control Options
All our treatments are pet and child safe and include a free inspection of the roof void, interior, and exterior to check for signs of rodent activity.
Standard Rodent Treatment (Most Popular)
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Professional baiting treatment
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Highly effective at eradicating rodent activity
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Designed to clear a medium-sized infestation, ongoing protection for up to 6 months (warranty) without a revisit.
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Secondary poisoning risk: A 10kg animal would need to consume ~22 poisoned rats to reach toxic levels
Wildlife-Safer Rodent Treatment (Recommended)
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Advanced baiting system with significantly higher safety margins
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Best choice for extra peace of mind
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Secondary poisoning risk: A 10kg animal would need to consume ~357 poisoned rats to reach toxic levels (approximately 16 times safer)
Warranty: Free monthly returns if rodents return or persist.
How the treatment works
Rodents rely heavily on smell and communication, which means they'll route around a poorly placed treatment without touching it. So every job starts with a proper inspection, which is most of the time: roof void, interior and exterior, looking for droppings, nests, rub marks and gnaw marks to work out where they're actually travelling.
Werner's interview for FiveAA radio station in Adelaide on rodent surge in 2026
Placement is most of the job
Bait stations go where the evidence says they should — along runs, against existing objects, in the hidden and out-of-reach spots — not wherever's convenient. It's also why I tucked them behind things rather than out in the open: harder for children and pets to reach, and rats are far less suspicious of a new object that isn't sitting in a previously empty space.
The bait works slowly on purpose
It's a single-feed solution with a delayed action — usually up to 7 days, and up to 4 weeks if there are other food sources competing with it. That delay is the whole point: rodents never associate the bait with feeling unwell, so they keep feeding and carry it back through the colony.
Most of them die outside
The bait induces thirst, which sends them looking for water and usually out of the roof. Out of my last 250 jobs, we had only 8 calls for dead animal removal — so while I can never promise it, the odds are strongly in your favour. It also means no dripping taps and no open containers of rainwater around the house during treatment.
What's normal while it's working
Activity often increases for a few days, and you may hear them fighting over the bait. That settles. Most infestations drop off noticeably within the first week, with complete control typically taking one to four weeks depending on colony size, competing food and the condition of the property. Any pattern change is a good sign.
Then the part that actually ends it
Bait deals with the rodents already inside. Proofing deals with everything after — and it's the harder, more expensive half of the job, which is why most companies skip it. Every treatment comes with a six-month warranty, and if they come back inside that window, so do I, at no extra charge.
How they're getting in
Every rodent in your roof used a specific, findable route — and finding it is the part that ends the problem for good. A mouse gets through a 7mm gap, a rat through about 13mm. Proofing is difficult, expensive and genuinely hard work, which is why most companies skip it and just keep baiting.
I don't. Full detail here: How rats actually get into your roof →
Signs you may have rodents
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Scratching, scurrying or gnawing noises — often more noticeable at night, but can be heard during the day too
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Sounds of running or movement in the roof cavity, ceiling or walls
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Small dark droppings in cupboards, pantries, roof voids or along skirting boards
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Gnaw marks or chew damage on pipes, electrical wiring, timber or food packaging
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Electrical problems — lights flickering or wall sockets/power points that suddenly stop working (rodents chewing through wiring is a real fire risk)
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Unusual pet behaviour — dogs or cats staring at walls, barking at nothing, or avoiding certain areas — or signs of food contamination with bite marks or droppings
How our rodent control works
Rodents rely heavily on smell and communication, allowing them to avoid poorly placed treatments. Every job begins with a detailed inspection to identify activity areas, entry points and the most effective treatment strategy.
✔ Precise bait station placement for maximum effectiveness
✔ Identification of entry points to stop rodents from coming back
✔ Expert prevention tips to safeguard your home long-term
Why rodent infestations are a serious risk
Rodents Can Cause Floods & Fires – Here’s Why
Unchecked rodent infestations can lead to serious home damage, including flooding and fire hazards. Rodents have incredibly strong teeth that grow about 0.3mm every day, requiring them to constantly gnaw to keep them in check.
✔ They chew through wood, water pipes, plastic, gyprock, and even electrical wiring.
✔ Damaged pipes can lead to flooding, causing costly water damage.
✔ Gnawed electrical wires pose a major fire risk, increasing the chance of short circuits.
What it costs?
My standard rodent treatment with no warranty starts at $260, for a standard 3 bedroom home. Full breakdown of what moves a job up or down the range: pest control prices →
"He did a full inspection of the place and identified the cause of the issue and recommended some immediate solutions and longer term fixes. Very dependable, transparent with fees and patient with our questions." — Shaheel Mootanah
"We had a rodent problem in the roof and he came out quickly and did the job. He will follow up with you regarding the outcome and is genuinely there to help." — Paul, Wynn Vale
Why rats take longer than mice?
Mice are curious — a new station appears and they'll investigate it that night. Rats are neophobic: they avoid anything new in their territory, often for days. Same roof, same technician, completely different timeline.
It's why I place stations against existing clutter rather than out in the open, and why I don't rush arming traps. Rushing produces trap-shy rats that nobody can catch. If you're a few days in and still hearing activity, that's normal — ring me anyway.
Did you know that just two rats can multiply into 2,800 individuals in a single year? Rats reproduce rapidly, with females having 5 to 10 litters per year, each containing 6 to 12 babies. In just 5 weeks, a female can have her first litter, and by 10 weeks, her offspring are already reproducing, leading to exponential population growth.
For more: what attracts rats
Need rodent control today? Call or text +61 457 601 995 for same day service across North East Adelaide.
For long term prevention, our PestShield exterior barrier helps reduce rodent activity around your property and comes with a 6 month warranty covering 12 common pests. We provide family-safe pest control Adelaide-wide.
Our treatments are designed to be safe for homes with children and pets, with bait stations placed securely and out of reach.
If you're in the Tea Tree Gully area, I've written specifically about rodent control in Tea Tree Gully
Common rodent questions
Can rats come back after treatment?
Yes, if entry points remain open. We identify and recommend proofing to prevent future problems.
Do rodents die inside the house?
Our treatment encourages rodents to leave the building in search of water, reducing the chance of odours indoors.
How do I get rid of rats in my roof in Adelaide?
Bait alone rarely fixes it. I treat with a wildlife-safer bait and then proof the entry points letting them in — gaps in eaves, weep holes and pipework — so they can't simply return.
Is rat bait safe around my pets and native wildlife?
I offer a wildlife-safer baiting option that's dramatically safer for pets and scavenging native animals, combined with proofing so you need less bait overall.
How long until the rats are gone?
Most homes see activity drop within the first week or two; proofing is what stops it coming back.
Do you offer a warranty?
Yes — most treatments and PestShield has a 6-month warranty with no extra charge for revisits, if needed.
Do those plug-in ultrasonic repellers work?
No. Rodents habituate within days and ultrasound doesn't pass through walls, so it never reaches the roof void. The full answer →
The bait's gone but nothing was caught — what happened?
Usually the bait was too easy to lift off, the trap was underpowered, or you've got mice rather than rats and they're too light to trigger it.