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How to Get Rid of Rats Fast
Rats don’t need your permission. They just move in. And when they do, they destroy insulation, chew through wires, contaminate food and spread diseases, which is why you need to know how to manage rats as soon as possible.
If you’re hearing scuttle noises in the roof or spotting droppings near pet food bowls or compost bins, it’s likely you’ve got a rodent problem.
At Allstate Pest Control, we’ve spent over 35 years helping South Australians manage rats and rodents safely and swiftly, with 24/7 support for homes, gardens, and commercial spaces. We’re not here to scare you. We’re here to help you act.
So, let’s get right into it.
How to Get Rid of Rats in the Garden in Australia
Gardens are a rat’s dream. Think about it: food, water, cover, and minimal human disruption.
You might not see them. But disturbed soil near your chicken coop, hollow logs, or gnawed stems near your fallen fruits are signs they’re already around. To manage rats in the garden:
- Remove food sources. Clear up pet food, bird seed, or food scraps.
- Trim dense vegetation. Tall grass, creepers, and leaf piles make perfect nesting sites.
- Elevate compost bins. Rats love the warmth and nutritional value inside. Use closed, rodent-proof bins only.
- Block burrows. Backfill holes with soil and steel wool to block tunnelling paths.
- Use snap traps safely. Place them along garden walls, in boxes, or near bait stations.
If you’ve already seen a roof rat climbing trees or nibbling around your plants, don’t wait. Rats breed fast, with some reaching sexual maturity in just 5 weeks.
How to Get Rid of Rats in the Roof
That scurrying noise at night is likely a roof rat, also known as black rat, a species known for agility and nesting in ceilings.
Once they’re in your roof cavity, they chew electrical cables, rip up nesting materials, and can cause serious house fires or water damage if left unchecked.
Here’s how to manage rats in the roof:
- Seal entry points. Start outside. Check for small holes, broken tiles, or leaking pipes near the eaves.
- Clear tree branches. Rats use them like bridges to your roofline. Trim back anything that overhangs.
- Remove food source attractions. Things like garbage bins, pet food bowls, or fallen fruits close to the house can draw them in.
- Set traps inside the roof cavity. But never use poison here. Rats often die inside, leaving behind a dead rodent smell that lingers for weeks.
- Call in professional help. If you can’t find the access point or a dead rat, a licensed professional pest control company like Allstate can inspect safely.
Fun fact: A black rat can leap up to 90cm vertically. That’s nearly a kitchen bench. So don’t underestimate their reach.
How to Get Rid of Rats Permanently
No method offers a permanent fix without consistent effort. That’s the truth. Even with traps or deterrents, if you don’t remove what attracts rats, they’ll be back.
To manage rats long-term:
- Block all entry points. Use mesh, sealant, or steel wool to close gaps around vents, pipes, or roofs.
- Clean up food temptations. Rats need only 15 grams of food a day to survive. Crumbs, pet waste, or food scraps are enough.
- Prevent shelter. Old boxes, building materials, and nesting materials in sheds make easy hideouts.
- Use natural deterrents. Some homeowners soak cotton balls in peppermint oil and place them near gaps.
- Maintain the environment. Tidy the yard. Remove fallen fruits. Don’t leave pet food out overnight.
In most Aussie cases, a tailored rodent control plan works better than a one-off solution. Especially with repeat infestations.
Do Rats Cause Disease?
The presence of rats on your property is a health and safety threat.
These rodents can carry a variety of diseases, and it’s been recently discovered that rats can transmit Hepatitis E. They can also carry typhus, leptospirosis, and other diseases and bring other disease-spreading pests into your home.
What are the signs of a rat infestation?
If you are unsure if you have a rat infestation in your home, look for the following signs:
Strange smells & sounds
Rats are very loud and are often responsible for gnawing, scratching, and thumping in wall cavities and roofs. They also give off a musty odour. These signs are subtle, but they’re a strong indication that rodents are nearby.
Droppings & smears
Rats leave faeces behind as they move through your home. You may notice small, dark, pellet-shaped faeces along rat pathways.
Since rats have poor eyesight, they create and maintain established routes, often along walls. You can sometimes see grease smears and smudges along these routes, particularly along baseboards.
Footprints
If you suspect rats are in your home, sprinkle some baking soda on the floor and check for fresh tracks in the morning.
Damage
Rats can cause a lot of damage to your home. They eat through electrical wires, gnaw on furniture, storage containers and paper, and contaminate food left out on the counter. They leave droppings and urine throughout your home that can spread disease.
How Can You Tell If There’s a Rat in Your Walls?
If you hear strange noises in your walls, scurrying sounds, or find droppings behind your stove, it’s a good sign that rats are around.
Call a pest management company if you see disturbed insulation or textiles in your home. You may have a rat problem. Other signs include damaged ductwork and nests made from insulation, fabric, or paper. These nests are usually found in warm, sheltered places, where the rats are unlikely to be disturbed.
What damage do rats cause?
The damage that rats cause in the home can be as bad as a flood or fire.
Damaging infestations can happen to anyone. These creatures can invade even a clean, tidy person’s home. If a rat problem is left untreated, there will be structural damage to the house and its contents — from insulation and wiring to furniture, flooring, and cabinetry.
A common sign of rat damage is faulty lighting or power inside the home, where rats have partially or wholly chewed through the wiring in the roof or walls.
Even if you can’t see any rats, they may still be there, causing damage. Fortunately, there are several ways to manage rats.
How to Stop Rats in the Home?
Let’s start with the basics. Before you set traps or reach for repellents, you need to know where rats are getting in and why they’re staying.
Inspect the home
You’re not going to manage rats unless you figure out where they’re coming from. So, the first step is to inspect your home.
Make a note of any obvious entry points, such as damaged drains, cracks in your garage door, gaps around vents, and spaces in your foundation.
Keep an eye out for rat activity inside the house. Rats can enter through vents, drains, appliance lines, and other potential access points.
You’ll know where they are getting in when you see the damage they cause. After that, you can seal those points and set traps to catch them.
Seal the gaps
You may think that a rat needs a large entry point to get into your house, but they can squeeze through any hole that you can stick two fingers through. For this reason, make sure that there are no gaps in your walls.
Fill these gaps with wire wool, metal kick plates, cement, or caulk for lasting results. Check them monthly to ensure they’re well-maintained.
Tip: If you can’t identify entry points, contact Allstate Pest Control for an expert analysis of your property. We service homes and businesses in the Adelaide CBD and surrounding suburbs.
Clean up
Rats tend to hide in places where no one can see them. To prevent them, you should manage their hiding places.
You can remove and prevent rats by:
- Cleaning up the clutter in and around your home
- Moving objects away from the walls
- Keeping all rubbish and food in closed bins
- Promptly cleaning up any spills
- Keeping your pipes and drains clean
Keep your garden tidy
If a rat feels exposed, it will go elsewhere. Keep your lawn and garden trimmed and clutter-free. Clean up piles of wood or leaves, and close and lock storage sheds.
Also, make sure that rats do not have access to food outside your home. Clean up fallen fruits or vegetables and ensure that pet or bird food is stored in sealed containers and cleaned up frequently.
Call in the birds
Owls can help you with your rat problem. Build a water feature like a birdbath and create a nesting box to attract them. It’s a great way to manage not just rats but also other pests in your backyard.
Tip: Don’t attract birds by putting out birdseed. There’s already food enough for the rats, and birdseed may attract more rats to your yard.
Consider trapping
Rat trapping is the most efficient way to prevent rats. If you want to manage rats, but you don’t want to use poison, trap them. To make sure other animals don’t get into the traps, put them in a box or under a milk crate.
When setting your own traps, be sure to use plenty of them. Place them in high-traffic areas. The best bait is peanut butter because it’s cheap and attractive to rats.
Alternatively, try baiting with unsalted seeds, bananas, or apples. If you’re not comfortable setting the traps yourself, contact a professional pest management team to do it for you.
Use natural deterrent methods
Rats have a keen sense of smell and hate strong odours. Once you identify their entry point, you can sprinkle strong-smelling peppermint oil or ground cloves.
Pepper spray is another irritant that may deter these pests. The spray can make rats nauseous and discourage them from coming back in.
Use dry ice
If you want to manage rats but don’t want to poison them, there’s a simple solution: carbon dioxide.
Carbon dioxide is a gas that, when inhaled, puts the rat to sleep and kills it. For best results, place the dry ice in the burrows where they live. Wear protective gear when handling dry ice because it can burn your skin.
Use baits and poisons outside
Chemical bait is a useful option that can be placed directly in the rats’ path. If you choose this option, make sure to put it far enough away from the house, as rats will drag the bait back inside and scatter it around.
Poison is also powerful, so do not put it inside the house. If you do, rats will eat it and may die inside, which will be dangerous for you and any pets.
When using baits or positions, you must carefully follow all the label directions. You must keep rat bait in a fully enclosed bait station, where kids and pets can’t reach it. Because of the many regulations surrounding the use of rat poison, be sure to understand the laws in your area.
Tip: If you prefer not to handle chemicals yourself, you should work with a company like Allstate Pest Control, who are licensed and experienced in handling pest control chemicals.
Call a professional pest management company
If you suspect a rat infestation, it’s essential to call a professional exterminator. These pests will come back if they’re not well prevented. Only a pest controller can give you advice to make sure they don’t return.
If you have rats hiding in your home, a pest management company will find them. A professional exterminator has the tools and knowledge to locate the rats you don’t see, as well as their nesting areas.
An experienced technician will find and prevent all entry points. Then, they will locate their nests and food cache areas. Finally, they will manage the rats with safe and proven methods without damaging your home or causing you harm. All treatments should be safe for you, your family, and the local environment.
But pest control services are not just effective inside the home. Pest technicians can also help you manage rat populations outdoors. Allstate Pest Control uses eco-friendly methods to control outdoor rat populations, such as trapping and deterrents.
Most importantly, a professional rat and mice removal service can give you tailored preventative advice, so you don’t waste time on strategies that won’t work for you.
How to Prevent Rats & Mice From Returning to Your Home & Garden
Think they’re gone? Don’t let your guard down. Once you’ve managed to manage rats, the next step is just as important: making sure they don’t return. Prevention is where long-term control really begins. Here’s how to keep both rats and mice out of your home and garden.
Remove Entry Points
Walk the perimeter of your house. Look for rub marks, gnawed gaps, or small holes near plumbing or vents. Seal gaps using wire mesh, steel plates, or concrete.
Remove Shelter Sources
Stacked firewood, leaf piles, and cluttered sheds all offer great cover for rats and mice. Keep storage off the ground and limit hiding spots.
Remove Food Sources
Store grains, pet food, and dry goods in metal containers. Clean spills quickly. Garbage bins should be sealed with tight lids at all times.
Remove Water Sources
Fix plumbing leaks, dripping taps, and blocked gutters. Even shallow trays or plant saucers can give rodents what they need to stay close.
Can Rats Hurt My Pets?
Rats can pose a risk in homes with pets because they can cause:
- Flea and other pest infestations
- Ringworm
- Leptospirosis
- Toxoplasmosis
- Secondary poisoning from rat baits
Can You Get Sick From Rats?
Rodents, including rats and mice, can cause illness. When they come into contact with a disease, they will then bring it into your home. The effect of rats on humans can vary, from allergies to food poisoning to fatal diseases.
Another way rats can make you sick is through their droppings, which can contain various pathogens, so it’s essential to remove droppings safely. It’s impossible to determine how likely you are to get sick, but it’s always better to be safe.
So, if you need to dispose of rat droppings, you should:
- Ventilate the area
- Wear gloves, a mask, and goggles
- Use disposable paper towels to collect the droppings and seal them in a plastic bag
- Dispose of the droppings in an outdoor bin
- Disinfect all surfaces in the area – do not vacuum or sweep, as this can release pathogens into the air
- Dispose of your PPE appropriately, then wash your hands with disinfectant hand wash
Worried about rats? Our expert team is ready to help you now.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How do you manage rats fast?
Use snap traps placed in areas of high activity like along walls or near gnawed skirting boards. Remove all food sources and seal entry points to stop new rats from entering. If you’re unsure where they’re hiding, call Allstate Pest Control for a same-day inspection and control.
What scent will keep rats away?
Strong scents like peppermint oil or eucalyptus can act as natural deterrents. Soak cotton balls and place them around common entry points. However, these are short-term fixes and work best alongside proper cleaning and exclusion.
What do rats hate most?
Rats avoid places with no food, no shelter, and strong smells. They dislike sudden light, loud noise, and the scent of natural ingredients like cloves and mint. But blocking their access and cleaning up is what really works.
How to manage rats and mice in the walls and ceiling?
Avoid using poison. Instead, place snap traps along suspected travel paths in ceiling voids. If you suspect a dead rat, contact Allstate for safe removal and deodorising. Prevention is key. Cut off food sources, fix gaps, and monitor activity weekly.
Need help fast? Call Allstate Pest Control on (08) 8371 1277 or send us a message. We’re South Australia’s trusted rat and rodent control experts, available 24/7 for emergencies, inspections, and treatment plans.